Among the players laid off were Bradford's top wage earner Benito Carbone, who was reportedly earning �40,000 a week.

Bradford went into administration two weeks ago and the move will save the financially stricken club �20,000 a day.

Earlier this week, 39 members of the club's non-playing staff were also laid off.

Chairman Geoffrey Richmond had admitted that buying Carbone had been a mistake.

He described the period in which the club bought Carbone, Stan Collymore and Dan Petrescu at the start of the 2000/2001 season as "six weeks of madness".

Also on their way out of Bradford are Peter Atherton, who was on �18,000 a week and Ashley Ward, who commanded �14,000 a week.

A statement from the administrators on the club's website revealed that some of the players involved have not yet been informed that they no longer have jobs.

"Three of these 19 players had already been informed prior to the Administration that their contracts, which finish at the end of June, were not going to be renewed," the statement read.

"Where possible the 19 players have been contacted to inform them of this decision. Specifically we have informed the PFA and we have attempted to speak to each player concerned and their agent by telephone.

"In the close season, players have a limited period to take holidays and it has not been possible to contact all of them.

"We apologise in advance to those players who we have not had a chance to contact personally.

"This decision was not taken lightly and it was made for purely economic reasons because there is no money available to pay the players concerned."

The statement added that nine interested parties had made enquiries about buying the club.