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Jeff Stelling jokingly remarks on the hectic nature of his tour schedule, comparing it to that of a rock star. He lists off the towns he has already visited and will visit in the coming weeks, noting that while it may not be perfect now, it will improve as time goes on.
During upcoming shows at the Scarborough Spa and the Winding Well Theatre in Chesterfield, audience members will excitedly shout out a popular catchphrase during An Evening with Jeff Stelling. Stelling recalls that during the first show in Southampton, this happened multiple times on the way to the theater and even within the theater itself. It seems everyone wants to be the first to yell out “Unbelievable Jeff!”
Stelling lets out a warm, chuckling laugh as he remembers his dear friend Chris Kamara. Known for his catchphrase “Unbelievable Jeff!”, Kamara would enthusiastically report on goals and missed red cards during their time together on the iconic, now defunct, Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday. Stelling served as the host of the eccentric but beloved program for 25 years, shouting out scores from English and Scottish leagues while four ex-footballers watched games on muted monitors. Reporters, including Kamara, would divert their attention from their assigned matches to provide live updates from lower league games.
Stelling, a master broadcaster, held everything together with a deft touch as the jokes and wordplay flowed alongside the scores and stats. But the last few years, away from the cameras, had become acrimonious. Last May, Stelling hosted his final show and slipped away to a different life.
He can now begin the tour and start a new podcast, with Kamara as the first guest and Stelling meeting James Milner this week. Stelling discusses the podcast, Football’s Greatest, in depth and is touched when discussing Kamara’s journey to overcome his apraxia of speech disorder.
But it feels important to start with Stelling’s difficult last few years at Sky. “I had the most fantastic run on the show,” he says. “I made the greatest mates and was paid well for one of the best jobs in the world. But the show was heading in a direction which meant it wasn’t quite the same. Even though I’d been there a long time, I felt some of my views weren’t considered at all. Every week I was fighting a battle. I got tired of fighting and it was making me ill.”
It is shocking to think of the kind and calm Stelling being affected negatively by a common aspect of football, Soccer Saturday. However, I can sense the sincerity and thoughtfulness in his word choices. “In the end, I approached Sky’s management and expressed: ‘This is causing me to become unwell. I need to take a break from it.'”
In 2020, I spoke with Stelling during a difficult time for him. He was dealing with the dismissal of his good friends Phil Thompson, Matt Le Tissier, and Charlie Nicholas from Soccer Saturday. Sky’s goal was to have more diversity among its presenters and analysts, which resulted in more cuts. By the end of the previous season, veteran commentator Martin Tyler and Geoff Shreeves, who conducted most of the post-match interviews on Sky, were also let go. While Stelling recognizes the importance of promoting diversity, was his sadness amplified by the fact that many of these men were his friends?
“I concur,” he acknowledges. “However, it was primarily due to my own uncertainty about Sky’s direction, even before Shreevesy or Martin’s departures. Soccer Saturday used to have a unique quality and our team of reporters would produce offbeat segments.”
“I eventually got to the point where, after the show on Saturday, I would simply go home and not spend any time with my wife or family due to exhaustion. On Sunday, I would feel physically ill from the stress, and this would carry over into Monday. Even when starting work on the next show on Tuesday, I would still be feeling overwhelmed. It felt like I was constantly pushing myself to keep the show running smoothly.”
The narrator is hesitant to admit that their father, who worked in a steel factory, would come home from work tired and dirty. Their father would not have allowed them to complain about being tired after a TV show. However, the narrator felt that the show was negatively affecting their health so they had to take a break.
In previous years, Stelling described the experience as “extremely enjoyable.” The entire cast and crew, from the panel to the producer and behind-the-scenes staff, formed a strong team.
Stelling was the linchpin and Sky wanted to retain him. “I wasn’t constantly at management’s door but one or two big decisions were made, and I can’t say what they were, and I wasn’t even consulted. That’s their right but I felt I’d been there so long that maybe I’d earned the right to be asked. It annoyed me and there were two occasions where they almost diametrically opposed my views. I was disregarded and the joy was sucked out of it.
“I am now in a position where I can make my own choices, or the company TalkSport asks me if there is anything I would like to have on the show, including guests. It is truly a joy to be treated in such a way. However, I do not want to speak negatively about Sky. They were wonderful to me and there are still some fantastic people in management there.”
