FourFourTwo
Encyclopedia
FourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket
. Published monthly, costing £
4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011. It takes its name from the football formation
of the same name, 4-4-2, which is considered to be a basic, trustworthy and standard formation in English football; it has been one of the most popular formations for 11-a-side matches for several decades.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations reports that as of 2011 FourFourTwo had a Total Average Net Circulation Per Issue of 90,077. Of this:
In 2008, it was announced that FourFourTwo had entered into a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Swindon Town
, which commenced in the 2008–09 season.
.
.
n edition in October 2005, to coincide with new A-League
.
The launch publicity ran with the tagline of "It's footy, but not as you know it," a reference to the popularity of Australian rules football
and rugby league
and the fact that association football is referred to as soccer in Australia. This also referred to the launch slogan of the A-league
: "It's football, but not as you know it" — part of the work Football Australia
is doing to rebrand and relaunch the game. Further to this, the first edition's frontpage contained the motto "Goodbye Soccer, Hello Football." The launch party was attended by, amongst others, cricket
er Ricky Ponting
.
ian edition was published, by Brazilian publishing company Cadiz.
information about the England national football team
and coach Fabio Capello
for its cover story. The first three issues contained extra materials, reviewing the 1994
, 1998
and 2002
World Cups
respectively. The Bulgarian edition incorporates articles from UK and international, as well as Bulgarian football.
ian edition was published, by Egyptian publishing company Omedia.
n edition was published, by PT Tunas Bola.
The price is W
6,800. Although the English edition is imported in Korean market, it costs W16,000 and therefore has a very limited market share.
began on affiliated television station, Astro SuperSport, hosted by former ESPN anchor Jason Dasey
.
. It also sells in South Africa
.
edition will be published by Ginza Media Group.
edition was published.
edition was published, by Plus One Media Co., Ltd. In 3rd Day Of The Month For Every Month.
edition was published.
ese edition was published by Le Media.
Haymarket Group
Haymarket Media Group is a privately owned media company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore and the United States....
. Published monthly, costing £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011. It takes its name from the football formation
Formation (football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
of the same name, 4-4-2, which is considered to be a basic, trustworthy and standard formation in English football; it has been one of the most popular formations for 11-a-side matches for several decades.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations reports that as of 2011 FourFourTwo had a Total Average Net Circulation Per Issue of 90,077. Of this:
- 75,212 was in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
This includes the Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
and Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
which ABC include in their United Kingdom figure. - 14,865 was overseas.
In 2008, it was announced that FourFourTwo had entered into a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, which commenced in the 2008–09 season.
Present
Currently, the following high-profile people are amongst the regular contributors to FourFourTwo (UK edition):- James RichardsonJames Richardson (television presenter)James "AC Jimbo" Richardson is a television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a former presenter of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and co-presenter of Setanta Sports' The Friday Football Show and Football Matters...
, who famously presented Football ItaliaFootball ItaliaFootball Italia is an Italian football programme in the United Kingdom, known as Football Italiano for its final season. The first broadcasting of the show was in 1992 on Channel 4, the show is centered around live coverage of Serie A football, the top flight in the Italian league system...
, who used to give his views on Italian football before being replaced. - Jonathan WilsonJonathan Wilson (journalist/author)Jonathan Wilson is a British sports journalist and author who writes for a number of publications including the Guardian, the Independent and Sports Illustrated. He is a columnist for World Soccer and is the founder and editor of The Blizzard...
, football journalist and author of Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics. - Michel SalgadoMíchel SalgadoMiguel Ángel "Míchel" Salgado Fernández is a Spanish footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, as a right defender.Nicknamed Il Due , he is known for his combative tackling and attacking play...
, footballer formerly of Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and currently playing for Blackburn Rovers.
Past
Previously, the following high-profile people were amongst the regular contributors to FourFourTwo (UK edition):- Henry WinterHenry WinterHenry Winter is an English sports journalist, currently football correspondent of The Daily Telegraph.The younger brother of Muslim scholar and academic Timothy Winter, Henry attended Westminster School and Edinburgh University.After graduation, he spent a year producing a magazine on sport in...
