Stelling steps down as Soccer Saturday host after over 25 years
Jeff Stelling has introduced that he might be leaving Soccer Saturday after over 25 years on the present. Stelling, 68, joined Sky Sports in 1992 and has turn out to be probably the most iconic voices in sports activities broadcasting in his function as lead presenter for Soccer Saturday.
He had initially said that he can be stepping down final yr however U-turned and stayed with present for one more season however now it seems he’s on his approach out for good. Announcing the news reside on aire, he mentioned: “It is Groundhog Day, that time of the year when I announce that I am leaving Sky Sports and Gillette Soccer Saturday,” Stelling mentioned.
“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 mentioned 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 soccer for many years, thrilling and enthusing soccer followers in every single place. His distinctive broadcasting capability and fervour for the sport has made Soccer Saturday an unmissable fixture for followers and has gained him a large number 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’s going to come subsequent for Stelling stays presently unclear. When he final introduced that he can be leaving Soccer Saturday he talked about in a column with the Hartlepool Mail that he was ‘by no means going to retire’ and that he had ‘numerous gives’ from elsewhere. But he as an alternative selected to hold on with Soccer Saturday for one more yr.