Sky Sports have reportedly made the decision to cancel British TV and sporting institution Soccer AM after nearly three decades on the air.
The iconic football and comedy talk show which first aired in 1995 and enjoyed huge popularity throughout the 90s and early 2000s is set to end at the end of this season (its 28th) with just 10 episodes left, as per an exclusive report by The Sun.
According to a source who revealed details to the outlet, Soccer AM will be axed at the end of the 2022/23 season due to low ratings and viewing figures, which have both gradually decreased over time — as has the running time, which went from 240 minutes to just 90 in more recent years.
The insider went on to claim that the decision has come as “a complete bombshell” to those involved with the programme, with “morale at an all-time low”.
Staff on the show were reportedly told of the cancellation on Tuesday, with their last episode airing on Saturday, 27 May, the day before the end of the Premier League season, at which point they will be made redundant.
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Issuing a response to the news, a Sky Sports spokesperson said: “Soccer AM has played an important role in our coverage of football for the past three decades, and we continually adapt to the evolving needs of our customers.
“We now go into a period of consultation to discuss the proposed changes with our people. We are unable to provide more detail while these consultations are underway.”
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As for current presenters John Fendley and former footballer Jimmy Bullard, who have been at the helm of the show since 2019, the two are said to have been left “fuming” by the decision. Figures from within Sky and around the footballing world have been paying tribute to the programme.
Just heard that @SoccerAM is finishing at the end of the season. I had 14 years of going through Premier League & @EFL clubs dressing rooms. Training with Clubs for features & basically having a laugh 😂 Fun part of my time at Sky 🤣 pic.twitter.com/7FbqUonB2f
Soccer Am ending at the end of the season 😔 I remember rushing downstairs as a kid to watch Lovejoy & Helen every week. The shows changed over the years but I still enjoy watching. Great memories and thankfully I’ve got my hat trick ball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/fXIIwLtoWk
The show began with Russ Williams and long-time host Helen Chamberlain presenting back in 1995 before the latter was joined by veteran TV personality Tim Lovejoy just a couple of years later, with the two going on to become the most famous pairing in the show’s history.
As well as recurring comedic guest ‘Tubes’ (Peter Dale), some of the most famous guests you can think of made their way through Soccer AM‘s doors down the years, including the likes of Oasis, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kevin Hart, Dave Bautista, umpteenth footballers and countless others — you name ’em.
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However, the show was not without its controversies and reflected a very different time and admittedly outdated part of British culture, to say the least.
Perhaps the most infamous serial segment of the show was its ‘Soccerette’ feature, which saw attractive young women walk into the studio and asked how old they were as men cheered “great age!”
The show obviously had to evolve over time but sadly its viewership continued to dwindle, no matter how much affection there was back in its heyday.
Speaking to Mirror Sport back in May 2022, leading figure Bullard admitted “it’s hard trying to refresh a show every single week with all the new material”, but that he still found it a privilege to be trusted with reinventing a show that is still “the start of a lot of people’s mornings on a Saturday.”
It was certainly far from perfect and pretty problematic at times, but it still played a huge role in the lives of many British people and young football fans’ formative years.
Startling statistic raises eyebrows around Manchester United’s defensive capabilities under Erik ten Hag
Danny Jones
Things continue to go from bad to worse for Manchester United this season and yet more unfortunate statistics following another chaotic showing have once again put their capabilities under Erik ten Hag, especially in defence, under scrutiny.
Man United got off to a dream start at the Estádio do Dragão against Porto, starting on the front foot and scoring two goals inside 20 minutes and from two sources who needed them most: Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund returning from injury.
However, it didn’t take long for the home team to pull one back – just a few minutes in fact – and then by the 50th minute the visitors suddenly found themselves losing 3-2 and chasing an equaliser into stoppage time.
Thankfully, Harry Maguire got them out of jail right at the death but it is that now apparent trend of conceding multiple goals in a short space of time that has raised even more serious questions around the team’s mentality, resilience after letting one in and ability to defend in general.
Just in Europe since the start of last season, Man United have conceded two goals in four minutes at Bayern, two in 10 mins vs Galatasaray (h), two in four minutes vs Copenhagen (a), two in nine minutes vs Galatasaray (a) and now two in seven minutes vs Porto (a).
As you can see, it’s not just that this was the 31st time since the beginning of last season that United have conceded two more goals in a match, the most any current Premier League club in that time, but it seems to be the short bursts in which these goals come.
