Jeff Stelling has announced that he will be leaving Soccer Saturday after over 25 years on the show. Stelling, 68, joined Sky Sports in 1992 and has become one of the most iconic voices in sports broadcasting in his role as lead presenter for Soccer Saturday.
He had initially stated that he would be stepping down last year but U-turned and stayed with show for another season but now it appears he is on his way out for good. Announcing the news live on aire, he said: “It is Groundhog Day, that time of the year when I announce that I am leaving Sky Sports and Gillette Soccer Saturday,” Stelling said.
“This time it is true. After 30 fantastic years on Sky, you lot out there have supported me, as have Sky, but it’s time to give you a break from all the VAR rants and bad gags and over the top celebrations when Hartlepool score a goal and give someone else the chance to do this fantastic job.
“So I’ll be leaving on May 28th, we’ve got a few programs between now and then, this is the last six hour Saturday Gillette Soccer Saturday… so we’d better get on with it!”
Sky Sports Director of Football Gary Hughes said of Stelling: “After a brilliant 30 plus year career at Sky, including over 25 years as the much-loved host of Soccer Saturday, Jeff Stelling is leaving Sky Sports at the end of the current football season.
“Jeff has been synonymous with Saturday afternoon football for decades, exciting and enthusing football fans everywhere. His unique broadcasting ability and passion for the game has made Soccer Saturday an unmissable fixture for fans and has won him a multitude of awards.
“He will be sorely missed. Sky Sports will give him the great send off his remarkable and enduring contribution deserves before he leaves us at the end of May to spend more Saturdays with his beloved Hartlepool United.”
Exactly what will come next for Stelling remains presently unclear. When he last announced that he would be leaving Soccer Saturday he mentioned in a column with the Hartlepool Mail that he was ‘never going to retire’ and that he had ‘lots of offers’ from elsewhere. But he instead chose to carry on with Soccer Saturday for another year.
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