Steve Cording, a previous sports news editor at the Daily Mail, has been promoted to head the sports desk at the single-edition London Evening Standard. It is also understood that another former Mail sport man,Tim Nichols, has been installed as his deputy.
Cording has been appointed Associate Sports Editor. He replaces Steve McKenley, who walked out before Christmas, reportedly in a dispute over pay.
McKenley’s departure coincided with the announcement of a single-edition Standard and the axing of five jobs from the sports desk.
Like McKenley, Cording also comes with experience of previously working on one of London’s freebies, having worked as sports editor of Metro.
Cording gained some unwanted notoriety in 2006 when, under his own byline as deputy sports editor, he ran a backpage splash announcing Steve Gerrard’s appointment as England captain – on the day when John Terry was given the job.
Management at the Standard, owned by former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev, refused to comment on the appointment.
More on sports desk job cuts:
Bierley latest to leave Guardian sports desk
Map of UK media job cuts in 2009
McKenley and Smith to leave Standard sports desk
Sport magazine sacrificed in Observer redesign
Another 70 jobs under the axe at Express group
Rugby writer Roche is latest Sun casualty
Football at fault for loss of Setanta’s 400 jobs
Cox and Cheers leave Guardian sport
Baltimore Sun lays-off baseball writers – in mid-game
Your SJA subscription was due from JANUARY 1 – click here for details of how to make your payment