EXCLUSIVE: ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley left the World Cup early after being snubbed for the quarter-finals and only asked to work on highlights show, two years after being demoted in favour of Sam Matterface
Clive Tyldesley exited the World Cup early after being overlooked by ITV for a live quarter-final commentary slot.
The broadcaster – senior commentator for the channel for more than two decades – flew back to the UK last Wednesday after being asked instead to provide a highlights commentary.
Sportsmail understands that Tyldesley asked to come home early after being made aware that he would not be commentating on one of the two live quarter-finals the broadcaster had the rights to.
Clive Tyldesley was overlooked by ITV for live quarter-final commentary and so flew home
The 68-year-old chose to return home having only been offered commentary for highlights
Permission was granted, with Tyldesley announcing his premature return to the UK by tweeting a picture of a glass of red wine, passport and boarding pass.
‘My 8th World Cup in the job of my dreams and the first time I’m going to be home before England!’ he wrote.
The tweet triggered an outpouring of support for Tyldesley, 68, who was stood down as ITV’s number one after fulfilling the role from 1998 to 2020.
He was replaced by Sam Matterface, with the Bury-born commentator dropping to number two.
It was expected that Tyldesley would have taken the mic for the Morocco versus Portugal last-eight fixture. But Jon Champion took up duties, with Scotland legend Ally McCoist providing colour.
Two years ago Tyldesley (left) was replaced as ITV’s senior commentator by Sam Matterface
Had he remained in Qatar, Tyldesley would have provided highlights package commentary for Friday’s Holland versus Argentina game, shown live by the BBC, but he declined to do so.
In 2020 Tyldesley confirmed that he had been replaced by Matterface, 44, in a video viewed more than 6.5m times. In it, he said: ‘To be clear, this is ITV’s decision, not mine,’ he said.
‘I’m upset, annoyed and baffled.’ A clearly devastated Tyldesley added: ‘I love this job and it’s gone. Why? I don’t know.’
ITV bosses have added the popular McCoist to a line-up of Matterface and Lee Dixon for Tuesday night’s Argentina v Croatia clash, while McCoist and Seb Hutchinson will do the Morocco vs France highlights.
ITV declined to comment.
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