Reach plc has again come under fire over its plans for women’s football coverage amid the ongoing cutbacks at the publisher.

The National Union of Journalists claims the company is reducing the number of reporters covering women’s football from seven to two as part of its plan to shed 320 editorial roles.

Reach last month insisted it “remained committed” to women’s football coverage but has declined to put a figure on how many journalists will be covering the sport going forward.

The NUJ claims the company has scored an “own goal” over the cutbacks after England goalkeeper Mary Earps won the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award this week.

Mary Earps, centre, with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy, flanked by Clare Balding, Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Gary Lineker (Image: BBC/James Stack)

Chris Morley, NUJ Reach national coordinator, said: “By opting to dismantle the specialist team assembled just over a year ago to cover women’s football – the fastest growing sport in the country – the company is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

“Mary Earps’ victory in being voted by viewers as SPOTY for 2023 – when fellow Lioness Beth Mead also took the title last year – demonstrates just how popular women’s football is and why it should be a commercial success to cover it.

“This week’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year puts in sharp relief just how out of touch Reach senior editorial executives are with the great British public in terms of what resources they are prepared to commit to non-male football sport coverage.

“What the nominations for SPOTY also show is that the British public care deeply about so called ‘minority sports’, that they are showcased and that they want to know more about them.

“We have consistently said that the latest swingeing redundancies taking place in Reach are retrograde to its editorial output and risk taking the cause of equality and diversity back significantly in popular journalism.

“We are fighting hard to retain as many journalism jobs as possible in Reach and hope the company will take the festive break as an opportunity to pause the cuts to allow a sensible reconsideration of where its priorities should lie.”

The union claims that of the two remaining reporters who will be covering women’s football, one will also contribute to men’s football coverage.

Reach has so far not responded to requests for further comment on the NUJ’s claims.

Last month a Reach spokesperson told HTFP: “We remain committed to coverage of women’s football and will continue to cover with our football writers across the country.

“Discussions are ongoing with our unions and we are fully committed to working with them through this collective consultation process.”