Clive Tyldesley on why he left the World Cup early and his friendship with Ally McCoist
"We're all a matter of opinion. I understand that Twitter is not a canvassed opinion poll. It may give people an idea of general public opinion but the selection of commentators, pundits and reporters by the heads of sport of ITV, BBC, Sky Sports and BT Sport is down to them. One imagines that they are aware of any barometer of opinion that is out there."
Humble is the word that comes to mind when speaking to Clive Tyldesley. He shaped the childhoods of football fans nationwide as ITV Sport's lead commentator between 1998 and 2020.
You'll have seen his name trend during the World Cup. His voice offers the perfect blend of analysis, a sense of occasion and warmth needed for national sporting events.
Tyldesley was the perfect commentator to take you through England's venture to South Korea and Japan, disappointment in Brazil and brush with greatness in Russia. In 2020, that all changed.
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The Bury-born commentator was replaced as ITV's number-one commentator by Sam Matterface, meaning he was bumped to number two.
What he's keen to stress in our 40-minute chat is he holds no ill will towards Matterface for getting the gig. You won't find slandering of a fellow professional. It's not Tyldesley's style at all.
His tweet on December 7, which received over 27,000 likes, read: "My 8th World Cup in the job of my dreams and the first time I’m going to be home before England! Thank you for your company x."
Why did he end up travelling home from Qatar with over a week of the competition remaining? In an honest chat from his home on a cold Tuesday morning, the 68-year-old told SPORTbible: "I wasn't selected to commentate on either of ITV's live quarter-finals. Was I disappointed? Yeah, of course I was. Just as James Maddison will have been disappointed after not playing a part in England's World Cup campaign.
"I'm still very proud to be part of what I thought was a very good ITV production on the whole. I came home because I wasn't selected for a live quarter-final. It's as simple and straightforward as that. It's no great drama and these things happen."
Tyldesley's partnership with Ally McCoist was well-received throughout the World Cup. Both men bounce off one another, offering a delicate balance of warmth and information. They serve as voices of authority in an increasingly digital world that gives anyone a chance to shout into the void. Given McCoist's pedigree in the game, it's no surprise.
McCoist scored 251 times in 418 games for Rangers between 1983 and 1998, becoming their all-time top goalscorer. The legendary Scot was later their manager for four years between 2011 and 2015. It's an insane pedigree for a man who is presented online as the 'loveable uncle' of commentary.
Tyldesley lets out a hint of a smile before going into his admiration for McCoist. He recalls advice from a former mentor, boxing journalist Reg Gutteridge, on being as inclusive as possible to millions watching at home.
"That was again, a recurring phrase. Be inclusive," Tyldesley stresses. "Welcome people in. Don't talk above their heads. Don't try to be a smart**se. Don't try to be clever. You can make them smile. Obviously, when you work with McCoist it's almost impossible not to make people smile but his greatest quality as a communicator is his warmth. How personal he feels. You've probably never met him but you feel like you'd like to go have a drink with Ally McCoist don't you? Well, you would. That's him, that is the guy. He is able to bring that personality, which is him, it's not an act."
It's here Tyldesley delves into McCoist's playing career, speaking at length about how he compares to Sir Kenny Dalglish and Dennis Law.
"Ally McCoist is also one of the finest forwards the United Kingdom has ever seen," he adds. "You're talking about a man whose CV is as good as anyone's. You can say [Gary] Lineker and [Alan] Shearer, but there aren't much better players than Ally. Yet, he has that magic quality to communicate with people, talk to people, talk to me in a way you feel like part of the conversation."
Tyldesley's pet peeve when it comes to commentary is when it becomes 'chummy'. He compares it to Statler and Waldorf from the popular Muppets sketch; two elderly men who jeer at a theatre to make themselves the show.
It's the one thing he and McCoist perfectly navigate away from when working together. Even when there's a tangent, it's always to tell a story. Tyldesley continued: "McCoist never slips into that. He can go on a tangent and tell some ridiculous yarn during the course of a football match. Somehow, it's always part of a football match and you never lose the importance of the game you're watching.
"That game could be the most important part of the season to our viewers, you know? He never underestimates that. He brings gravitas and genuine opinion to his analysis, which is as good as anybody's, but he also brings that lovely, lighter touch as if you're just sat in the bar with him. He is a magic man to be around. I love him dearly and I hope you can hear that when we're on air together."
As our chat draws to a close, Tyldesley reflects on a World Cup marred by controversy. He still had a job to do, regardless of the circumstances.
"I think the football's been good rather than great," he admits, an opinion shared by many. "I think the best matches have been the bonkers matches which took on a life of their own for no particular reason.
"There were occasionally matches where things would happen and trigger a reaction. The Dutch comeback against Argentina was a prime example. Suddenly this team, this nation known for 'Total Football' and passing through the lines brought on a six-foot-six forward [Wout Weghorst] who still belongs to Burnley Football Club."
His description of the equalising free-kick, scored by Weghorst after some genius improvisation, sums up why we all love football.
Tyldesley concludes: "There were two guys on either side of the ball. You have to have a shot at goal, it's the last kick of the game! This isn't the time to try a clever free kick you dreamt up in training with a guy you can't have anticipated being on the field. The moment it was played into him, I almost had a shock while watching it. A split-second later he's turned and equalised. Those moments are absolute gold dust and that's why we do it."
What's next for Tyldesley? He's showing no signs of slowing down. He'll be back in the gantry for Liverpool's visit to Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Daniel Marland