On this day in 2005: The last ever Pink

FOR those of us of a certain vintage, memories of the Chronicle’s Saturday Football Pink will evoke a warm feeling of nostalgia.

Many of us might recall being in a city-centre pub, basking in the post-match glow of a Newcastle United victory, pint in hand, waiting for the arrival of the newspaper seller and his batch of Pinks.

In the event of a United win, his appearance in the pub doorway would see him engulfed by Toon fans anxious to get their hands on the paper to read the match reports, take in the other scores, and check the league table.

Inevitably - as we know - tide, time and technology wait for no man.

In 2005, after 110 years, it was decided to discontinue production of The Pink, and the final edition was published on December 17, 2005.

The arrival of Sky Sports had altered the traditional Saturday afternoon 3pm kick-off routine of the national game. Matches were now also played on Sundays and Mondays and might kick off at any time between 1pm and 8pm.

In the previous season 2004-2005 - only 14 of Newcastle United’s 38 Premier League games had kicked off on a Saturday at 3pm or earlier.

Added to this was the relentless march of technology.

By 2005, mobile phones although relatively primitive by today’s standards - could access basic information, such as football headlines and scores.

And so, the Football Final, launched in 1895 and becoming The Pink in 1963, rolled off the presses for the last time 13 years ago.

Across more than a century, it had delivered news of Newcastle United’s many ups and downs - , including four league titles, 13 FA Cup finals and four relegations - to a Geordie public ravenous for news of their beloved football club.

In the event, the final historic edition reported on a 4-2 win for United at West Ham, with Michael Owen grabbing a hat-trick.