26 May 2023 , 08:36
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A giant of UK football fan culture is coming to an end, with Soccer AM being broadcast for the final time on Saturday.
The programme has been running since 1995, garnering a cult following among football fans thanks to its irreverent style. But bosses at the broadcaster have opted to bring it to an end after 28 years, with presenters joking about the axe shortly after it was announced in March.
One of the key features of Soccer AM was the featuring of behind the scenes crew in the show's sketches, as well as launching the careers of several star presenters.
Here, Mirror Football looks at what happened to those who featured on the show and what happened to its many controversial features.
Pete 'Tubes' Dale
Christened Tubes after being introduced on camera as 'Peter The Test Tube Baby', Dale started his Soccer AM career as an assistant producer. He became a popular member of the show thanks to the iconic 'one question and one question only' segment he fronted.
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Tubes still works on Soccer AM, being sent out to interview Premier League stars and managers. He also runs a golfing YouTube channel, which involves him playing a round with football legends.
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James 'Rocket' Long
James 'Rocket' Long was a producer who fronted several segments (Sky Sports)Like Tubes, 'Rocket' started out as a producer on Soccer AM, having taken part in work experience with the crew as a 15-year-old. He worked his way through the ranks from a runner to editorial assistant and finally assistant producer.
He gradually earned more screen time and was the face of iconic segment Skill Skool. After 19 years on the show, he left in 2017, joining JOE as head of sports production, where he spent three years.
Rocket then moved on to Snack Media as creative producer, before moving to Mola in 2022, where he is now head of production. Since leaving Soccer AM, he has opened up on the "organised chaos" at the heart of the show.
“It was organised chaos, a bit of carnage. The camera’s whipping round, and you never know what you’re going to see next. Sometimes it was stressful. At times you’d end up working the whole night," he told The Athletic last year.
Adam 'Baby Elvis' Smith
Smith's nickname came from the guise that he first appeared as on the show, with the associate producer dressing as 'Baby Elvis' for several segments. He also portrayed Danny Dyer parody Frankie Fryer for the iconic 'Away Days' section.
He stepped up as a presenter if the regular anchors were absent, but left the programme in 2015. Smith joined Sky Sports as a presenter after his exit, hosting Goals on Sunday, Saturday Social and The Debate, as well as working for Tottenham and England.
Robbie Knox
Knox joined Soccer AM as a producer in 2000 and appeared in many segments on the show. Every time he feature on camera, "TRAMP!" would be sung to the tune of The Champ by The Mohawks.
He followed presenter Tim Lovejoy to 19 Entertainment in 2007, before creating his own Dry Lunch Productions company two years later. As well as running that business, he owns a brewing company and is a co-host on Jaackmaate’s Happy Hour podcast.
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Helen Chamberlain
Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy were Soccer AM's presenters in its pomp (REX/Shutterstock)Chamberlain was one of Soccer AM's original presenters when it was first created in 1995. She became a fan favourite for her presenting style and chemistry with her numerous co-hosts over the years.
The show made her a household name, with her supporting of minnows Torquay United making her much-loved. Chamberlain left the show in August 2017, with many believing the programme has not been the same without her.
Tim Lovejoy
The man who made Soccer AM a ratings monster was hired in 1996, taking over as presenter and executive producer. He was given free reign by Sky Sports bosses to turn the show around and was the driving force behind its move to a light-hearted, laddish show.
He left in 2007 due to disagreements over pay for producers, setting up Channel Bee. That venture failed within two years though and moved to be presenter of Sunday morning cooking programme Something for the Weekend on BBC 2.
That was taken off air in 2012, but Lovejoy soon moved to take a similar programme to Channel 4, this time branded as Sunday Brunch, which continues to run today.
Andy Goldstein
Goldstein replaced Lovejoy as presenter in 2007, having fronted the Soccer AM All Sports Show for three years before that. He was dropped after just a season in that role though, but remained with Sky Sports as presenter of its snooker coverage.
He earned more fame as a radio host on talkSPORT, co-presenting the Sports Bar alongside Jason Cundy. Goldstein was promoted to become the lead presenter of the station's Drive show in August 2021, which he still fronts today.
Max Rushden
Max Rushden replaced Lovejoy as Chamberlain's co-host (Sky Sports)Rushden was the man to take over from Goldstein, with the Cambride United fan bringing a different style to the presenter job. He had been hosting a current affairs show on talkSPORT when he was brought in to replace Goldstein.
He fared much better than Goldstein, continuing in his role until 2015 when a new executive producer opted to move him on. Rushden continues to work as a presenter on talkSPORT and succeeded James Richardson as host of the Guardian Football Weekly podcast.
Lisa Hebden
Hebden joined Soccer AM from Sky's LaLiga coverage in 2007. She became popular with viewers as the character of Cheryl Mole and also became the first female winner of the show's Dance Off segment.
Hebden left the show in 2017, setting up her own hair and make-up business, which she still runs. She is also a senior production coordinator for Gravity Media.
Russ Williams
The original co-presenter alongside Chamberlain, Williams was moved off the show in 1996, before it became a ratings hit. He found more success in radio and currently works for Nation Radio UK.
John 'Fenners' Fendley
Jimmy Bullard and John Fendley are the current hosts of Soccer AM (Sky UK Limited)Fendley originally worked as a producer on Soccer AM before following Lovejoy to Channel Bee in 2007. He was brought back in to turn the show around in 2015 amid a feeling it had lost its way and still presents the programme.
"My feeling was the show needed to change and move on. I felt it had got away from football. The show had gone a bit down of a more celebrity route. Once the footballers started watching Soccer AM again we knew we were turning the ship round," he told The Athletic.
Lloyd Griffith
Already having gained a following as a comedian, Griffith was brought in as a replacement for Chamberlain in 2017. He lasted two years on the show before departing, though is a regular presence on TV shows such as Flinch and Ted Lasso.
Jimmy Bullard
Former Premier League footballer Bullard was brought in alongside Griffth in 2017. He still presents the show today, as well as working as one of the hosts of The Magic Sponge podcast.
The features...
The Crossbar Challenge is one of Soccer AM's most famous featuresOne of the key ingredients in the show's success was the numerous features that were part of it. They included the Fans of the Week, with a different set of supporters appearing in the Luther Blissett Stand each week.
Those fans would then take part in the Car Park Game, which involves them trying to kick a football through a number of holes within the sixty second time limit. Other Sky Sports shows were also the target of segments, with the most famous being Shocker Saturday.
Fendley plays the part of Jeff Stelling, with the studio guests, standing in front of a green-screen in the studio, pretending to be match reporters. Impressive goals and skills continue to be celebrated in Unbelieveable Tekkers and Megnuts of the Week.
Comedic moments spotted at games were featured in The Third Eye, with fans writing in to highlight them. The Crossbar Challenge featured a new team every week, with players attempting to hit the crossbar from the halfway line.
The Socceretes were Soccer AM's most controversial feature (Sky Sports)The talent of professionals was also shown in Skill Skool, with two members of an academy side going up against each other in showing off their best individual skills with a football.
The most controversial of the iconic features was the Socceretes. This involved a young female modelling a Soccer AM T-shirt. Viewers were able to win the shirt by guessing the number of goals scored by the "Fans of the Week" in the Car Park Game.
Each week, the Soccerette was introduced by the male presenter and asked a series of questions that led into gags and innuendo. The feature was dropped amid the fallout from the Richard Keys and Andy Gray sexism scandal.