The legendary commentator Martin Tyler will step down from his role with Sky Sports as the voice of the Premier League ahead of the new season, after 33 years at the broadcaster.
Tyler, 77, has become one of the most recognisable commentators in the history of English football – and also globally where he has covered the Champions League, the World Cup finals and European championships for broadcasters in the United States and Australia.
He is not retiring but steps down on good terms ahead of the 2023-2024 season, where he has been the broadcaster’s commentator for the biggest games since the launch of the Premier League in 1992. Tyler’s contract as a commentator will not be renewed.
He is most famous to the current generation of fans for his commentary on the dramatic denouement to the 2011-2012 season when Sergio Aguero scored the goal in stoppage time that clinched Manchester City’s first title of the Premier League era. In the simple rising enunciation of the Argentine’s name as the ball hit the net, he captured the wonder and the emotion of the moment.
In a statement to Telegraph Sport, Tyler said: “In my humble opinion, the huge corporation Sky is today has stemmed from Sky Sports’ innovative and inspired coverage of the Premier League. It has been a privilege to play a small part in the broadcasting history of the greatest league in the world. Along the way I have worked alongside legions of wonderful professionals in all aspects of the television industry. I thank them all for their support and expertise. It has been an honour to be a member of a very gifted team.”
The Aguero moment was the most famous example of his trademark goal commentary – using the utterance of the player’s name to convey the excitement of the moment before pausing to allow the noise of the crowd to take over. His follow-up line at the Etihad in 2012 demonstrated his facility with words: “I swear you’ll never see anything like this again! So watch it – drink it in …”
In the moments before David Beckham’s dramatic free-kick equaliser against Greece at Old Trafford in October 2001, that secured England’s place at the World Cup finals the following year Tyler’s remarks were prescient. “With players like David Beckham,” he said, “you do feel there are certain moments of destiny.”
Tyler is also well-established among young fans as the voice of EA Sports’ Fifa video game where his commentary on the efforts of gamers young and old was a feature of the game from 2005 to 2020.
Gary Hughes, Sky Sports’ director of football said: “Everyone at Sky Sports would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Martin for his unparalleled contribution and dedication to our coverage over the last 30 years. ‘The Voice’ will always be synonymous with the Premier League and Sky Sports. When you think of commentary, you think of Martin Tyler. ‘Collymore closing in’ [from Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996] and ‘Aguerrrrrroooooooooo’ are two of the greatest moments in Premier League history. We thank him and wish him all the very best for the future.”
Tyler, who grew up in Surrey and attended the Royal Grammar School in Guildford and then the University of East Anglia, began in journalism as the ghostwriter for Jimmy Hill’s column in The Times newspaper. With Hill’s encouragement he moved to London Weekend Television in the late 1960s and then to another ITV region, Southern Television. His first commentary was in December 1974 from the Dell for Southampton’s home game against Sheffield Wednesday.
His career rise was meteoric after that, and he was selected by ITV Sport to work at the 1978 World Cup finals. He worked through the 1980s at ITV as the No 2 to the great Brian Moore. He left for Sky Sports – then British Sky Broadcasting – in 1990 to be the lead commentator.
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