FourFourTwo
{{Short description|Monthly football magazine}}
{{Other uses|442 (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = FourFourTwo
| image_file = FourFourTwo 30th anniversary issue cover.webp
| image_caption = Cover of November 2024 issue, 30th anniversary issue
| editor = James Andrew
| frequency = Monthly
| total_circulation = 27,068 monthly circulation for 2022
| circulation_year = June–Dec 2015
| company = Future
| firstdate = 1994
| country = United Kingdom
| based = Paddington, England
| language = {{hidden|ta1=left|Languages|English
Bulgarian
Korean
Portuguese
Swedish
Turkish
Indonesian
Thai}}
| website = {{URL|fourfourtwo.com}}
| issn = 1355-0276
}}
FourFourTwo is an association football magazine published by British company Future. Issued monthly, it published its 300th edition in May 2019. It takes its name from the football formation of the same name, 4–4–2. Future acquired the magazine from Haymarket Media Group in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Tobitt |first=Charlotte |date=8 June 2018 |title=Haymarket sells gadget magazine Stuff to Kelsey Media |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/haymarket-sells-gadget-magazine-stuff-to-kelsey-media/ |access-date=1 September 2018 |website=Press Gazette}} Haymarket previously acquired Future's earlier football magazine Total Football in 2001 in exchange of subscriber list and the rights to the masthead of its defunct internet magazine The Net, Haymarket later absorbed Total Football into FourFourTwo.{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Anthony |title=Magazine Publisher profiles: Haymarket Publications |url=http://www.magforum.com/magazinepublishers4.htm#hay |access-date=8 November 2024 |website=Magforum |language=en-GB |quote=Despite high sales for sector, closed and rights swap deal made with Future in 2001 involving Total Football.}}{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Anthony |title=The Net closed |url=http://www.magforum.com/2001.htm#net |access-date=3 December 2024 |website=Magforum |language=en |quote=The Net had led the sector in the last set of ABCs with a circulation over 51,000, but the collapse of the dotcom market and increased competition brought it down. Haymarket sold subscriber list and masthead usage rights to Future, who merged it with .Net. In return for swap deal on Total Football.}}
In 2008 FourFourTwo entered into a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Swindon Town.{{cite news|title=Swindon clinch sponsorship deal |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swindon_town/7438170.stm|access-date=15 June 2014|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC |date=5 June 2008}}
Rankings and awards
FourFourTwo has a number of annual rankings and awards. In 2007, the magazine put together its first FFT100, their list of the 100 best footballers in the world.{{cite news |title=100 Best Players in the World |url=http://fourfourtwo-magazine.com/free-supplements/100-best-players-in-the-world |access-date=26 May 2015 |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=1 December 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526195740/http://fourfourtwo-magazine.com/free-supplements/100-best-players-in-the-world |archive-date=26 May 2015}}{{Cite web|title=FourFourTwo's Top 100 Soccer Players List « mCalcio.com|url=http://www.mcalcio.com/fourfourtwos-top-100-soccer-players-list/|access-date=21 December 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503125921/http://www.mcalcio.com/fourfourtwos-top-100-soccer-players-list/|url-status=dead}} At the end of the 2012–13 Premier League season, FourFourTwo announced its first Stats Zone Awards.{{cite news |title=FFT announce Stats Zone Awards 2014/15 |url=http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fft-announce-stats-zone-awards-201415 |access-date=26 May 2015 |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=26 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526194234/http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fft-announce-stats-zone-awards-201415 |archive-date=26 May 2015}} In May 2015, the inaugural list of the 50 best Asian players in world football was announced.{{cite news |title=The FourFourTwo 50 Best Asian Players 2015 |url=http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwo-50-best-asian-players-2015 |access-date=26 May 2015 |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=13 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526195121/http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwo-50-best-asian-players-2015 |archive-date=26 May 2015}} They have also produced a top 50 of players from the Football League.{{cite news |title=Ritchie takes top spot in Football League Top 50 |url=http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ritchie-takes-top-spot-football-league-top-50 |access-date=26 May 2015 |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=1 April 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526194625/http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ritchie-takes-top-spot-football-league-top-50 |archive-date=26 May 2015}}
= Other rankings =
In April 2022, FourFourTwo ranked the best footballers of the 21st century. Lionel Messi was ranked as number 1.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Alasdair Mackenzie Contributions from Mark |last2=Pope |first2=Conor |last3=published |first3=Greg Lea |date=8 April 2022 |title=Ranked! The 100 best players of the 21st Century |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-the-100-best-players-of-the-21st-century |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=FourFourTwo}} In September 2023, the magazine also ranked the 100 best football players of all time, with Messi once again ranking first.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Mark |collaboration=Warrington, Declan; Haugstad, Thore; Stafford-Bloor, Seb; Spurling, Jon; Murray, Andrew; Yokhin, Michael; Hess, Alex; Reid, Alex; Alves, Marcus |title=Ranked! The 100 best football players of all time |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-the-100-best-football-players-of-all-time |date=5 September 2023 |access-date=24 June 2024 |website=FourFourTwo}}
Other editions
- Dutch edition – first published in November 2018 by F&L Media[https://www.fnl.nl/corporate/pers/wereldberoemd-voetbalmagazine-fourfourtwo-komt-naar-nederland/ Wereldberoemd Voetbalmagazine FourFourTwo Komt Naar Nederland], fnl.nl, 9 October 2018
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{oweb}}
{{FourFourTwo Player of the year}}
{{Future plc}}
Category:Association football magazines
Category:Sports magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Football mass media in the United Kingdom
Category:Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Magazines established in 1994
Category:1994 establishments in the United Kingdom