Soccer AM legends Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain have discussed how they could bring back the much-loved show for a one-off special, but also talked about what they couldn’t do if it returned
Soccer AM icons Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain have discussed what a one-off anniversary edition of the legendary show would look like.
Alongside alumni of the cult show, Joe Worsley and Robbie Knox, the foursome debated what they could and couldn’t do should the show ever get the green light to return to screens after it was axed by Sky Sports at the end of the 2022/2023 season.
Now taking the reins of a podcast, Soccer A-Z, the gang took questions from the general public. One of which asked them if they would ever bring back the show, which started in 1994, with the original line-up, to commemorate the 30-year anniversary.
Former host Lovejoy seemed enchanted by the idea immediately saying: “Yeah, 100%.” However, they all insisted that the one thing they could not do was introduce new material, for fear of alienating their old fanbase, despite some of their historic segments becoming controversial over time.
Lovejoy discussed the intricacies of the show returning, adding: “I’d want to do it at a different time slot, night or something? Make it into a celebration, like a party type thing.”
The 56-year-old then questioned the team if they would do the same items or new segments, should they get a chance to helm the show one more time. However, Chamberlain insisted that the show would not be the same should it not feature the classic games and sketches it was renowned for.
“We’d have to do the same items,” Chamberlain said. “It would be like a band getting back together and not doing their top-10 hits wouldn’t it? You can’t do new material, people wouldn’t like it.”
Lovejoy’s first ever stint on Soccer AM came on Saturday, August 17, 1996. Chamberlain revealed that she worked on the show before Lovejoy arrived but carried on through the summer one year, when the football season was on hiatus.
“I did summer Soccer AM, with no football, for three hours, and I don’t know what we talked about,” Chamberlain added. “We would show a game and say ‘do you remember this game?’ And we’d show a 20-minute edit of a game, yeah it was odd.”
Lovejoy claimed it would be “ace” to bring it back, yet Worsely shared a minor concern lamenting the likelihood of not being able to include an old in-joke. “I don’t think we would be able to do a lot of the old stuff though because, surely the old fish-head hat still isn’t in existence.”
Lovejoy also teased fans by saying they could bring back characters such as Fixture Man and Stan Hibbert. Worsely also suggested the one-off special would have to be “four hours long”, something Chamberlain concurred with.
“But with one show we would struggle to cram them all in,” Chamberlain said. “Your costume changes would be absolutely crazy because you would all have to do your classic characters, every one of them.” Lovejoy then concluded: “So it’s a yes, just start a GoFundMe and we’ll do it.”
The iconic Sky Sports programme started life in 1994 and ran up until 2023. It was famous for its memorable segments such as Skill Skool, Crossbar Challenge and the controversial Soccerettes. It also offered behind-the-scenes peeks at professional clubs.
Lovejoy’s stint on the show lasted 11 years, from 1996 up until 2007. Chamberlain began on the show with its inception and remained on screens until she quit in 2017.
Since Soccer AM, Lovejoy has gone on to work on Something for the Weekend on the BBC and Sunday Brunch on Channel 4. Chamberlain has hosted events for TNT Sports but now dedicates most of her time to running her farm.
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