Soccer AM brings the curtain down on popular Saturday morning show after almost 30 years on air

Soccer AM ran its final ever show on Saturday after it was cancelled following 28 years on screens.

In a show filled with iconic guests and segments, Mark Fendley and Jimmy Bullard waved goodbye as they celebrated nearly three decades worth of memories.

Stormzy, Jack Whitehall and Stephen Graham joined Bullard – who admitted he was nervous at the start of the programme – and ‘Fenners’ on the show, with Tubes, branded ‘Mr Soccer AM’ by Fendley, interviewing Premier League title winning captain Ilkay Gundogan.

‘A very warm welcome to the last Soccer AM of the season and the last ever,’ Fendley said as the show began. ’28 years of madness comes to an end.’

He then joked the show had blown their remaining budget on the three guests, as comedian Whitehall admitted: ‘I love this show so much, I watched it growing up and it’s so fun to be here to celebrate the last show.’

Jimmy Bullard hosted the final ever Soccer AM show on Saturday morning after 28 years

Tim Lovejoy (left) and Helen Chamberlain (right) were closely-linked with the show that started back in 1995

Both Graham and Whitehall wore ice packs with it explained they had picked up injuries in the rehearsal for the show.

The group – following several cuts for Whitehall’s swearing during the opening segment – moved out to the John Arne Riise Arena arena for their final challenge, with more iconic clips from the show’s history. 

‘We are outside in the Riise for one final edition of You Know The Drill Live,’ Fendley began. ‘Some venue, many a goal has been scored, many a goal has been kicked and many a ball has been lost at £30 a pop. Plenty of memories made it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite.’

The did anyway, with clips shown of Bullard hitting the ‘top bin’ and Serge Pizzorno’s iconic volley.

What followed was Stormzy fluffing his lines in the volley challenge, before Whitehall shot off to peform in Swansea.

A tribute was also paid to Tubes, real name Peter Dale, with his mum in the audience, as the veteran showed his emotions during his ‘One Question Only’ segment. 

Bullard admitted one of his favourite moments included Fenners playing Barry as another clip was shown, with the former Hull midfielder telling his co-host: ‘You are so good, I don’t want to send you off.’ 

The atmosphere was at times awkward as the presenters tried to keep morale high after Mail Sport revealed the show was being axed.

Created in 1995 on the back of the mid-90s music and football boom, it combined the pair and kick-started the careers of a number of bands.

Features, including car park and crossbar challenges, captured the imagination while Soccer AM was also responsible for a campaign to introduce a gold star to England’s shirt to recognise the 1966 World Cup win.

The two presenters most closely-linked to the show, Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain, left in 2007 and 2017 respectively. Its final hosts are Fendley and former Wigan, Fulham and Peterborough playmaker Jimmy Bullard.

Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said: ‘We’d like to thank the Soccer AM team for their professionalism during a difficult period. We would also like to thank them, and all their former colleagues, for their contribution to Sky Sports over three amazing decades.’