Daily Mail: Sky Sports reporters told to reapply for jobs as cuts continue

Story from Daily Mail:

Plans to axe cult Saturday morning show Soccer AM will not be the end of cuts at Sky Sports with long-serving and popular football reporters among those at risk in another major shake-up.

Included in a consultation process now unfolding at Sky will be some of the familiar faces who have been providing fans with live updates for years from matches on shows such as Soccer Saturday and Soccer Special. This includes the likes of Geoff Shreeves, Sky's touchline reporter.

'Our coverage of football is evolving to reflect the changing habits of our viewers and ensures we continue to deliver the best experience for customers,' said a Sky spokesperson.

'Our proposal would mean the creation of new roles, and the closing of some existing roles, and we are currently in a consultation period with our people.'

It is only two years since the last round of job cuts inside the Sky Sports football department, which followed financial problems caused by the Covid pandemic.

Sources told Sportsmail that the reporters had been asked to reapply for their jobs this week. This is refuted by Sky, who claim the operation is about restructuring in a search for evolution and diversity.

The process around the future of reporting jobs is separate to the decision to bring down the axe on Soccer AM, which has been a huge hit for Sky since the launch in 1995, with its light-hearted take on the game.

The show was presented for many years by Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy and became part of the match-day routine for many football fans.

John Fendley and Jimmy Bullard are the current co-hosts and the final edition is expected to broadcast its final edition on May 27.

Saturday Social, which previously aired before Soccer AM, is reportedly going to fill the vacant slot from next season with an aim of targeting younger viewers.

Rocket - a former host of the show whose real name is James Long - told Sportsmail following the news: 'It's the end of an era! The show was the first of its kind when it first aired in the mid 90's. It became cult viewing and a Saturday morning ritual for many households across the UK.

'Bacon roll, cuppa tea, Soccer AM! I think what made Soccer AM special was that we would cover all football leagues, from grassroots to the Premier League and we didn't take ourselves too seriously, we loved getting our viewers involved in show from Strangers on the Sofa, Fans of the Week and the Soccerette. It was a show for the people made by the by the people.

'It's a real shame that it's come to an end but what a journey it's been and I'm proud to have been a part of it.'