Soccer Saturday's stalwart presenter Jeff Stelling has announced he will be departing from his post as the anchor of the programme.
The news broke shortly before football up and down the country commenced with Stelling himself breaking off from reporting the team news to confirm he will be vacating the position in May.
It brings to an end a 30-year stint with the broadcaster and a quarter of a century in the position that has brought live scores from across England and Scotland, despite the news, the 66-year-old called for seven months of Saturday afternoon parties as his time on the show ticks down.
In recent years, the traditional line-up of Stelling, Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson, Paul Merson and Charlie Nicholas has slowly dwindled with the presenter and Merson continuing their positions as the new wave of pundits came through with Clinton Morrison, Darren Bent, Tim Sherwood and former Spurs defender Michael Dawson to name a few.
The midweek fixture list has seen Julian Warren take over from Stelling to discuss the Tuesday and Wednesday action which features the Champions League and league action.
But, for the programme, the new era continues and from August, there will be a new face spearheading discussions but despite leaving the role, Stelling has ruled out retiring.
"Before we do the team news from Newcastle, I've got some team news from Sky Sports and Soccer Saturday to tell you about," Stelling declared.
"I will have been at Sky for 30 years next year, I know it's hard to believe with these youthful looks and hosted Soccer Saturday for the past 25 or so.
"I've come to the decison, an incredibly difficult decision, that this will be my final season. It has been my decision, there has been no pressure whatsoever.
"Sky have been absolutely brilliant with me as they always have done. I'm not intending to retire, that's up to people out there really.
"But it's time to let somebody else to have a go at what is the best job in the world. After all, I wouldn't want to get to the stage where I'm calling Raith Rovers 'Roth Ravers'. I wouldn't want that to happen at all.
"I'm going to be here until May and then leaving the show and the company. That's about seven months of Saturday afternoon parties."
In response, the pundits for the day, Morrison, Bent, Sherwood and Merson all gave a standing ovation
The lifelong Hartlepool United fan has witnessed the highs and lows of his beloved club from the Soccer Saturday hotseat and more recently witnessed the elation of Pools' rise back into the Football League after four years in the National League.
