Throughout most of the twentieth century they were very popular, representing one of the few up to date sources of information available to sports fans.
[2][3] Most Saturday sports papers focussed on football, providing match reports of games involving local teams and a full listing of final scores.
Cardiff's South Wales Sports Echo was available to buy within twenty minutes of the end of the game, featuring half-time reports and full-time scores, with a fuller edition later in the evening.
Another issue was the rise of alternative sources of information: the internet, mobile phones and teletext services allowed sports fans to follow their team's progress without the need to purchase a paper.
[2] The Sheffield Star Green 'Un closed in the summer of 2013 and the Sunderland Echo Pink followed at the end of the same year.