Sunday 10 January 2010

Clive Tyldesley - a Liverpool fan's revenge

SAYING Clive Tyldesley is a Manc is like saying Liverpool play in red, it's as plain as the nose on your face.

He might have cut his teeth in Liverpool with Radio City, but it's clear he doesn't feel any affinity to the place, why else mention "...that balmy night in Barcelona" almost every time WE are playing, regardless of the opposition?

In fact, scrap that, he says it no matter who is playing, bold as brass, no doubt caressing his key fob of Alex Ferguson as he speaks.

It's not just me that's noticed this, either. In fact bookie Paddy Power offered odds of 10-1 on 'that night in Barcelona' being the first predictable soundbite from his lips before a televised game last year.

In Liverpool's recent FA Cup tie at Reading, the ITV commentator spent the build up to kick off getting in dig after dig after dig. The stats were out, the biased interpretations were given. Conclusion - Liverpool are crap.

Now is it just me here, or I am missing something?

If you tune in to watch a Liverpool match on the telly, isn't there a fair chance you'll be a Liverpool fan? And as a Liverpool fan, why would you want to listen to a Manc-loving commentator slating your side?

Instead, wouldn't it be better to offer a crumb of comfort, light at the end of tunnel approach? Serve up a bit of positivity?

It would save on all those broken telly screens on Merseyside every time Clive is on the mic..

But anyway, it's time for revenge, Clive. You see the real reason I've posted this is to publish this stormer of a photograph of Tyldesley from back in the day. I found it when looking through some Liverpool memorabilia and it is taken from Phil Thompson's testimonial brochure in 1983.

Nice school uniform, fella...