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Soccer Saturday icon quits Sky Sports Goals return Manchester City to the top
BROADCASTING icon Jeff Stelling has announced his inten tion to leave Sky Sports when the current football season comes to an end. The 68 year old has been at the helm of ‘Soccer Saturday’ for the best part of three decades.
When he joined in 1994 the show was originally called ‘Sports Saturday’. Speaking with Sky Sports on Saturday, April 29, he said: “I’ve been at Sky for more than 30 years and loved every moment of my time as part of the Soccer Saturday team.”
He continued: “It is now the right time to move on and give Sky Sports viewers a break from my relentless rants, bad gags and over the top celebrations of Hartlepool United goals. It’s been a lot of fun for me at least!”
This is the presenter’s second time of announcing his departure. He initially decided to quit at the end of last season before returning for another spell fronting the popular weekly football show. No replace ment has been named yet by Sky
“It is groundhog day, it is that time of the year, every year, where I announce I am leaving Sky Sports and Gillette Soccer Saturday. But this time it is true,” Stelling concluded.
Jeff was unhappy with a decision made by Sky back in August 2020 when his co presenters were fired. Former footballers Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas, and Phil Thompson were removed by the broadcaster as part of a revamp. He described the move as: “one of my saddest days ever at Sky Sports.”
He lost another pal at the end of last season when the ever popular Chris Kamara quit as a pundit on the show. The former football star revealed that he had been diagnosed with a speech apraxia disorder.
In a statement at the time, Chris said: “My long career at Sky Sports has never felt like work. I’ve spent 24 terrific years at Sky, and leave with the best of memories.”
MANCHESTER CITY moved back to the top of the Premier League after a victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Manchester City returned to the top of the English Premier League on Sunday afternoon, April 30. Pep Guardiola’s men travelled down to Craven Cottage in London to face Fulham knowing that a win would take them above Arsenal.
It was Erling Haaland who inevitably opened the scoring. The Norwegian juggernaut buried the resulting third minute penalty after Tim Ream fouled Julian Alvarez inside the box.
As a result, the formidable striker became the first player in English topflight football since Aston Villa’s Tom ‘Pongo’ Waring back in 1931 to bag 50 goals in one campaign.
The goal also brought Haaland level with Newcastle’s Andy Cole and Blackburn’s Alan Shearer for the most Premier League goals scored in one season. As it stands,