Stelling and Ally McCoist team up for a successful TalkSport morning show on Mondays and Tuesdays, displaying their love for radio. He also appeared back onscreen as host of the fast-paced Every Goal, Every Game on Amazon Prime. Stelling pays attention when I share Barney Ronay’s review, labeling it as “the most excruciating, jolting, and truly draining football program ever created… without context… there is no storyline, just noise.”
“I understand,” Stelling acknowledges. “I completely understand that perspective because there was a goal and excitement, but no one was specifically watching that game to provide proper context. For Amazon Prime, it was a trial run and if they continued to do it regularly, any issues would be resolved. They handle things very professionally and I had a great experience doing a second program for them, a live game between Chelsea and Crystal Palace. It was enjoyable being back in the midst of it all.”
Stelling is currently enthusiastic about his podcast and he and Kamara are actively involved in the debut episode. They talk about successful collaborations, fond memories of working together, and the significant impact Kamara’s apraxia of speech had on him. Kamara shares with Stelling how it became emotionally difficult for him to appear on Soccer Saturday because he was too scared to reveal his struggles with verbal communication.
At what point did Stelling begin to have suspicions that Kamara was suffering from an unknown ailment? There was no specific instance, but Kammy’s typically lively personality seemed to be diminishing and his speech was noticeably impaired. It was disheartening to see social media speculation that Kammy had been drinking.
“I was initially most worried about football-related dementia, but when Kammy mentioned it was actually something else, I felt a sense of relief. However, Kammy’s relief was short-lived as there was no known cure for the condition in our country. He was told that it would only continue to worsen, making his life a living nightmare.”
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Did Stelling communicate with Kamara prior to his diagnosis? “I did not, as I was uncertain if he was cognizant of the extent of his decline. Whether it was right or wrong, I did not want to be the one to bring it to his attention.”
Fortunately, Kamara has shown significant improvement after receiving treatment in Mexico and is now able to speak fluently on the podcast. He plans to go back to Mexico in the near future, hoping to further improve the speed of his speech. Stelling and Kamara collaborated on a TV show in Sri Lanka last year, where they discussed various topics while driving on some of the most treacherous roads in the world.
According to Stelling, discussing the topic each day brought them joy, which was not possible a year prior.
While waiting for their flight at Heathrow, Stelling found it entertaining that a woman in her middle ages ran over to them. She asked if she could take a photo with Kammy, who happily obliged. When she saw Stelling, she exclaimed, “Oh! You’re the other one!” On their way back, most of the customs officers recognized them and greeted them by name. However, one female officer was unsure of who they were and asked the male officer. He replied, “That’s Chris Kamara… and the other one.” Stelling is content with his role as “the other one” alongside Kammy.
His laughter is genuine but it will be intriguing to hear Stelling talk to Milner in the second episode of the podcast because they had not met before. He enthuses about Milner’s wit and insights into life as a Premier League footballer, aged 38, and Stelling reveals that Arsène Wenger would be his fantasy guest.
Stelling’s podcast will certainly be free of the bile and prejudice Joey Barton spewed out recently. In his depressing attacks on women in football, the suspicion grew that Barton was also trying to publicise his own podcast.
Did Stelling keep up with the controversy surrounding Barton? “Yes, I couldn’t avoid it. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Joey a few times before and I always enjoyed his company.”
“You have successfully accomplished it. I believe your initial intention was to promote the podcast. However, it has now grown out of control and it is incorrect to claim that women cannot discuss football.”
Stelling’s lack of belief is evident, but he recalls a time from his childhood when his older sister Sue would bring him to watch his favorite team, Hartlepool. She was often the only woman in attendance, as there were no designated restrooms for women and the atmosphere was intimidating and unwelcoming.
Were the men talking about Sue? “Definitely! And their comments were not as gentle. The atmosphere was completely sexist. It was surprising for them to see a woman at a football game and they didn’t realize she was just my sister helping me out by taking me to the game. I’m happy that things have changed now and it’s common to see women and families at football matches.”
Stelling chose Bianca Westwood, his former coworker at Sky, to emcee his tour events, recognizing her extensive knowledge and professionalism. He acknowledges the progress made in the world of football, stating that in the past, women were not expected to have opinions on the sport due to the intimidating and unfamiliar environment of live games. However, he is grateful that times have changed.
Stelling’s work on television continues to be exceptional and he expresses his interest in potential hosting opportunities outside of Sky by stating: “I would gladly accept if someone offered me the chance to host. However, there are emerging presenters who are eager and if they don’t approach me, I am grateful for the wonderful experiences I’ve had. Nowadays, every opportunity is a bonus.”
Source: theguardian.com
