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After realising ITV Digital had vastly overpaid for the Football League's TV rights to the tune of £315m, Carlton and Granada - the companies behind it - reneged on the contract, leaving dozens of clubs high and dry and the future of the English lower leagues in serious doubt. Even a High Court battle didn't help, and both the League's chairman and chief executive fell on their swords.

GOING THE DISTANCE

After the fiascos of Pickett's Lock and Wembley Stadium, British sport was looking for evidence that the UK could stage a successful international sporting event. Most looked to the Manchester Commonwealth Games to provide such evidence more in hope than expectation. Backed by sponsors including Cadbury, Asda and Microsoft, the games were an unqualified success, despite murmurings that commercial income had not been delivered on sufficient scale.

(IT'S NOT) CRICKET

The Ashes series this winter was a reminder of England's batting frailty, but at least one part of the sport will be given an overdue facelift under plans announced this year. Dancing girls and live entertainment are a world away from the sedate world of English cricket. The new 20-20 Trophy, however, will inject some jazz into the sport as the England & Wales Cricket Board tries to broaden its appeal to a family audience.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Despite the fact the majority of the nation had to roll out of bed to catch it, the England-Brazil match was the most watched programme of the year, with 15.9 million viewers. Like England, some brands struggled. Nike managed to fool a high proportion of the population into believing it, not Adidas, had backed the event, according to to an OMD Snapshots poll for Marketing.

WRONG FORMULA?

2002 provided the most potent signs yet that Formula One was suffering serious decline. Amid complaints that races were too predictable and that team orders were destroying the sport's soul, TV audiences plunged. Sponsors have pulled out, the ban on tobacco sponsorship looms larger, and a pay-per-view experiment failed to catch on. Innovations for 2003, including a radical shake-up of the qualifying system for races, smack of desperation.

January
Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City produce Britain's first gold, for
curling, in decades.
February
Nationwide is first company to sign up to the new FA Partners commercial
programme.
March
Halfords backs the British Touring Car Championship for £1m, its
first sports sponsorship.
April
UEFA slashes number of commercial partners for Euro 2004 football
tournament.
May
The Football League begins search for League Cup sponsor after
Worthington's pulls out.
June
The scandal over Sepp Blatter's re-election as FIFA president fails to
tarnish World Cup.
July
Lloyds TSB ends its five-year tenure as title sponsor of the Six Nations
Championship.
August
Manchester stages a highly successful Commonwealth Games.
September
England & Wales Cricket Board announces plans to revamp premier cup

competition.

October

The FA's chief executive Adam Crozier quits over Premier League

commercial deals.

November

The Jordan Formula One team loses its £18m-a-year title sponsor,

DHL.

December

The British Horseracing Board backs down in row over supply of racecard

data to newspapers.