Jeff Stelling dances on Soccer Saturday with Sky Sports icon stepping down

08 May 2023 , 15:50

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Jeff Stelling made the most of his final Hartlepool goal celebration on Saturday (Image: Sky Sports)

The legendary Jeff Stelling has never missed a chance to cheer a Hartlepool goal during his 30 years with Sky Sports - and there was no way he was going to let their equaliser at Stockport County pass him by either.

Stelling will step down from his role at the end of the season, this time insisting his decision is final. The 68-year-old initially announced he was quitting after the 2021/22 campaign, but later reversed that call to the delight of football fans all over the UK.

His final live show will come on Sunday, May 28, the culmination of the Premier League season. But Monday proved his last chance to provide live updates on his beloved Hartlepool, having amusingly never hidden his exhilaration and despair when goals have gone in during games involving the Pools.

His team finished a doomed League Two season away to promotion chasing Stockport, with relegation down to the National League already confirmed. And they seemed to be going out with a whimper as they trailed 1-0 at half time to a Callum Camps penalty.

But whilst pundit Michael Dawson was trying to give an update on the Sutton United v Carlisle clash, he was interrupted by an excitable Stelling. And viewers already knew where had a goal had gone in before it was revealed Callum Cooke had hammered in a second half equaliser for Hartlepool.

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Dancing live on air, Stelling shouted: "I haven't got many more opportunities to do this, maybe no more opportunities to do this! Let's hear about what's happened at Edgeley Park."

Stelling his stepping down from Sky Sports after 30 years

And it did prove the last Hartlepool goal that Stelling will ever celebrate on TV, with the visitors duly holding on for a creditable point. Stockport meanwhile, have to now settle for a play off place as they bid for back-to-back promotions.

Unfortunately though, it wasn't the fairytale finish that Stelling hoped for when he announced his decision to stay on, saying at the time: “I know a year might not be enough by the way which is why I agreed AT LEAST another 12 months with Sky. Hopefully that will be time enough for me to be presenting when Pools win promotion back to League One!"

It remains to be seen who will step into the role heading up Soccer Saturday, with Sky currently looking at an internal appointment after undergoing a major cost-cutting process. Stelling has held the role since the show was rebranded back in 1998.

Fraser Watson