What five former Soccer Saturday pundits have said on true feelings about show’s new format

Soccer Saturday has undergone a important translation successful caller years, with galore pundits being moved connected and fashionable semipermanent big Jeff Stelling stepping down from the Sky Sports show

Soccer Saturday has been a go-to amusement for countless shot supporters implicit the years, but the programme has undergone galore changes successful caller years.

The Saturday day slot, helmed by Jeff Stelling for astir 30 years, drew fans successful with a line-up of shot gurus delivering unrecorded insights, updates and commentary connected matches crossed Britain. Sky Sports regulars similar Chris Kamara, Phil Thompson, Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson – who is the lone 1 that remains from that unit – gained a fandom for their workplace humour, instant reactions and apical analysis.

But connected the cusp of the 2020/21 season, stalwarts Thompson, Nicholas and Le Tissier were shown the door, arsenic Sky opted to revamp the show's dynamic with a varying squad of experts. In 2023, Stelling besides decided to bid farewell to his relation arsenic frontman, passing the baton to Simon Thomas.

Additionally, a caller conception titled EFL Goal Zone was included successful the line-up for the 2024/25 season, moderated by Pien Meulensteen, featuring goals from the 12.30pm Saturday kick-offs arsenic they happen. But however bash the erstwhile pundits consciousness astir each these changes to this day? Here, Mirror Football breaks it down...

Jeff Stelling

Longtime big Stelling confessed that helium has stopped watching Soccer Saturday to forestall himself from critiquing the updated format, reports the Daily Record. Sharing his thoughts successful his 'Saturday Afternoon Fever' book, helium revealed: "I won't lie. I nary longer ticker the amusement that was my beingness for astir 3 decades.

"Not due to the fact that I consciousness immoderate ill-will. Just the opposite. I person galore friends moving connected the programme and I americium hopeless for it to succeed. But if I watched, I cognize that arsenic an opinionated small so-and-so I would beryllium and criticise which would payment nary one.

"Instead, I would alternatively observe astir 30 years of doing the champion occupation successful the world. I americium fortunate that truthful galore radical judge determination is beingness successful this aged canine yet and person offered maine projects. Not galore radical are inactive learning astir and enjoying caller roles astatine my age."

Matt Le Tissier

Le Tissier has had a alteration of bosom regarding Soccer Saturday since his departure from the amusement successful 2020 alongside Thompson and Nicholas. The 56-year-old ex-Southampton ace told TheSportsDaily.com that helium lone tunes into the amusement occasionally, noting a deficiency of humour and camaraderie among the caller pundits compared to his time.

He said: "Occasionally, if I'm successful I'll ticker it. There doesn't look to beryllium the aforesaid humour, the aforesaid level of camaraderie determination than determination utilized to be. I deliberation it's hard due to the fact that we had a squad determination that was unneurotic for a agelong time."

He added: "Jeff Stelling's near present arsenic good – that's a pugnacious occupation for Simon Thomas, due to the fact that Jeff was unthinkable astatine that job. For maine the amusement was built astir Jeff. We were determination simply arsenic the extras."

Phil Thompson

Axed from Soccer Saturday alongside Le Tissier and Nicholas, Thompson opened up astir missing the amusement successful a candid 2021 interrogation with the Mail. He said: "It became a mode of beingness truthful taking that away... I miss it. Yes, I miss it.

"We were a set of brothers. But you bash cognize that alteration has to happen. They wanted to bash it sensitively alternatively than 1 time you're gone. They said until we find idiosyncratic who is better, it mightiness continue. It was 3 parts of a midfield. The others could person continued."

Thompson besides reflected connected the transportation the pundits had with their audience, adding: "I bash deliberation we bridged each the gaps due to the fact that radical grew up with us. We did it for 16 years. Even though radical didn't retrieve america arsenic players, they knew america arsenic Soccer Saturday. So it was portion of their life.

"It adjacent became a cult thing. There was a Jeff Stelling assemblage drinking game! (A changeable of tone each clip Stelling said 'doom and gloom' and different erstwhile Chris Kamara screamed: 'Unbelievable, Jeff').

"The full happening was a grounds to Jeff, who was the person of the set and for me, the champion TV sports presenter. It took connected its ain life. I deliberation radical could subordinate to us. I'm not saying everybody loved each 1 of us. You lone had to spell connected societal media to spot that. But we knew what we were and that was the biggest thing."

Chris Kamara

Kamara was near reeling aft Sky Sports decided to portion ways with Le Tissier, Thompson and Nicholas, telling the Mail successful 2020: "Obviously I'm gutted, perfectly gutted. And I cognize they are. I've spoken to Thommo and Charlie and I've substance Le Tiss... we were specified a bully squad and it was each going well.

"Decisions were made, we don't person immoderate accidental successful those. Whoever made [them] has done it and the boys judge it. I tin honestly accidental they are the champion fellas you could ever privation to meet. They are top-drawer and it's been a large clip to person worked with them implicit the past 15 years oregon so."

However, it wasn't lone his colleagues' exits that caused a stir; Kamara himself stepped distant from Soccer Saturday successful 2022 owed to a conflict with apraxia – a information impacting his speech. Following Stelling's exit successful the consequent year, Kamara took to X to stock his sentiments, writing: "This Sunday sees the past time astatine Sky for the champion broadcaster I person ever met @JeffStelling.

"I americium getting my tribute successful aboriginal due to the fact that Jeff has been a monolithic portion of my beingness and I emotion him to bits. One of the things I bash miss is moving with the maestro."

The signature laid backmost yet passionate attack Kamara brought to commenting connected shot volition beryllium remembered fondly by fans and peers alike.

Tony Cottee

Tony Cottee has disclosed his disappointment with Sky Sports, noting his departure was not connected his ain presumption aft a singular 20-year stint with the broadcaster. While helium outlasted the archetypal departures successful 2020, Cottee recovered himself dismissed the consequent twelvemonth and contends the amusement has mislaid the unsocial characters that erstwhile made it special.

Speaking astir his merchandise during an interrogation connected the Under The Cosh podcast, Cottee said: "I had 20 large years determination and I look backmost and I don't similar the mode it ended. It was their prime much than my choice. I wanted to transportation connected being portion of the show, evidently Soccer Saturday."

He continued: "But I besides look backmost and deliberation I had 20 fantastic years. Some of the characters - Jeff Stelling's an astonishing presenter. Then you deliberation of similar the Kammy's and the [Alan] McInally's, and past the lads who were connected the panel. Merse, Le Tiss, Charlie, Thommo. Just fantastic characters."

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