EmailThe Birmingham Mail is making its cricket writer redundant and won't replace him, meaning that the paper will no longer have a staff reporter at Warwickshire's matches.
The decision has upset the Sports Journalists' Association (SJA), which commented:
"We never thought we'd see the day when one of Britain's oldest newspapers decides that one of England's oldest first-class cricket counties is no longer worth the bother of a dedicated writer."
It reports that the three Trinity Mirror titles in Birmingham - the Mail, Post and Sunday Mercury – will not even have a part-time cricket writer for Warwickshire games.
Currently, the Edgbaston club is covered by Brian Halford, who is widely praised for his cricket writing. He is said to be in "consultation" with Trinity Mirror about his situation.
I understand that the decision is not related to his journalistic skills, which are admired by his bosses. It is simply that county cricket itself is now regarded as something of a niche interest and it is hard to justify full-time coverage.
Warwickshire's management sees it differently. It is said by the SJA to be "sufficiently concerned to have arranged a meeting between their chief executive, Colin Povey, with the newspaper's editor and sports editor."
But it is very doubtful that the Mail will change its mind. I understand that it wishes to appoint a writer prepared to cover cricket and rugby (and possibly other sports too).
Mark Baldwin, chairman of the Cricket Writers' Club told the SJA: "We are appalled by the news that the Birmingham Mail is, apparently, about to dispense with daily, eyewitness coverage of Warwickshire cricket."
He said Halford "has done an outstanding job for many years in covering the fortunes of Warwickshire, both home and away."
He is concerned about the implications for English cricket when a club as high profile as Warwickshire will not have "dedicated coverage in Birmingham's leading newspaper."
The decision to let Halford go should be seen in the context of Trinity Mirror's digital-first strategy, as announced last month by the Birmingham Mail's editor-in-chief, David Brookes.
It suggests that cricket could be covered in a different way, by user generated content for example and by a writer "dipping in and out" of cricket coverage when there is sufficient interest in matches. Online coverage of cricket by the Mail in this season has not attracted much of a following.
Trinity Mirror was not prepared to comment on Halford's case, but it did not deny the burden of the SJA's story.
Sources: SJA/Trinity Mirror
;