— Leading football journalist. - Brian CloughBrian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
— Ex-player and manager, up to his death in 2004. - Bobby RobsonBobby RobsonSir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
— Ex-player and manager who briefly replaced Brian Clough. - Stan BowlesStan BowlesStanley Bowles was a leading English footballer who gained a reputation as one of the game's greatest mavericks. He was a cousin of Paul Bowles.-Career:...
— The ex-Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
player, who wrote an anecdotal column. - Robbie SavageRobbie SavageRobert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
— The former WalesWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
midfielder, who wrote about the game from a current Premiership footballer's perspective. - Sam AllardyceSam AllardyceSamuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
— Ex-Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
manager who answered readers' questions. - David Platt — who wrote columns discussing tactics for particular matches or teams.
- Arsène WengerArsène WengerArsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
— ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
manager. FourFourTwo's 5-a-side "guru" who is questioned by two people every month and gives tips on the 5-a-side game.
Editors
Notable editors of FourFourTwo have included Mat Snow and Hugh Sleight. The founding editor was Karen Buchanan, now a journalist and presenter with BBC Radio NorfolkBBC Radio Norfolk
BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Norfolk, broadcasting since 11 September 1980. It broadcasts from the studios of BBC East in The Forum, Norwich on 95.1 FM , 104.4 FM , 95.6 FM , 855 kHz AM/MW , 873 kHz AM/MW BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local...
.
First Section
The following four features are always in the first part of the magazine:- Magic Moment or FourFourTwo Moment — A usually-sponsored feature on the first page showing a moment of triumph from the past month, for example, Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland national football teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
beating SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
3-2. - A Word from the Editor — David Hall refers to the month gone by and the current month's issue.
- Letters to the EditorLetter to the editorA letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication...
– Every month a chosen letter written to the editor appears in the issue and wins a prize. - One on One — Readers send in questions which are put directly to either a football player or manager.
Upfront
Upfront runs from about page 25 to 60 of the magazine, consisting of shorter interviews and regular features. It is often more comedy based than the rest of the magazine. Amongst others, it contains:- The Diary — Takes a comedy based look at the latest month in the football world.
- The Boy/Girl's a Bit Special — A short article informally interviewing a young star (male or female) in-the-making. Questions range from "who has had the biggest influence on your game?" to "what car do you own?." Issue one featured an unknown 16-year-old Liverpool youth team player named Michael OwenMichael OwenMichael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
. - I'll Tell You This — Transcript of a short, irreverent telephone interview with a well-known football personality, where questions rarely involve football, and often border on the surreal, unless of course the interviewee has a book or other product to promote.
- Reviews — of football related products, predominantly books and video games.
- They Said What?! — A short column of funny, strange or witty quotes from football personalities in the month beforehand.
- The Insider — Another short column listing all the rumours in the Premier League at the present moment.
- On the Couch — A psychologist analyses a part of football to find its basis.
- Ask a Silly Question — Where a footballer or football-related person is asked a selection of odd questions which tend to culminate in still stranger answers.
- You Asking? — Where four present or former footballers answer two questions: one relating to football and the other not.
- The Big Debate — A look at two differing opinions on a controversial footballing issue.
Features
Between Up Front and Planet Football, so usually stretching from about page 60 to 125."Regular" features include:- Extended interviews.
- And Another Thing... — Four of a kind (e.g. four disabled fans, four referees, four journalists, four fans supporting West London clubs) are gathered together in a pub and asked to comment on different footballing issues.
- More Than a Game — An in-depth look at one of football's biggest rivalriesMajor football rivalriesThis list deals with association football rivalries around the world. This includes local derbies as well as matches between teams further apart. Footballing rivalries manifest themselves in many ways...
, often involving deep social and political parameters. A recent example was Fenerbahçe vs GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team)Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... - My Secret Vice — A report on a particular footballer's unusual hobby.
- Sing When You're Winning — One celebrity (although past "specials" have seen multiple English rugbyEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
World Cup winners or CabinetCabinet (government)A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
PoliticianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s) talks about their football fandomFandomFandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
. - Action Replay — A retrospective look at a significant, obscure, landmark or forgotten event in football history.
