Martin Tyler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Martin Tyler

Martin Tyler is a well renowned English football commentator. His voice has been synonymous with English football for over 25 years. Not only has he commentated English domestic games, but also European competitions and World Cups and is considered by many the best football commentator in England.

1 Commentary career
2 Trivia
3 Famous quotes
4 External links

[edit] Commentary career

After graduating from the University of East Anglia in the 1960s, Martin helped in the publishing of Marshall Cavendish's Book of Football. He was also ghostwriter on soccer pundit Jimmy Hill's column in The Times. At the urging of Hill he took a job behind the scenes on LWT's The Big Match - the first ITV football programme to make a real impact on the public. His job was solely a production role, but at one match he did his own commentary on a tape recorder and handed it in to his bosses expecting, and indeed initially gaining, little response.

However, the break did eventually come with another ITV region Southern Television. Their regular football commentator (and ITV's tennis man) Gerry Williams was indisposed and on Saturday 28th December 1974 Tyler made his commentary debut at The Dell describing a Second Division clash between Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday. It was a successful bow and six weeks later he was asked back, soon becoming a regular commentator.

In 1976 Tyler upped sticks to Yorkshire Television to replace Keith Macklin and began to make an impression on ITV Sport bosses, who included him in the team for the 1978 World Cup. He also covered his first European Cup Final in 1979. Another change of region came in 1981 and a switch to Granada replacing Gerald Sinstadt. In 1982 he led ITV's World Cup team, covering every England game and the final alongside Ian St John. The tournament was also memorable on a personal level because he met his future wife while on duty in Spain.

Throughout the 1980s Tyler established himself as the ITV network's number two commentator behind Brian Moore. He led the team at the 1984 European Championships and also described all the main matches at the 1986 World Cup - except the final. It was the frustration of playing second fiddle that saw Tyler search for pastures new and, despite his own reluctance, he signed a deal with British Satellite Broadcasting's Sports Channel in 1990 at the urging of his agent John Hockey. There he covered live FA Cup games, England internationals and the Scottish League. Tyler's voice was still heard on ITV for another two years as they carried the commentaries he provided for the Football League's overseas broadcasts. British Satellite Broadcasting's merger with Sky meant the Sports Channel became Sky Sports in 1991. Since then he has led the critically acclaimed Sky commentary team, spearheading the network's coverage of the FA Premier League since its inception in 1992.

Martin Tyler was voted as the FA Premier League Commentator of The Decade by fans and a specially assembled panel of football experts. After learning of the honour Martin stated, "I'd like to thank everybody who voted for me and express my gratitude to all my colleagues at Sky Sports. This award is as much for them as myself and reflects our approach to football. My job has also been made easier by the thousands of individuals within the game who've answered my daily requests for information with the attention and care that make this job so enjoyable."

In recent years Sky have employed a rotation policy and Tyler no longer gets the amount of 'big' games he used to get (2005 Champions League final for example). He regularly covers Saturday English Premier League matches for Sky Sports' "Football First" programme, these commentaries are also carried via TWI's international feed. He works directly for TWI on the Premier League as well, mainly covering Monday night matches.

Tyler is the main voice for broadcasts on the Australian television network SBS for World Cup, Euro and European club competition matches as well as a number of Australian international matches. The 2006 World Cup final saw Tyler call his fifth World Cup Final for SBS. Through his broadcasts for SBS he can be often heard throughout Oceania and parts of east Asia.

[edit] Trivia

He also provided his commentary expertise for the football film Goal! (2005). In that film, he commentated on Newcastle United's games against Chelsea, Fulham and Liverpool. He also provided his commentary for Mike Bassett: England Manager when his vocied was heard on England's game with Argentina

He was the feature voice of the "FA Premier League Stars 2000" video game released in November 1999 by EA Sports. Andy Gray made his contribution too. The game appeared on several formats including the PC and PlayStation.

Despite seeing games all over the world, he still cheers on his boyhood club Woking FC.

[edit] Famous quotes

With a career spanning for so long, inevitably phrases stick in the public psyche, here are a few examples of Mr. Tyler's work.

"Barnes, Rush, Barnes...still John Barnes....Collymore closing IIIINNNN! Liverpool lead in stoppage time!" - Giving the Sky Sports lip-mic a real bashing as Liverpool secure a famous 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996.

