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Saturday Afternoon Fever: The Autobiography: Shortlisted for Sports Entertainment Book of the Year at the Sports Book Awards 2025
A profoundly personal, warmly nostalgic and deliciously funny memoir by the legendary Sky Sports anchorman Jeff Stelling, chronicling a life spent obsessing about 'The Beautiful Game' ever since he was a little boy, and underpinned by a deeply rooted love of football and of people.
For a quarter of a century the iconic Sky Sports football presenter Jeff Stelling was the face and voice of football television. As the host of Soccer Saturday, a results show with National Treasure status, he expertly presided over a live panel of former footballers watching the most exciting sporting chapter of the weekend, on the telly, in front of a transfixed audience of millions, watching, unbelievably... on the telly.
Beginning at midday and wrapping just after the Premier League's players had showered and changed, the show's popularity stitched Stelling into the fabric of match-day rituals up and down the country. For fans, the weekend didn't exist without an hour or four of Soccer Saturday.
Saturday Afternoon Fever is Stelling's moving and fascinating a love letter to the game that has shaped and defined him, as it has millions of other football fans across the UK. This is the passionate, engaging tale of one fan's journey from the terraces at Hartlepool's rainy Victoria Park in the 1960s to the sleek and salubrious confines of the Sky Sports studios, an adventure that spans well over half a century and some of the most fast-changing, exciting periods in football's history.
For a quarter of a century the iconic Sky Sports football presenter Jeff Stelling was the face and voice of football television. As the host of Soccer Saturday, a results show with National Treasure status, he expertly presided over a live panel of former footballers watching the most exciting sporting chapter of the weekend, on the telly, in front of a transfixed audience of millions, watching, unbelievably... on the telly.
Beginning at midday and wrapping just after the Premier League's players had showered and changed, the show's popularity stitched Stelling into the fabric of match-day rituals up and down the country. For fans, the weekend didn't exist without an hour or four of Soccer Saturday.
Saturday Afternoon Fever is Stelling's moving and fascinating a love letter to the game that has shaped and defined him, as it has millions of other football fans across the UK. This is the passionate, engaging tale of one fan's journey from the terraces at Hartlepool's rainy Victoria Park in the 1960s to the sleek and salubrious confines of the Sky Sports studios, an adventure that spans well over half a century and some of the most fast-changing, exciting periods in football's history.
- GenresAutobiographySports
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2024
9 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Stelling
6 books4 followersRobert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 3, 2024
Enjoyed this autobiography about his early career and time on soccer Saturday
March 31, 2025
Read this book in 2 days,a easy going book to read ,Jeff talks about how tv shows work and the going ons behind it,also talks about his family life and some of his favourite football matches
January 16, 2025
This was phenomenal.
Made me laugh (which is rare for a book). I felt like I had gone back in time to what was a great part of every football fans weekend and it made me gutted when I realised how much I miss it.
There was never any ‘my life was was hard’, there’s genuine struggle Jeff has faced and you appreciate him more than ever for it, even the people bad in his life, he never has a bad word to say which is beyond admirable on a human level. What the man has done not only for himself but for others is remarkable.
The pinnacle of an autobiography!
Made me laugh (which is rare for a book). I felt like I had gone back in time to what was a great part of every football fans weekend and it made me gutted when I realised how much I miss it.
There was never any ‘my life was was hard’, there’s genuine struggle Jeff has faced and you appreciate him more than ever for it, even the people bad in his life, he never has a bad word to say which is beyond admirable on a human level. What the man has done not only for himself but for others is remarkable.
The pinnacle of an autobiography!
