The Sunday Sport returned to the newsstands yesterday – splashing with a ‘world exclusive’ on Osama Bin Laden being ‘killed by Yank special forces while he was on the toilet”.
Yesterday was the first edition of the new-look Sunday Sport since its previous owners Sport Media Group called in the administrators on 1 April.
Within weeks the paper was taken over by a new joint venture – Sunday Sport (2011) Ltd – between staff and former owner David Sullivan.
In a message to readers yeaterday, Sullivan said the paper was returning to its roots – the ‘things that made this newspaper a worldwide publishing sensation when I launched back in 1986″.
This includes ‘shocking exclusives that leave our tired Fleet Street rivals floundering in our wake”, ‘outrageous laugh-out-loud headlines’and ‘unbelievable true stories from around the world”.
It lived up to the billing with a story on zoos and safari parks being put on high alert ‘amid fears that Taliban-trained killer monkeys are being sent to avenge slain terror boss Osama Bin Laden”, a Premiership footballer who paid £5,000 for a ‘vile sex act”, and another story headlined “Paranormal Activity in my Knickers”.
The paper is now in full colour for the first time and is on sale from Sunday to Tuesday.
There are eight full-time staff working on the Manchester-based title as well as a number of part-timers. Nick Appleyard remains editor and is also director of the new company, while former editor Mark Harris is managing director.
Sport Media Group’s administrators BDO are still looking for a buyer for the Sunday Sport’s sister title the Daily Sport.
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