Express Fires Cheerleaders, Will Save $980 Per Game

Los Angeles Express players, keep an eye on your helmets. Somebody may want to sell them.

The Express, that budget-conscious football team about town, is pulling the purse strings even tighter.

On Wednesday, the United States Football League team announced that it had, at least temporarily, fired coordinator Kathleen Lally and her entire Express cheerleading squad.

Richard Stevens, the team’s chairman of the board, carefully worded his explanation for the move.

“We did not terminate the cheerleaders,” he said. “We just put them on a leave of absence. On a team that obviously has financial problems, every dollar counts. So, in part, this was done for financial reasons. There may be cheerleaders at the next home game (March 16 against San Antonio). We have some time before the next game to think about it.”

The 28 Express cheerleaders each earn $35 a game.

The Express has made no secret of its effort to limit spending. Before the season, it unloaded some big-salary talent--Kevin Mack, Lee Williams, Dewey Forte--to trim the payroll.

The team did not sign any of its draft choices this season and even uses leftover 1984 stationery, even though one of the assistant publicity directors listed on the letterhead now works for the University of Washington.

Stevens said he has replaced Lally with Kay Crawford, veteran cheerleading coordinator for the Rams. She will become the Express’ director of entertainment.