August 5, 2025
I rarely read books on football as over the years there is only one that is anyway near being very good & that's Eamon Dunphy's "Only a game" which is probably very dated now. After reading this the wait goes on. I gave it 3 stars as I enjoyed about 50% of it ...related mainly to Soccer Saturday. I was not that interested in Jeff's opinion on traveling to other games with Kammy or anyone else. I was hoping to read a lot about Soccer Saturday, The interaction between the team & the politics of the whole thing, especially at the end when it all fell apart. In fairness to Jeff he did cover much of that & didn't always hold back even though he didn't always mention names....& I see the reasoning there to avoid any legal fall-out. I'm not sure why I expected more actually as I only really watch Soccer Saturday from 4.30pm onwards to get the scores at the end. I wasn't ever really interested in the banter between the guys. I do think though that it had probably gone beyond its sell-by date. I can understand Jeff thinking it was as good as ever but it did need a shake-up. Here in Ireland we had Giles/ Dunphy & Brady on RTE for 50 years it seems with the same old stuff all the time...Giles repeating during every game that the ball had to go through midfield...yawn...yawn. Soccer Saturday now is probably lacking the entertainment of old ( the last 30 mins anyway ) but hopefully over time this will come again.....hopefully DEI & entertainment can compliment each other.
August 25, 2025
Only recently getting back into reading, and this was a great place to start.
An easy read that takes you down memory lane through his early days coming into the media and the fantastic 30 years spent on Soccer Saturday.
The book also talks about his years of fundraising for causes such as prostate cancer UK as well as his own personal struggles.
Jeff’s passion for football can be felt throughout, through his anecdotes and his love of the game itself as well as the pain of how him and the soccer Saturday gang eventually left sky.
As Kammy would say it’s…. “Unbelievable Jeff”!
An easy read that takes you down memory lane through his early days coming into the media and the fantastic 30 years spent on Soccer Saturday.
The book also talks about his years of fundraising for causes such as prostate cancer UK as well as his own personal struggles.
Jeff’s passion for football can be felt throughout, through his anecdotes and his love of the game itself as well as the pain of how him and the soccer Saturday gang eventually left sky.
As Kammy would say it’s…. “Unbelievable Jeff”!
August 4, 2025
If you know who Jeff Stelling is you cannot fail to enjoy his stories from years of developing his career to the successful levels he is still at.
What many people wouldn’t know, including me, is the personal sadness he experienced during his time on SKY.
Tears and laughter throughout a book that keeps you entertained with his life without the boring factual method that so many autobiographies follow.
It has to be said, Unbelievable Jeff!
What many people wouldn’t know, including me, is the personal sadness he experienced during his time on SKY.
Tears and laughter throughout a book that keeps you entertained with his life without the boring factual method that so many autobiographies follow.
It has to be said, Unbelievable Jeff!
May 13, 2025
Jeff seems a great chap- very humble. I read a previous book of his about soccer saturday so some of this was a repeat. It just felt disjointed as it went back and forth between his life/chronology and favourite matches. 7/10
December 29, 2024
This book is a laugh a minute from the insights of Soccer Saturdays to the bromance with Kammy absolutely a must read and unputdownable
December 29, 2024
Good book, easy to read, love Jeff and miss him on soccer Saturday! Love the awareness of topics like ED’s and prostrate cancer being spread in this book
April 14, 2025
Nice easy read, good mix of opinions and stories
August 12, 2025
Reposted from CB Book Reviews on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNRYKG9sV...
Over the years that I watched Soccer Saturday, Jeff Stelling was synonymous with the programme and became an icon of football alongside long-term friend Chris Kamara. As the anchorman Jeff balanced the normal role of a TV presenter with panelist’s shouting and jumping out of their chairs alongside him in studio, notifications of events from the matches taking place around the country, producing millions of well timed and accurate stats and facts about players and managers alike, all whilst delivering with a wit and humour that kept the viewer engaged week after week.
In this, his fourth book, former Soccer Saturday anchor man Jeff Stelling roles back the clock to recount some of the roles he has held, and key people along the way who have been integral to his progression to Soccer Saturday legend, with an MBE to boot! Jeff adds to his previous collection of books by providing stories from across his career, interspersed with a number of key experiences that are memorable to him. He provides his perspective and opinions on Sky’s shock decision to let go of a number of the panelist’s and reporters who had been the faces and voices of Soccer Saturday over a very long period of time in the name of attempting to keep the show relevant to younger viewers (a sad and poor decision in my opinion).
