Clive Tyldesley replaced as main ITV football commentator by Sam Matterface

ITV Sport have replaced their main football commentator Clive Tyldesley with Sam Matterface.

The 65-year-old Tyldesley, who has been ITV’s voice of football for 22 years, posted an emotional video on Twitter saying “I’m upset, annoyed, baffled.”

ITV have replaced me as their main football commentator… pic.twitter.com/S8UOjvwEck

— Clive Tyldesley (@CliveTyldesley) July 14, 2020

In the 2.16m video, Clive said: “If you haven’t seen the announcement, I am being replaced as ITV’s senior football commentator. Quite a few people have been in touch with me, asking me to react, to comment, um, I’m not sure that would be a very good idea at the moment.

“I was told about three weeks ago so I have had some time to get my head around the decision but I haven’t got my head around it. To be clear this is ITV’s decision, not mine. I’m upset, annoyed, baffled… I would have been interested in commentating on the Euro 2020 final for them less than 48 hours ago but now I won’t be commentating on any of the big England games over the coming year and I’m going to miss them, I love this job, and it has gone. Why? I don’t know. I do not know exactly why this decision has been taken, already I’ve got the producer of a broadcast I am working on asking if I’ve got any health issues. No! I’ve got no health issues.

“Asking me if it is something that I have done… no there’s nothing. I gather one or two sites are reporting that I’ve been sacked. Well, I guess I have from one job but I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Clive joined ITV in 1996, and got the main job after the 1998 World Cup. He has commentated on some of the most memorable moments of the last 25 years, including ‘that night in Barcelona’ when Manchester United won the Champions League and England’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

ITV Sport’s director Niall Sloane said: “On behalf of ITV Sport, I would like to thank Clive for his superb work leading our commentary on some of the biggest occasions in world football throughout his outstanding career with us.

“We are very glad he will continue with us and look forward to working with him on many more occasions in the future.”

Matterface will take on the role of lead commentator from the start of the new season.