As broken down by ESPN’s Rob Dawson, it seems to be a case of when it rains it pours as the above stat is in Europe alone, where they seem to be picking up even more bad habits on top of that immediate vulnerability after letting one in.
Despite it scoring 12 in their last four matches in Champions and Europa League competitions and even managing to go 2-0 up in three of them, they haven’t managed to win a single one, as the draw against the unconvincing Portuguese side also marked the fifth European game in which they’ve conceded a trio of goals at the other end.
Worse still, according to even more damning stats thrown up by Opta, this ultimately became the 24th time Erik ten Hag’s side has conceded three goals or more in a game – again, the most of any Premier League side and with several of those goals coming in short bursts.
Alarming stuff, but the Dutchman is keeping calm at least on the surface, telling media that he and the players are “mad and motivated” by the current situation but that fans have to remain patient and hopeful that the results will start to improve.
“Don’t judge us in this moment, wait until the end of the season. We’re in a process.”
Erik ten Hag has full belief in his squad moving forward 💪
Match hero Maguire also came to the manager’s defence in his post-match press conference but did once again hit at a problem with motivation and belief: something that both Christian Eriksen rather concerningly touched on last month, admitting that the dressing “didn’t want it enough.”
The Red Devils must now play an in-form Aston Villa who recently won late on their long-awaited Champions League away at Villa Park this weekend and, as if he didn’t need one already, a win is essential for Erik ten Hag.
What about you, United fans – how long do you think he realistically has left to turn things around?
You can watch all the highlights from Man United vs Porto down below.
Featured Images — TNT Sports/Sky Sports (via Screenshot)
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Luke Littler is holding a meet-and-greet this weekend – but not exactly where you’d expect
Danny Jones
Young darts sensation Luke Littler has about as big a 12 months as a professional could hope for and many of those who don’t even watch ‘The Arrows’ now know his name, so much so that he’s already holding a meet-and-greet that is selling quicker than you say ‘180!’
Warrington locals are set to welcome Luke ‘The Nuke’ back to his hometown but it’s fair to say the event is taking place exactly where you would have expected.
The 2024 World Series, Premier League of Darts and Players Championship winner’s fame and reputation have continued to skyrocket ever since his debut, so he’d easily have fans lining up pretty much anywhere, especially in the WA postcode.
Nevertheless, hordes of kids looking to follow in his footsteps and bolster a new generation of youth darts players can attend Luke Littler’s meet and greet at none other than… a Smyths Toys Superstore.
Credit: Smyths Toys
As you do.
Located on the JunctionNINE Retail Park, Warrington Symths Toys will see the 17-year-old taking photos with fans, chatting to budding darts hopefuls and, as it turns out, show off his new personal collection.
Yes, while there will be plenty of wholesome selfies and wide-eyed little kids looking to meet their local hero, Littler and his team chose this particular location as Smyths Toys will be stocking his new range of Target Darts.
Once again, his meteoric rise has seen a huge uptake in young people wanting to try their hands at the sport, with the official Luke Littler Cabinet Set even being named as the Judge’s Pick for ‘Best Gift for Teens’ at the 2024 Christmas Wishlist Awards.
Beyond that, the shop also has the highly sought-after Luke Littler Magnetic Dartboard set for the little one, as well as the Luke Littler Steel-Tip Brass Darts, designed in celebration of the 17-year-old’s tremendous performance at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.
Speaking ahead of the event, Littler said: “I’m really excited to meet everyone at Smyths Toys in Warrington this Saturday! It’s been an incredible year for me, and I can’t wait to connect with fans in my hometown and inspire the next generation.”
Adam Thompson, Head of Marketing at Target Darts added: “We’re thrilled to host this fantastic meet-and-greet event with Luke Littler. Luke has had an extraordinary year and we’re proud to celebrate his success with this special opportunity for fans to engage with him…
“It’s a great way to inspire young players and bring the darts community together and we can’t wait to see everyone in Warrington!”
The meet and greet will kick off from 1pm on Saturday, 5 October but you’ll have to be quick if you want to secure a spot. However, the store will still be open between the regular hours (9am-8pm), so you can still try your luck to try and catch a glimpse of ‘The Nuke’ and pick up a darts set or two.
Danny Jones -
22nd March 2023 
