Clive Tyldesley facts for kids

Clive Tyldesley, born on August 21, 1954, is a well-known English television sports commentator. He was the main football commentator for ITV from 1998 until 2020. During his time at ITV, he covered many big football events. These included five World Cups and five European Championships. He also commentated on seventeen UEFA Champions League finals and nine FA Cup finals.

Currently, he is the main commentator for CBS/Paramount Plus. He covers live UEFA Champions League games in the United States. In 2021, his first book, Not for me, Clive, was published. It tells some stories from his life.

Early Career in Radio

Clive Tyldesley started his career in 1975 at Radio Trent in Nottingham. He began by making tea but quickly joined the sports team. Within weeks, he was covering games for Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest team.

In 1977, he moved to Radio City in Liverpool. He eventually became the head of sports there. Tyldesley commentated on four European Cup finals where Liverpool played. He also reported live on the sad Heysel Stadium disaster before the 1985 final. He also covered Everton's successful years in the mid-1980s. Tyldesley reported a lot on the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, another very sad event in football history.

Moving to Television

Tyldesley got his first chance in television during the 1986 FIFA World Cup with ITV. He was meant to be a backup commentator. During a live match between Brazil and Spain, the main commentary connection failed. The host, Brian Moore, had to commentate from London.

Tyldesley did record his own commentary for the match. However, he missed some important moments, like a Spanish shot that crossed the line but wasn't given as a goal. He also didn't realize a Brazilian goal was disallowed. He reported the half-time score incorrectly. Because of this, he was sent home the next day.

Early TV Roles

In 1987, he started working on Sportsweek. This was a late-night sports show on Granada Television. Over the next two years, Tyldesley worked for both Radio City and Granada. His first TV commentary was in May 1988. It was for an indoor football tournament in Australia shown on ITV. He also commentated on the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship for Eurosport.

Tyldesley joined Granada full-time in 1989. He started as a reporter and sometimes a presenter. He then became their main football commentator in 1990, taking over from Martin Tyler. He also regularly commentated on rugby league games.

His first ITV football commentary was in August 1989. He covered Liverpool's win over Manchester City. He also worked as a reporter for the ITV network show Saint and Greavsie. Tyldesley's first network football commentaries were at the 1990 World Cup.

He also commentated on the 1991 Copa América and 1992 African Cup of Nations for Screensport. His first live ITV commentary was in October 1991. This happened when a different match had technical issues, and his commentary on Tottenham Hotspur versus FC Porto was shown instead. His last work for ITV before leaving was as a reporter at UEFA Euro 1992.

Time at BBC (1992–1996)

In the summer of 1992, Tyldesley joined the BBC's sports team in London. The BBC needed new voices because Match of the Day was returning as a weekly show.

He made his BBC debut in August 1992. He reported on a match between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday for Match of the Day. His first full match commentary for the BBC was in September 1992. He covered Queen's Park Rangers against Ipswich Town.

For four years, Tyldesley provided commentaries and reports for BBC football. He worked at the 1994 World Cup, the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the 1996 European Championship. He only commentated on four live matches during his time at the BBC. This was because other commentators like John Motson and Barry Davies were the main voices. In 1996, he was offered a chance to return to ITV. His final weeks with the BBC involved commentating on basketball and football at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Return to ITV (1996–2024)

Tyldesley went back to ITV in August 1996. He was meant to be a backup to Brian Moore. His first job back at ITV was covering highlights of a UEFA Cup game in September. His first live match commentary was a UEFA Champions League game in October 1996.

Becoming Lead Commentator

In late 1996, Brian Moore, the main commentator, decided to retire after the 1998 World Cup. ITV tried to get John Motson to replace him, but Motson stayed at the BBC. So, Tyldesley became ITV's lead football commentator.

In his first season as the main commentator, he covered all of Manchester United's games in their successful Champions League campaign. He also commentated on their FA Cup final win in 1999.

Tyldesley commentated on every Champions League final for ITV from 1998 to 2015. He was also ITV's main commentator for the European Championships from 2000 to 2016. He covered the World Cup finals between 2002 and 2018. His regular co-commentators included David Pleat, Jim Beglin, Andy Townsend, Glenn Hoddle, and Ally McCoist.

Later Years at ITV and Beyond

In July 2020, Tyldesley said he was "upset" and "annoyed" when ITV chose Sam Matterface to be the new senior commentator instead of him. This decision caused some public discussion. Later that year, he joined CBS Sports to be their main commentator for the UEFA Champions League. He also regularly commentates on Amazon Prime Video's live Premier League coverage.

Tyldesley did his final commentary work for ITV at UEFA Euro 2024. He covered the last-16 match between Germany and Denmark. ITV did not offer him a new contract after this.

In July 2023, Tyldesley stopped working as a commentator for Talksport. He later explained this was because of the station's links to betting. He has been a supporter of the Bobby Moore Bowel Cancer Fund since 2010.

Among his other activities, Tyldesley has been a regular voice on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeway. He has also hosted the International Electronic Games Conference at the Edinburgh Festival twice.

Other Media Work

Video Games

Tyldesley has lent his voice to several video games. He provided commentary for the EA Sports FIFA series from FIFA 06 until FIFA 17. From 2011 to 2017, he often worked with Andy Townsend in these games. He also provided commentary for Championship Manager 2, This is Football, and FA Premier League Stars 2001.

Podcasts

In June 2024, Tyldesley started co-hosting 'The Football Authorities' podcast. He hosts it with his friend Martin O'Neill. The podcast looks closely at major football stories. It also has a part where they answer questions from listeners.