Des blasts end of BBC results

DES Lynam has criticised the decision to axe the classified football results on Radio 5 Live, saying it was a ‘mistake’.

The corporation has faced criticism since it stopped reading out the results, which traditionally followed the 5pm news on a

Saturday. BBC bosses sacrificed the service, part of its Sports Report programme, to broadcast build-up to 5.30pm Premier League games.

But the 80-year-old former Match of the Day and Grandstand host, pictured, told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think it’s a mistake. They point out that young people don’t listen to them and they get them on their phones. I do as well.

‘But it’s part of the heritage of the programme and the sport and the department and the BBC.’

The BBC has said it understands the ‘strength of feeling’ but there were ‘good reasons for the change’.