Former Soccer AM host Lloyd Griffith believes the iconic TV show's demise could have been avoided by Sky Sports chiefs.

Stand-up comedian Griffith, 40, presented from the legendary sofa between 2017 and 2019 alongside the likes of Jimmy Bullard and producer John 'Fenners' Fendley.

Having been a staple of Saturday mornings since 1995, Soccer AM aired its final episode in May after being axed — a decision Griffith strongly disagreed with.

Speaking to LiveScore, he said: "I think the show should've gone on. And I think Fenners, who produced and hosted, should've been given more love from Sky.

"Think about it. When we were younger, Soccer AM was the first place you'd see clips from the week before, whereas now it was the last place.

"Something happens in a game and straight away, Sky Sports, TNT or whoever have clipped up any viral bits and people have made their own comedy from it.

"But it was trying to evolve. Fenners was trying to evolve it but I just don't think it was given the love from the powers that be at Sky to turn it into what it could've been.

"In this day and age, there are so many football fans craving content and Soccer AM is the perfect vehicle for it.

"I'm not coming out to harangue Sky here but they could've absolutely helped the show go forward. They just chose not to — and it's a real shame.

"You absolutely could've had the best show on TV on your hands if you'd just given it care and attention and distributed a bit of the wealth to where it was needed."

Facing abuse

Having also trained as a choral singer in his youth, Griffith is a man of many talents.

Football mad from a young age, the die-hard Grimsby fan fulfilled a lifelong dream presenting Soccer AM but admits the role also opened him up to online trolls.

He explained: "The experience was one of the best things of my life but there were negatives that came with it.

"Football fans can be really cruel for no reason whatsoever. 

"We've seen it with the treatment of Harry Maguire, for example. Everyone thinks they're a football manager, an analyst or an England international with however many caps.

"In the same sense, everyone thinks they can present Soccer AM — everyone thinks they're the funniest person in the world.

"But the abuse I got in the first three months of presenting it was horrific. I've started talking about it recently because I can but at the time I didn't really want to.

"It was absolutely abhorrent and made me realise I just want to support football how I want to and only get involved when I want to.

"There are just way too many opinions in football and some people just need to chill out."

Lloyd Griffith will be embarking on a brand new nationwide stand-up tour, Baroque & Roll, from March 1, 2024. More info and tickets are available HERE.