The iconic Soccer AM looks set to come to an end when the current season concludes - and reports suggest that staff on the show are deeply unhappy with the decision.
The news was reported on Wednesday morning, though the suggestion within The Sun's report is that staff working on the show were only made aware of the decision by Sky to axe the show on Tuesday.
Saturday mornings on Sky Sports are set to look a whole lot different, with the replacement set to be Saturday Social, a reimagining of the current Sky show hosted by YouTube and social media influencers.
Report: Staff unhappy as Soccer AM cut after nearly 30 years
Soccer AM has held residence of Saturday mornings on Sky Sports for almost 30 years now, with the latest hosts - ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard alongside John Fendley - upholding the show which began in 1995. Now, it looks set to finally come to an end after the final ten episodes of the current season have aired.
In their report on the end of Soccer AM, the Sun quoted a source as saying:
It was a complete bombshell. Morale is at an all-time low, they are raging. It's going to be an interesting watch over the next few weeks.
The same report says that Bullard and Fendley are understood to be "fuming".
The show saw its heyday in the 2000s, when hosted by Helen Chamberlain, Tim Lovejoy, and later Max Rushden. Though it has declined in popularity in recent years, and seen its runtime halved, it still retains a special place in the hearts of football fans, and has provided some peak moments of entertainment down through the years.
A Sky spokesperson responded to the reports by saying:
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.
Soccer AM is currently preceded by Saturday Social, which will now move in to the iconic show's 10:30am slot when it is axed at the end of the season.
Saturday Social may have its strengths, and may well draw in a younger audience in a later time slot, but it is currently best known for some questionable analysis given by football influencers.
This aged well...😶🌫️ pic.twitter.com/Ou95sN3eM3
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 4, 2022
The news of Soccer AM's departure from the schedules will no doubt sadden football fans, even those who had tuned out from the show many years ago. It remains to be seen if the fightback from the show's staff can do anything to salvage its place on Saturday mornings.
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