"Would you BELIEVE IT!?....That sums it all up!" - Tony Adams bursts through to seal the 1998 Premiership title for Arsenal.

"It's Emile HESKEY!!!!!!! IT'S FIVE!" - Martin nearly sends himself hoarse describing the scenes at the Olympic Stadium in Munich as England took a 5-1 lead over Germany in 2001.

"The mountain that is English Football is a long and difficult one to climb, but the view from the top is breathtaking, Chelsea are champions again". - As Chelsea lift the premiership title in 2006.

"It's Freddie Ljungberg again, pushed out by Barthez....WILTOOOOOOOOOORRR!! Arsenal have scored yet again in the Premiership and this could be the most crucial one of all". - Arsenal's Championship decider against Manchester United, at Old Trafford in 2002. Arsenal went on to win 1 - 0 and become Premiership and FA Cup Champions.

"It's Kanu, what's he going to do....Ohhhhhhh! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!! He's flattened Chelsea. He's hit a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge". - Kanu's Hat-Trick against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

"The Championship....And a place amongst History goes to Arsenal!" - Arsenal's Title Celebration in 2004.

"It's Arsenal's Day Now!" - Arsenal v Tottenham, 1996.

"On a day Newcastle would have taken one, here they are looking for number five, through Phillip Alberrrrt.....Ohhhhh! Absolutely Glorious!" - Newcastle United's last goal against Manchester United, in a five-goal drumming. Phillip Albert scores an absolute corker to seal the game.

"And Jenas.....Jenas by name, Genius by Nature...." - Jermain Jenas strike against Manchester United in the 2002/03 Season.

"And Gerrard....Ohhhhhhhhh..Ohhhhhhhhhh!!! Stunning." - Gerrard's 35-Yard Screamer against West Ham, to level the 2006 FA Cup Final 3 - 3.

"That is Lampard and that is Absolutely SUPERB!" - Tyler's take on Frank Lampard's second goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Quarter Final 2004/5 season.

'"RISSEEEEEEEEEE OHHH! MY GOODNESS ME" - Martin's way of expressing how he saw (what was voted) the second greatest goal against Manchester United of all time.

"Arsenal - Awesome. The Cream of the Crop." - Tyler on Arsenal's Title Quest in 1998.

"BRUCE...YES!!! Yes for Manchester United! And Alex Ferguson can't contain himself!" - Manchester United Winning the League in 1993.

"Long Overdue a goal at the Millennium Stadium; Thierry Henry has all sorts of Bad Luck heere......and Thierry Henry, thank you very much because we have set it up and he has delivered". - Henry's strike against Manchester United in the 2003 Community Shield.

"Advantage from Arsenal and they really want to turn to into goal number two; they've done that through Sylvain Wiltord". - Wiltord's goal against Birmingham in 2002/03 Season.

"Outrageous. Cheeky!!" - Kezman's Penalty for Chelsea in the 2004/05 Season.

"It's Championship Style!" - On Chelsea.

"YES FOR ENGLAND!! David Beckham has done it Big Time". - England vs. Greece, 2001. David Beckham's Long Range Free-Kick gets England into the 2002 World Cup.

"You really are Captain Fantastic." - England vs. Greece, 2001. After David Beckham's free-Kick gets England into the 2002 World Cup.

Baggio. Gets the better of Hasek. STILL BAGGIO. MY WORD!!! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! THE AUTHENTIC...ROBERTO BAGGIO. And the most expensive player in the world shows why. It hardly needs words - this goal speaks for itself!" - Roberto Baggio's half-field slalom in the 1990 FIFA World Cup match between Italy and Czechoslovakia.

Exactly a mirror image...for France a second goal for Zinedine Zidane - On Zidane's header in the 1998 World Cup final.

It takes 15 years to build a reputation, and 15 seconds to destroy it - On Zidane's headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final.

In the nick of time... - Zidane's 91st minute free-kick equalizer England v France Euro 2004.

Its heartbreak for England... - Zidane's 93rd minute winning penalty England v France Euro 2004.

Chelsea FC ohhh, Wigan Athletic OHHHHHH!!! - On Wigan Athletic's near-heroics over Chelsea in the opening game of the 2005/2006 Premiership season.