Legendary football commentator joins Salford Uni sports journalism teaching team

Football commentary legend Clive Tyldesley will be swapping the gantry for the lecture hall this September as he joins the University of Salford’s new-look team for their BA Sports Journalism course.

The multi-award-winning broadcaster and one of the most recognisable voices in sports commentary will be teaching Salford students as a guest lecturer at MediaCity from this September.

Clive will carry out his new role alongside his regular broadcasting duties as a lead football commentator for CBS Sports, bringing regular insights straight from the gantry to the lecture theatre throughout the academic year.

He said: “I am excited to be joining the University of Salford as a guest lecturer on their new BA Sports Journalism course. I will bring my 50 years of experience in communication to my teaching and aim to tackle the ever-changing nature of communication in the 21st century.

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“I am a great believer that good communication is one of the biggest challenges that our world faces at the moment and I am excited to take on the challenge of teaching it here at Salford.”

Clive joins a star-studded teaching team for the university’s newest course at its MediaCity campus.

He will be joined by talented freelance broadcaster and Salford alumnus Sanny Rudravajhala & BBC Sport journalist Emily Croydon who have been appointed Teaching Fellows on the new undergraduate programme which is led by former NBC News reporter Dr Taylor Umland.

Rudravajhala, who graduated from Salford’s MA Journalism (Broadcast) programme in 2021, is a regular sports reporter for the BBC and Sky Sports and a five-time nominee at the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be heading back to Salford to work with the brilliant team at MediaCityUK. I’ve had some brilliant opportunities in sports journalism since completing my own master’s there in 2021.

“And, having come to journalism after a career in teaching, this feel likes the perfect role! So, when I’m not on the television, broadcasting on the radio or writing hot takes online, I’ll be found on the campus from now on!”

Croydon joins the team at Salford after 15 years of experience working for BBC Sport across all its platforms and was part of the team that launched Premier League Productions in 2010. She was the BBC’s first dedicated Women’s Sport Journalist in 2018 covering women’s football, hockey, cricket, rugby and netball.

She has worked on the likes of Match of the Day, Football Focus, the Women’s Football Show and Final Score & has also worked on two Olympic Games, four Open Championships, multiple Wimbledon Championships in addition to Netball and Hockey World Cups. Most recently, she was one of BBC Sport’s News Editors at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the teaching team for the new Sports Journalism degree at the University of Salford. I’m so excited to begin working with the next generation of sports journalists at this defining time for the industry and feel privileged to teach on the MediaCity campus with top-class facilities and surrounded by the biggest media companies in the country.”

Dr Taylor Umland, Programme Leader for the BA Sports Journalism course at the University of Salford, added: “There are lots of sports journalism and media programmes in the UK now. So when we set out to build something new at Salford, we knew it had to be different. The university already has an incredible reputation in journalism and media, with state-of-the-art facilities and unbeatable location at MediaCity. But what truly sets this course apart is the team.

“We’ve brought together a group with the kind of real-world experience that students rarely get access to. I’m a former TV broadcaster with a PHD and this is my tenth year teaching sports journalism. Emily is a brilliant freelance producer and creative lead, a woman shaping the industry in all sorts of ways. Sanny is one of the most exciting young broadcasters in the game right now, breaking major football stories with a distinctive voice and perspective. And Clive, of course, is a broadcasting legend with decades of experience, and someone students genuinely look up to.

“With this staff, we’re not just launching a course. We’re building one the most forward-thinking sports journalism programmes in the UK and beyond.”

Interest in Sports Journalism continues to grow across the sector with student applications increasing by 23% between 2017-18 and 2021-22, with a sharp rise in the last year of that period. Roles relevant for Sports Journalism graduates are also forecast to grow by 9.4% in the UK and 11.9% in the North West by 2030.

Richard Jones, director of journalism, politics and contemporary history, said: “Sports media in all its forms has grown dramatically all over the world, nowhere more than hare in Greater Manchester. The team we’ve put together will help make sure our graduates get ready for those jobs of tomorrow.”