by elliott west
Clive Everton has one one of the most recognised voices in snooker commentary. His silky, dulcet tones have graced our television screens for over 40 years, guiding us through the joy and tragedy of epic snooker matches. Working beside greats such as Ted Lowe, Ray Edmond, Jack Karnehm, John Pullman, John Spencer, Dennis Taylor and John Virgo, Everton has used his vast knowledge of the green baize to enable the viewing audience to be enthralled and inspired by snooker. The former professional billiards and snooker player has worked for the BBC, Sky and currently is employed as a commentator on ITV snooker coverage. Now 81, Everton still treats us to the same microphone panache that he did when he first started in 1978.
Welsh born Clive began his career in radio and later moved to the BBC to commentate on snooker. This partnership lasted until 2009 when he was famously sacked and replaced with Stephen Hendry. It is thought that Everton lost his job as a result of attacking World Snooker but his sacking had led to an almost ageist trend with the removal of Willie Thorne from Triple Crown events and reducing John Virgo’s airtime. Unlike other commentators, Clive’s uniqueness is that he concentrates on the technical side of snooker when delivering his words. Having been a talented billiards player, the Welshman is able to bring his analytical mind to the viewer and interpret shot choices and match play in a varied form.
Everton was also a professional snooker player with limited success, the highlight being when he beat Patsy Fagan in the last 64 of the Professional Players Tournament In 1982. It is no wonder why he returned regularly to the microphone after this blip and concentrated on what he was he was truly good at; the spoken word. Clive also worked on rugby, tennis and squash, managing Jonah Barrington, the former number one squash player. He has also been the long time editor of Snooker Scene, a chronicle of snooker’s activity and a must for any snooker enthusiast.
Clive has not been without his mishaps, classically falling off his chair in one World Championship and laughter ensued as both he and Dennis Taylor fell into a fit of the giggles. Also in 2007 he was unable to attend the final as he had apparently slipped in the bath and fractured his hip. These mishaps are outweighed by the sheer strength of character of this match, a true great who has brought his craft to many television screens for so long and has no plans to put down his microphone anytime soon!
