Jeff Stelling has revealed why he no longer watches Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday.
Stelling left the show at the end of the 2022-23 season having presented it for over 25 years.
Three years prior to Stelling’s departure, his colleagues Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson had been axed by Sky.
Stelling is currently working for talkSPORT and also hosts the YouTube channel ‘Football’s Greatest’.
However, he has admitted that he doesn’t watch Soccer Saturday, which is now presented by Simon Thomas.
Jeff Stelling has revealed why he no longer watches Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday
Stelling presented the programme for 25 years but it is now hosted by Simon Thomas
Stelling admitted that he doesn’t want to watch Soccer Saturday as he wouldn’t like to criticise the show.
Stelling wrote in his autobiography Saturday Night Fever: ”In the time since I have left Sky I still hear the cries of ‘Un-believable Jeff!’ from passers-by and black-cab drivers.
‘But often it is now accompanied with ‘It isn’t the same anymore, Jeff’. That saddens me as that was never my intention when I left Soccer Saturday.
‘I won’t lie. I no longer watch the show that was my life for almost three decades. Not because I feel any ill-will. Just the opposite. I have many friends working on the programme and I am desperate for it to succeed.
‘But if I watched, I know that as an opinionated little so-and-so I would sit and criticise which would benefit no one. Instead, I would rather celebrate nearly thirty years of doing the best job in the world.
Stelling says he doesn’t watch Soccer Saturday as he doesn’t want to criticise the show
‘I am lucky that so many people believe there is life in this old dog yet and have offered me projects. Not many people are still learning about and enjoying new roles at my age.’
In April Stelling was critical of Sky’s choice of pundits for the game between Brighton and Arsenal.
Former Arsenal players Theo Walcott and Alan Smith were part of Sky’s coverage for the game as well as ex-Arsenal Women player Karen Carney.
Stelling wrote on X: ‘Brighton v Arsenal has ex-Arsenal co-commentator and both pundits are ex-Arsenal.
‘Maybe next time Sky should be a bit more balanced. It is like using me on a Hartlepool game!!!’.
