Soccer AM lifts the curtain on the popular Saturday morning show after nearly 30 years on the air… with comedian Jack Whitehall savvy with his swear words and rapper Stormzy pumping up his lines in the parking lot challenge!
- Soccer AM aired its last show on Saturday morning after 28 years on the air
- Whitehall, Stormzy and Stephen Graham have joined Jimmy Bullard and ‘Fenners’
- The show paid tribute to iconic moments throughout the 90-minute broadcast
Soccer AM aired its last show on Saturday after it was canceled after 28 years on screens.
In a program filled with iconic guests and segments and harsh swearing, Mark Fendley and Jimmy Bullard said goodbye as they celebrated nearly three decades of memories.
Stormzy, Jack Whitehall and Stephen Graham joined Bullard – who admitted he was nervous at the start of the program – and ‘Fenners’ on the show, with Tubes, tagged ‘Mr Soccer AM’ by Fendley, interviewing captain Ilkay Gundogan , winner of the Premier League title. .
“A very warm welcome to the last Soccer AM of the season and the last ever,” Fendley said at the start of the show. “28 years of madness come to an end.”
He then joked that the show had blown their remaining budget on the three guests, as the Whitehall comedian admitted: “I love this show so much, I’ve watched it grow and it’s so much fun to ‘to be here to celebrate the last show.’
Jimmy Bullard hosted the last Soccer AM Saturday morning show after 28 years
Tim Lovejoy (left) and Helen Chamberlain (right) were closely linked to the show which started in 1995
Graham and Whitehall both carried ice packs with which they explained that they had injured themselves during rehearsal for the show, with Graham not having participated in any of the live challenges.
The band – after several cuts for Whitehall’s swearing during the opening segment – moved to John Arne Riise Arena for their final challenge, featuring some more iconic clips from the show’s history.
“We’re out in the Riise for one last edition of You Know The Drill Live,” Fendley began. “Some places, many goals were scored, many goals were kicked and many balls were lost at £30 a pop. Lots of memories have made it nearly impossible to choose a favorite.
They did it anyway, with clips showing Bullard hitting the “top bin” and Serge Pizzorno’s signature volley.
What followed was Stormzy inflating his lines in the volley challenge – despite scoring a penalty to win Cheltenham fans £400 – before Whitehall left to perform at Swansea.
A tribute was also paid to Tubes, real name Peter Dale, with his mother in the audience, as the veteran showed his emotions during his ‘One Question Only’ segment.
Bullard admitted one of his favorite moments included Fenners playing Barry as another clip was shown, with the former Hull midfielder telling his co-host: “You’re so good, I don’t want you send back.”
The atmosphere was awkward at times, with Fendley’s audio dying towards the end of the show, as presenters tried to keep their spirits up after Mail Sport revealed the show was axed.
Created in 1995 following the music and football boom of the mid-90s, it combined the duo and launched the careers of several bands.
Features, including parking and crossbar challenges, captured the imagination while Soccer AM were also responsible for a campaign to introduce a gold star to England’s shirt to recognize victory of the 1966 World Cup.
The show’s two most closely linked presenters, Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain, left in 2007 and 2017 respectively. Its latest hosts are Fendley and former Wigan, Fulham and Peterborough playmaker Jimmy Bullard.
Sky Sports chief executive Jonathan Licht said: “We would like to thank the Soccer AM team for their professionalism during a difficult time. We would also like to thank them and all their former colleagues for their contribution to Sky Sports over three incredible decades.
