Nationwide Football Annual

The Nationwide Football Annual is a football annual which covers results and fixtures from Britain, Ireland and Europe. Its 2016–17 edition is its 130th and is edited by Stuart Barnes.^[1]

Two long-serving previous editors were 'Tityrus' (otherwise J A H Catton, editor of the Athletic News 1900–1924)^[2] and Ivan Sharpe (c. 1928–1956). Other editors or joint-editors appearing on the front covers or title pages include David Jack (1956–1958 – he also made later contributions, not to be confused with the England footballer of the same name); Malcolm Gunn (1958–1966); Frank Butler ^[3] (1961–1982); Patrick Collins (1967–1977); Harold Mayes (1978); Charles Sampson (1983–1984); Albert Sewell (1983–1997); Bill Bateson (1985–1994) and Eric Brown (1998–1999).^[4]

The book has incorporated a number of illustrations for many years, and since 1948 these have regularly included team photos of a few of the previous season's most successful sides. Since 1985 the annual has also included very brief obituaries ('The Final Whistle') for selected former players and officials dying within the previous twelve months.^[4]

Following the withdrawal of News of the World as sponsors, the Nationwide Building Society emerged to provide new sponsorship in 2008.^[5]

Facsimile copies of the Athletic News Football Annuals for 1890-91, 1891–92, 1892–93 and 1893-94 were issued by the Association of Football Statisticians during the 1980s.^[6]

References