He explains his own complicated departure from the show, why he decided to resign and then withdrew his resignation, and why he felt his resignation was necessary on multiple occasions during his last 2-3 years of involvement with the show.
Author Stelling takes the reader backstage and discusses the friendships he has made as the fired panelist’s reunite for a live tour, as well as his own personal tour alongside former Sky reporter, @biancawestwood . He also provides more personal stories, such as his daughter’s health struggles and his many endeavours to raise money for charity.
In similar fashion to his presenting Jeff delivers this, his autobiography, recounting many a tale with a rant and a witty, humorous remark.
I found this to be a comfortable, enjoyable and nostalgic read from a man who has only further gained my adoration and respect as a result.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNRYKG9sV...
Over the years that I watched Soccer Saturday, Jeff Stelling was synonymous with the programme and became an icon of football alongside long-term friend Chris Kamara. As the anchorman Jeff balanced the normal role of a TV presenter with panelist’s shouting and jumping out of their chairs alongside him in studio, notifications of events from the matches taking place around the country, producing millions of well timed and accurate stats and facts about players and managers alike, all whilst delivering with a wit and humour that kept the viewer engaged week after week.
In this, his fourth book, former Soccer Saturday anchor man Jeff Stelling roles back the clock to recount some of the roles he has held, and key people along the way who have been integral to his progression to Soccer Saturday legend, with an MBE to boot! Jeff adds to his previous collection of books by providing stories from across his career, interspersed with a number of key experiences that are memorable to him. He provides his perspective and opinions on Sky’s shock decision to let go of a number of the panelist’s and reporters who had been the faces and voices of Soccer Saturday over a very long period of time in the name of attempting to keep the show relevant to younger viewers (a sad and poor decision in my opinion).
He explains his own complicated departure from the show, why he decided to resign and then withdrew his resignation, and why he felt his resignation was necessary on multiple occasions during his last 2-3 years of involvement with the show.
Author Stelling takes the reader backstage and discusses the friendships he has made as the fired panelist’s reunite for a live tour, as well as his own personal tour alongside former Sky reporter, @biancawestwood . He also provides more personal stories, such as his daughter’s health struggles and his many endeavours to raise money for charity.
In similar fashion to his presenting Jeff delivers this, his autobiography, recounting many a tale with a rant and a witty, humorous remark.
I found this to be a comfortable, enjoyable and nostalgic read from a man who has only further gained my adoration and respect as a result.
September 8, 2025
When it originally launched in 1998, I couldn't have been the only football fan that scoffed at Sky TV's new Soccer Saturday format. From 12 till 6pm, a host and four retired players would DESCRIBE events from live games. That's right; they watch the games and tell us what transpires. Stupid, right? No, it was genius. With the right pundits and a charismatic host, their chemistry alone elevated it from its risky premise to, sometimes, fantastic television. At its centre was Jeff Stelling, the enthusiastic ringleader of the perverse, utilising enthusiasm and camaraderie to keep the show on track and from that first show in '98 through to his last in 2022, he was not just a fine sports broadcaster but as good a presenter in any medium. With Saturday Afternoon Fever: The Autobiography (2024), Stelling tells us the story of his life, his times on the show and shares his unabiding love for the Beautiful Game. I'm pleased to say he is as likeable on the page as he was on the screen and his stories are as infectiously entertaining as he is self-deprecating and charming. My brother and I have often joked that Stelling was 'the father we wished we had'. Having read this, that statement is enhanced. A great read for fans of the writer or football in general.
October 28, 2025
Brilliant!
Highly Entertaining and written in such a way as to make it an easy read.
Highly Entertaining and written in such a way as to make it an easy read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews