Jeff Stelling has called out former employer Sky Sports for a 'lack of balance' in their punditry and commentary line-up for Arsenal's win at Brighton.Mikel Arteta's side returned to the Premier League summit thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium, with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard on target.Former Arsenal players Theo Walcott and Karen Carney worked on Sky's coverage as pundits, while another ex-Gunner in Alan Smith was on co-commentary.Hartlepool United fan Stelling, who presented Sky's Soccer Saturday show for 25 years, wasn't impressed with the line-up.'Brighton v Arsenal has ex-Arsenal co-commentator and both pundits are ex-Arsenal,' Stelling wrote on X, formerly Twitter.'Maybe next time Sky should be a bit more balanced. It is like using me on a Hartlepool game!!!'Replying to someone who said Smith was impartial, Stelling added: 'Smudge [Smith] is great. So when you have decided to use him on commentary, pick two neutrals as pundits. Or one from each side if you wish. Not brain surgery.'Stelling, 69, left Soccer Saturday and Sky Sports at the end of the 2022-23 season and since December has presented TalkSPORT's breakfast show twice a week alongside Ally McCoist.It isn't the first time Stelling has taken aim at his old employers since he left.In January, he criticised Sky for not sending a reporter to Reading when fans planned a tennis ball protest against owner Dai Yongge during their League One game against Port Vale.Fans threw hundreds of tennis balls onto the pitch at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and then invaded the field, forcing the officials to abandon the match.Stelling wrote on X: 'When a club which was in Premier League not long ago is in the position they are in this the biggest story of the day in my opinion.'Why no reporter there? Everyone knew there was going to be a protest.'When a fellow X user described him as 'the employee who left but still wants a say in how things are done,' Stelling replied: 'I am not. I am a member of the public with a right to express an opinion.'Last weekend, Stelling took aim at BBC's Match of the Day over their highlights of Newcastle United's dramatic 4-3 win over West Ham at St James' Park.Stelling was unhappy the show - presented by Alex Scott instead of Gary Lineker and with Martin Keown and Stephen Warnock as pundits - didn't talk about Newcastle's second penalty.It was awarded after Kalvin Phillips was adjudged to have kicked Anthony Gordon in the 77th minute, with Alexander Isak converting his second spot-kick of the afternoon.'Interesting that MotD decided the second Newcastle pen was not worth discussing despite it being prob the most controversial decision of the weekend,' he said.'Not the fault btw of Alex Scott just terrible production decision.'Regular Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer hit back, saying: 'My guess is they didn't show it because it was a certain penalty and as you know time is limited on the show!'
The only blog for all things Virgin Media UK. With listings for: Virgin Media UK's TiVo, V6, TV360 and Flex boxes. Also we carry news from broadcasters from UK.
Media Boy UK Blog Extra Pages
- Virgin Media UK's EPG listings for all boxes (Updated November 2024)
- Virgin Media UK's Flex Channel lineup (Updated November 2024).
- Channels that Virgin Media UK may get when existing deals with the owners are renew (Updated November 2024).
- When Virgin Media UK moved channels over to MPEG4
- Channels only on Smallworld Cable & Virgin ROI areas (Updated January 2023).
- MEDIA BOY UK HQ COPY RIGHT (January 2024)
Media Boy UK Blog Extra Pages (Other networks)
- Paramount Global/SkyDance merger latest
- Warner Bros. Discovery/Paramount Global merger posts
- Sky TV from 1989 to 2002
- MEDIA BOY UK HQ COPY RIGHT (January 2024)
- Sky TV from 1989 to 2002
- Create & Craft Crisis
- Has Virgin Media UK signed an new deal with Sky UK?
- Daily Mail: British football's 3pm TV blackout 'set to be scrapped'
Happy Holidays
Media Boy UK HQ would like to wish everyone who view this blog an Merry Christmas and an safe and Happy new year. Don't forget Media Boy UK launches on January 4th 2025 on Blue Sky.
Sunday, 7 April 2024
Daily Mail: Jeff Stelling blasts former employers Sky Sports over Arsenal pundits
Story from Daily Mail:
Labels:
4K UHD,
Daily Mail,
HD Channels,
Media Boy UK,
Sky UK Plc (Comcast),
X