Soccer AM to return to television one year after cancellation - but with a new format

Soccer AM's most popular stars will be returning to out TV screens, with former regular James ‘Rocket’ Long announcing exciting plans for a new weekend football show.

The original Soccer AM, a much-loved football-themed comedy program, first aired in August 1994 and ran for 29 years before being cancelled at the conclusion of the 2022/23 Premier League season. Over the years, the show featured a host of well-known presenters like Helen Chamberlain, Tim Lovejoy, Max Rushden, John Fendley, and Jimmy Bullard, who entertained audiences every Saturday morning by discussing football and interviewing celebrity guests.

Personalities such as 'Rocket', Peter 'Tubes' Dale, and Adam Smith, also known as Frankie Fryer, added a comedic touch with their amusing sketches about the sport. Now, Rocket has plans to revive the show in a new format and under a different name.

Speaking with talkSPORT, Long said: “The show's been off air for a whole season now. And I think a lot of fans, especially myself, missed it. I left when Helen [Chamberlain, a former presenter] left. So that was about seven years ago. But I just feel like there's a void in our lives on a Saturday morning.

“Without seeing either Helen, Tim [Lovejoy], Max [Rushden], Fenners [John Fendley], [Jimmy] Bullard, whoever it was that presented the show. Now it's gone. This show is very much a look back at the glory days of Soccer AM and what people loved about it.

“So the plan is to interview old Soccer AM crew members, presenters, guests, regular guests that were on the show, maybe chat to some old Soccerettes that have gone on to be CEOs of companies or fans of the week that have got a funny story to tell about their time on the show. So it's just a trip down memory lane, a bit of nostalgia and ultimately a bit of fun.

“Soccer AM wasn't just a show about football, it was part of football, it was part of a Saturday morning football-watching ritual. It had so many things enter the football zeitgeist, catchphrases and campaigns and stuff like that. So it's been really fun looking back.

“This is nothing but a homage to what was a great show. So this isn't us trying to do the Lockers or have Soccerettes or anything like that. This is just us chatting to the people that were involved, reminiscing about memories and talking about things that maybe happened off camera.”

According to the Soccer PM YouTube channel, the new show is scheduled to debut on August 18.