Former football players and managers yesterday hit-out at billionaire newspaper owner Richard Desmond for planning to slash the number of Daily Express sports reporting staff from nine to six.

Desmond wants to save £14 million a year and is hoping to cut journalist staff across all four Express newspaper titles by a third.

The papers have already stopped sending reporters to cover Formula One races and major tennis tournaments abroad and with further redundancies in the pipeline, there is unlikely to be specialist writers covering sports such as cricket, golf or boxing.

National Union of Journalist general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “Cutting sports staff to the bone is a sure sign that Desmond does not care a fig for the paper.” 

Former England manager Graham Taylor and ex-England captain David Platt both publicly criticised Desmond.

Taylor said: “As a former contributor to the Daily Express sports football section and a buyer of the newspaper, which shows I do not hold grudges, I am showing my concern at the consistent dismissals of sports journalists since the takeover by the present owner. 

“I am hearing that there are more cuts to be made and this is likely to include three sports reporters. I do hope very careful thought, other than just saving money, is put into the decision of dismissing any number of sports journalists as, for me the present sports coverage in the Daily Express is as good, if not better, than any other comparable newspaper. 

“That is why I buy it. In my opinion, if these dismissals take place the quality of the sports coverage will be impossible to maintain.”

Platt added: “The Daily Express, in my view as a reader, cannot afford to see a reduction in its sport staff. I understand that three reporters are to lose their jobs. 

“The current standard of the Express sports coverage cannot be maintained with those losses and can only lead to, in my view, a loss in readership.”

Since October, 150 journalists have left the four newspapers in voluntary redundancies but Desmond wants at least 20 more to go.

Stanistreet said: “Sport is the lifeblood of the Express titles. Many readers start reading from the back pages, wanting informed comment, gossip and reports about their favourite team, plus the whole range of sports, including flagship events such as the Olympics, World Cup, Test matches and Formula One. 

“By cutting the three of the nine remaining Express sports reporters, major sports events simply cannot be covered. There will be nobody in the soccer hotspots of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or Newcastle to cover football.”

It is believed that Desmond no longer cares about the newspapers and wants to sell.