‘Soccer AM can’t be what it wants to be’: PR experts say Sky’s axed football show ‘ran out of steam’

Axed Soccer AM was no longer able to maintain its impact amid changing times and the departure of star presenters, a public relations expert said today.

The football spectacle will be shelved after almost 30 years as part of a drastic sky sports shake.

Staff were reportedly told on Tuesday that the show would end at the end of the current season.

And public relations guru Mark Borkowski said the show, which began in 1995 at the height of the Cool Britannia and Lads Mags era, could no longer compete as it once did.

He told MailOnline: ‘It just ran out of steam. It was very iconic in its day but has slowly really lost its impact after the departure of stars like Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain who really started it and made it a huge success.

Helen Chamberlain (left) and Tim Lovejoy (right) were among the first hosts in the late 1990s

‘There has been a lack of promotion for the show and it has lacked energy and has become quite tired.

“He has had to tone down the Lads Mag era because times are different now.

‘If people aren’t watching it, it’s because YouTubers are doing that kind of irreverence now.

“A lot of celebrities are also scared to go into a space, like Soccer Am was, which had a bit of a cheeky and boyish reputation in case there was a backlash.

“There’s also a lot more competition now, so people have a lot more options if they don’t like it anymore.

It’s from a time when you can’t be what you want to be.

the claim of the sun that bosses have made the decision to ax the popular Saturday morning show, with 10 episodes remaining before it goes off the air.

A source told the Sun morale is “at an all time low” following the “bombshell” announcement that has left staff, who now face sacking in May, “rabid”.

Saturday Social, which previously aired before Soccer AM, will reportedly fill the vacant slot starting next season with the aim of targeting younger viewers.

The most recent version has been hosted by Jimmy Bullard (second left) and John Fendley.

Soccer AM has proven to be a huge success for Sky since it first hit screens in 1995.

The 90-minute soccer comedy show includes a variety of segments, as well as talks with some of the best players and coaches in the game.

Russ Williams and Helen Chamberlain were the original hosts, before Tim Lovejoy took over from Williams two years later.

Lovejoy, who steered it until 2007 before being succeeded by Andy Goldstein, and then Max Rushden, would often wreak havoc in one of the many segments he came up with.

At one point, it was offering £5 to any fan who appeared at a match with a ‘Lovejoy is a Legend’ banner, but this was soon abandoned when banners appeared at various games and their costs piled up.

The parking lot game, fans of the week and Soccerette, a feature in which a young woman models a kit for her team, were some of the most prominent segments.

Soccerette as a feature was dropped in 2015 amid criticism that it was exploiting the women involved.

The most recent iterations of the program have been led by John Fendley, who became involved in 2015 when Rushden left, and former Hull City and Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who started in 2017.

speaking to the athletic in 2020, Lovejoy revealed that she could no longer watch the show after leaving.

Lovejoy and Chamberlain was a huge success as the show became a must see.

“I stopped seeing it when I left, it was too hard to see it,” she said.

‘I tune in from time to time because Fenners is on it and I want to support him. Again, another bullshit analogy, it’s like seeing your old girlfriend with another man.

I could not do it. I couldn’t see it. So I stopped watching it completely. And then I started tuning in again to see Fenners, because obviously I’ve worked with him for years and he’s a great guy.

‘It’s too hard for me because I see everything and I want to join him. I’d really like to get on the show and put things on there and I find it too difficult.

Soccer AM became the first live show on Sky to have its broadcast delayed due to lewd references and insults. What started out as a three second lag soon turned into a 10 second lag.

Sky Sports’ schedule has been subject to drastic changes in recent years, with reorganizations in its presenters or shows not uncommon.

In 2020, the decision was made to kill the Sunday Supplement, a morning talk show featuring newspaper journalists on the biggest stories in football.

Shortly after Goals on Sunday, a featured show featuring Ben Shephard and Chris Kamara, and The Debate was shelved.

A Sky spokesperson, speaking to The Sun, said: ‘Soccer AM has played an important role in our football coverage over the last three decades, and we are continually adapting to our customers’ changing needs.

Max Rushden has been associated with Chamberlain since 2008 when the show had huge ratings.

‘We are now entering a consultation period to discuss the proposed changes with our people.

“We are unable to provide further details while these inquiries are underway.”

An iconic feature of Soccer AM was their ‘Skill Skool’, which showcased the skills of young soccer players.

Among those who participated in the segment in their younger years were Chelsea star Raheem Sterling, Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and West Ham striker Danny Ings.