Three FA chiefs to go in Greg Dyke’s cull with further job losses on the horizon  

• Jonathan Hall, Alistair Maclean and Roger Maslin set to be axed
• Changes will see Julie Harrington run both St George’s Park and Wembley
• Batsman Adam Lyth had trials with Manchester City as a youngster 
• All looks healthy for Glamorgan hosting the first Test of the Ashes series
• The Test Match Special lunchtime guest on Friday is Alexander Campbell

By Charles Sale for the Daily Mail

Published: 16:32 EST, 9 July 2015 | Updated: 19:10 EST, 9 July 2015

Three senior FA executives have lost their jobs as part of the £30million-a-year cost saving at Wembley to fund chairman Greg Dyke’s coaching and facilities policies as part of the strategy to improve the England team.

The respected trio, who have been made redundant in the management restructuring by new CEO Martin Glenn, are Jonathan Hall, director of football services, Alistair Maclean, company secretary and group legal director, and Roger Maslin, managing director of Wembley.

The changes will see Julie Harrington run both St George’s Park and Wembley, while David Sheepshanks, chairman of St George’s Park since the start of the project, is not expected to have his contract extended when it expires in October.

Three senior FA executives have lost their jobs as part of the £30million-a-year cost saving at Wembley to fund coaching and facilities policies to improve the England team pioneered by chairman Greg Dyke (left)

And Glenn, who has wasted little time in wielding the axe since arriving at the FA in May, is likely to announce further job losses in the near future, with all FA departments charged with making 15 per cent savings.

Greg Dyke discusses English football's problems, in May 2014

Adam Lyth might have failed in England’s first innings, but at least he’s been the stand-out player in the games of football that are now part of the daily warm-up — a routine revived by Paul Farbrace when he was in charge for the New Zealand series. Lyth had trials with Manchester City as a youngster.

England bowler Mark Wood (left) and Adam Lyth celebrate the dismissal of Chris Rogers on Thursday 

Mark Wood misses sitter from Jimmy Anderson dream pass in warm-up

Former Ashes star Simon Jones’ decision to award himself a benefit year — Jones never spent 10 years with a single county to qualify for a testimonial — will cause concern to the Professional Cricketers’ Association if it affects the current tax-free status of county beneficiaries.

PCA chief executive Angus Porter said: ‘I wouldn’t want anything that puts at risk the system for county-awarded benefits, but I’m sure Simon will be careful of the regulations.’

Former Ashes star Simon Jones (pictured) has decided to award himself a benefit year 

Andrew Strauss's decision to quit Sky Sports to become director of England cricket seems to have worked out well for both sides. Strauss has made some good calls at the ECB, especially keeping faith with Eoin Morgan as one-day captain. 

Meanwhile, Sky, who still have a huge team of pundits, were so relaxed about losing Strauss that their first email to inform cricket staff of his departure was followed by the comment: ‘Hey ho.’

ECB Chairman Colin Graves (left) and Andrew Strauss walk the pitch prior to the opening day of the Ashes 

WILL CLARKE APOLOGISE? 

Giles Clarke will come face to face on Friday at the first Test with fellow cricket politician Ehsan Mani, whose speech at the 2015 Wisden dinner provoked the England Cricket Board president to make such a fool of himself.

Clarke, one of those responsible for world cricket’s power grab by England, Australia and India, launched such a tirade about Mani’s eloquent support of the seven other Test-playing nations that Wisden editor Lawrence Booth twice told Clarke: ‘Behave yourself.’

Giles Clarke (pictured) will come face to face on Friday at the first Test with fellow cricket politician Ehsan Mani

Other top-table guests at the Wisden book launch were England all-rounder Moeen Ali and the new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.

Glamorgan have invited both Clarke and Mani because of their ICC connections. However, the chances of haughty Clarke apologising today for his behaviour — he stormed out after having his say after Mani’s speech — are slim indeed.

All looks healthy for Glamorgan hosting the first Test of the Ashes series, but it’s a different picture behind the scenes. The county, who overstretched themselves building a venue fit for Test matches, would have gone out of business if their three main creditors hadn’t agreed to forfeit 70 per cent of the combined £16m debt. These were the Allied Irish Bank, Cardiff County Council and former chairman Paul Russell.

A sun-drenched view of SWALEC Stadium on the second day of the first Ashes test in Cardiff on Thursday 

The Test Match Special lunchtime guest on Friday is Alexander Campbell, first soloist with the Royal Ballet. And there can’t be too many other Australians who chose a career in ballet dancing over cricket at the age of 14.

Campbell said: ‘The opportunity to do something that seemed so unusual for a kid from Sydney was enticing. A part of me felt choosing ballet was more risky, the braver choice.’

However, Campbell, at the invitation of the ECB, still speaks annually to aspiring international cricket coaches as part of their level-four training. He said: ‘The agility I developed in dance training certainly helped my cricket.’

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