Clive Everton

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Clive Everton (born September 7, 1937) is a Welsh veteran BBC snooker commentator and journalist. He began his BBC career on the radio, but has been commentating on the television from the 1978 World Championship through to the present. He also commentates for Sky Sports on the Betfred Premier League snooker tournament.

Everton was a talented amateur billiards player, reaching both the 1975 and 1977 world semi-finals. In the latter he exacerbated a back injury, forcing his early retirement from the highest level of the game.

Unlike snooker, billiards has never generated sustainable professional incomes for players, and Everton has enjoyed a varied career as a result. He has covered football, rugby and tennis for various British newspapers, and has written several books on snooker, as well as being the founding editor of the long-running Snooker Scene Magazine. He also played county-level tennis for Worcestershire for 13 years, and has managed Jonah Barrington, the former world number 1 squash player.

However, it is as snooker commentator that Everton is best known to millions of UK fans who watch the BBC's coverage of the sport. For many he has become the 'voice of snooker' since the retirement of the legendary Ted Lowe. His commentary style is generally perceived as being quite dry and matter-of-fact. He tends towards the use of formal English, often inserting nouns that would not find a place in everyday conversation. Everton's commentary has included the following statements:

  • "Ebdon's unforthcoming acceptance of the referee's replacement of the white has been called into question by his opponent despite the veracity of the location of the adjacent reds."
  • "O'Sullivan's fluency was undiminished during his completion of a challenging century break using a newly-affixed tip."
  • "Davis' inability to execute the quarter-ball cut to bottom left has presented his opponent with an unexpected opportunity to capitalise."

He always refers to snooker players by their surnames.

A consummate professional, Everton nevertheless suffered a minor embarrassment a few seasons ago when he fell from his chair in the commentary box whilst covering a match with Dennis Taylor. The pair were unable to continue commentary for some moments whilst they contained their laughter.

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