The Manchester Evening News is to close its Sunday Pink at the end of the football season.

The sport-only publication, which has a cover price of 50p, had sold between 10,000 and 15,000.

But sales have been eroded and MEN editor Paul Horrocks said it was no longer selling sufficiently to make it viable.

He told HoldtheFrontPage: "Sport is no longer just a weekend pastime. Football is now played throughout the week and with the introduction of mobile phone text, results are sent to fans around the country within seconds.

"It has therefore unfortunately become inevitable that the Sunday Pink will have to close. In a busy market place it has become unviable."

The Pink has been the Manchester sport enthusiasts' bible for the past 40 years.

Initially printed on a Saturday, it provided the only place for football fans to see same day, full match reports.

It has been published every weekend throughout the football season since August 1962, moving to Sundays in 2000.

It will be printed for the final time on May 22, the day after the FA Cup final and the end of the 2004/5 football season.

The move will not result in any job losses.

It is produced by the MEN sports desk and some of the content will be transferred to Saturdays and Mondays edition of the main paper.