- At the End of the Day — A a footballing personality talks about the defining moments of their career.
Planet Football
This covers two main areas: UK football other than the Premiership and overseas football. It consists of a number of short interviews, features, and a results service. Among many reports from top-level football leagues across the globe, the section includes a report from James RichardsonJames Richardson (television presenter)
James "AC Jimbo" Richardson is a television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a former presenter of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and co-presenter of Setanta Sports' The Friday Football Show and Football Matters...
.
Elsewhere in the magazine
- My Perfect XI — A football personality's favourite team, often within certain criteria (e.g. players played against, players who have played for LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
clubs), normally with one or more substitutes and a manager. The interviewee may name themselves in the team, but often rejects it, instead settling for a place on the bench, or as coach of the team. - Spine Line Competition — To win a prize, readers can decipher the riddle printed along the magazine's spine line, which always relates to some content in that edition.
Australian edition
FourFourTwo launched an AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n edition in October 2005, to coincide with new A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
The launch publicity ran with the tagline of "It's footy, but not as you know it," a reference to the popularity of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and the fact that association football is referred to as soccer in Australia. This also referred to the launch slogan of the A-league
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
: "It's football, but not as you know it" — part of the work Football Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
is doing to rebrand and relaunch the game. Further to this, the first edition's frontpage contained the motto "Goodbye Soccer, Hello Football." The launch party was attended by, amongst others, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
.
Brazilian edition
In 2009, the first issue of the BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian edition was published, by Brazilian publishing company Cadiz.
Bulgarian edition
Mark Sterling has signed a contract with Haymarket Media Group. Mark Sterling has thus acquired the exclusive rights to publish FourFourTwo Magazine. The first issue was out on the Bulgarian market in April, 2010, having pre-World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
information about the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and coach Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
for its cover story. The first three issues contained extra materials, reviewing the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
respectively. The Bulgarian edition incorporates articles from UK and international, as well as Bulgarian football.
Egyptian edition
In June 2010, the first issue of the EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian edition was published, by Egyptian publishing company Omedia.
Indonesian edition
In 2009, the first issue of the IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n edition was published, by PT Tunas Bola.
Korean edition
In June 2007, the first issue of the South Korean edition was published, by Korean publishing company MediaWill. The Korean edition contains many articles on domestic football, which normally take up about half of the 190-pages per issue.The price is W
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
6,800. Although the English edition is imported in Korean market, it costs W16,000 and therefore has a very limited market share.
Malaysian edition
In 2009, Measat publications took over the license of the Malaysian edition. On August 11, 2009, a weekly FourFourTwo TV ShowFourFourTwo TV Show
FourFourTwo is a thrice-weekly football magazine television show on Asian cable channel, Astro SuperSport, broadcasting to Malaysia and Brunei in association with global football magazine, FourFourTwo. In its third season, FourFourTwo has highlights from European leagues including England's Premier...
began on affiliated television station, Astro SuperSport, hosted by former ESPN anchor Jason Dasey
Jason Dasey
Jason Dasey is a journalist and broadcaster, a former CNN International, BBC World News and ESPN anchor who works as a TV sports host and executive producer for Asian satellite network, ASTRO...
.
Nigerian edition
In 2006, the first issue of the Nigerian edition was published. In May 2008, the relaunched edition came on board with the veteran editor Samm Audu as the editor. The senior staff writer is Ikenwa Nnabuogor. It's currently the biggest-selling soccer magazine in West AfricaWest Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. It also sells in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Polish edition
In May 2010, the first issue of the PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
edition will be published by Ginza Media Group.
Swedish edition
In April 2008, the first issue of the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
edition was published.
Thai edition
In November 2009, the first issue of the ThaiThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
edition was published, by Plus One Media Co., Ltd. In 3rd Day Of The Month For Every Month.
Turkish edition
In April 2006, the first issue of the TurkishTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
edition was published.
Vietnamese edition
In May 2010, the first issue of the VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese edition was published by Le Media.