 |
Ian Darke | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Sports commentator |
Ian Darke (born 1954) is an English association football and boxing commentator who currently works for ESPN and TNT Sports. Darke was previously one of Sky's "Big Four" football commentators alongside Martin Tyler, Alan Parry and Rob Hawthorne. He was also the main commentator for Sky's big boxing fights and along with Jim Watt, covered some of the biggest fights involving British boxers.
Darke worked for nearly ten years on BBC Radio covering boxing, athletics and football, before moving to Sky Sports in 1992 to commentate on the newly formed FA Premier League. He was the number two to lead commentator Martin Tyler and was the main commentator for Ford Monday Night Football .
In 1995, as Sky's boxing coverage expanded so much that the sport almost disappeared from terrestrial screens, Darke switched permanently to be their main boxing commentator, his role on Monday Night Football being taken by Rob Hawthorne. He was one of the Sky commentators for Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II, the fight known for being the one where Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear.
Nearly ten years later, after boxing promoter Frank Warren took his fighters to ITV, Sky's boxing output was significantly reduced, freeing up Darke for a return to 'live' football (although he had commentated on matches for an international audience, and had been heard on Sky covering some Champions League matches). Darke commentated on matches such as the 2005 Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Darke enjoyed a prolific Sky Sports career with commentaries for Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Football League matches, as well as maintaining his boxing commitments.
Howard gratefully claims it. Distribution: brilliant... Landon Donovan, are things on here for the USA? Can they do it here? Cross – and Dempsey is denied again! And Donovan has scored! Oh, can you believe this! Go, go, USA! Certainly through! Oh, it's incredible! You could not write a script like this!!
Darke's call on ESPN during Landon Donovan's winning goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup group stage.
In 2010, Sky did not receive rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and Darke was hired to be an ESPN commentator for their coverage of the World Cup for the American market, and he became known to the American public as the English-language commentator for Landon Donovan's last-second goal for the United States against Algeria that allowed the USA to not only advance to the knockout stage, but also win their group. [1]
Rapinoe gets a cross in. In towards Wambach! Oh, can you believe this! Abby Wambach has saved the USA's life in this World Cup!
Darke's call on ESPN for Abby Wambach's tying goal against Brazil in the 2011 Women's World Cup quarterfinals.
Despite beginning the 2010–11 Premier League season with Sky in the UK, Darke was offered a three-year contract to join ESPN in the U.S. as their voice of the Premier League. He accepted the offer. Darke later expanded his duties to commentate on MLS games, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he was their lead commentator and called the final. [2] [3]
Zusi to take it...And there! It's there! What about that! It's John Brooks! It's John Brooks! For the USA! Have they stolen it?
Darke's call on ESPN for John Brooks' winning goal against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup group stage.
Darke paired with Julie Foudy to lead ESPN's coverage of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and commentated another American tournament-saving goal – Abby Wambach's last-second header against Brazil in the quarterfinals – before teaming with Taylor Twellman (for Team USA's games) and Steve McManaman (for other games, including those featuring England and the final between Germany and Argentina) during the 2014 World Cup. [4]
Darke returned to ESPN more permanently as the lead La Liga commentator alongside his long time broadcast partner Steve McManaman.
For the 2022 World Cup, ESPN loaned Darke to Fox Sports.
The fact that Darke has commentated enthusiastically for MLS and for both the US Men's and Women's National Teams has led The American Outlaws to create a chant named "Ian Darke, you are a Yank" and the Men in Blazers (Michael Davies and Roger Bennett) to name him "Sir Ian Darke".
| Football TV credits | |
|---|---|
| Event | Broadcast years |
| FIFA World Cup | 1994 (ABC/ESPN), 2010 (ABC/ESPN), 2014 (ABC/ESPN), 2018 (World Feed), 2022 (FOX/FS1) |
| FIFA Women's World Cup | 2011 (ESPN) |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 2013 (ESPN) |
| Premier League | 1992–2010 (Sky Sports), 2010–2013 (ESPN), 2013–present (BT Sport/TNT Sports), 2019–present (Prime Video Sport) |
| UEFA Champions League/UEFA Europa League | 2003–2010 (Sky Sports), 2015-present (BT Sport/TNT Sports) |
| FA Cup | 1990–2010 (Sky Sports), 2013–2021 (BT Sport), 2022 (ESPN) |
| US Men's National Soccer Team Friendlies | 2010–2022 (ESPN) |
| US Women's National Soccer Team Friendlies | 2011–2022 (ESPN) |
| UEFA European Championship | 2012 (ESPN), 2016 (ESPN), 2020 [note 1] (ABC/ESPN) |
| La Liga | 2021–present (ABC/ESPN) |
At the start of the 2013–14 Premier League season, Darke joined the BT Sport team as a commentator for English Premier League matches. He can also be heard on the Premier League world feed. He commentated on the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019 FA Cup Final.
Darke said on the Men in Blazers podcast on Grantland.com that one of the worst places to commentate from was Port Vale F.C. He recalled calling a game at Vale Park during a rain storm from the roof of the stand. Darke equated the experience to "being on the deck of a ship in the middle of the Atlantic."[ citation needed ]
Darke was part of a team of commentators for Prime Video's UK Premier League coverage. He paired with his ESPN colleague Craig Burley.
Darke announced on Twitter on July 26, 2022 that he would be joining Fox Sports' slate of broadcasters for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a supporting role, comparing his stint to a loan from ESPN. [5]
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American former professional soccer player. Donovan is co-founder and vice-president of soccer operations for USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC. Considered as the greatest American player of all time, he is frequently debated with Clint Dempsey for the title. Donovan holds the world record for the most international assists (58) and is tied with Dempsey for the most international goals scored by an American player (57).
Mary Abigail Wambach is an American retired soccer player, coach, and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach was a regular on the U.S. women's national soccer team from 2003 to 2015, earning her first cap in 2001. As a forward, she currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for the national team and is second in international goals for both female and male soccer players with 184 goals, behind Canadian Christine Sinclair. Wambach was awarded the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year, becoming the first American woman to win the award in ten years. She was included on the 2015 Time 100 list as one of the most influential people in the world.
Andrew Mullen Gray is a Scottish football broadcaster and former player.
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Martin Parmar Tyler is an English football commentator and semi-professional football coach. He worked as a commentator for Sky Sports from 1990 to 2023, covering the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, as well as other domestic and international competitions. Tyler had previously commentated for ITV in the 1970s and 1980s. He provided his voice to the football video game series FIFA from 2005 until 2019. In 2003, he was voted the FA Premier League Commentator of the Decade.
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Peter Brackley was an English football commentator, perhaps most famous for commentating for Football Italia on Channel 4 in the 1990s, for the computer game series Pro Evolution Soccer until Pro Evolution Soccer 6, and for Michael Owen's World League Soccer '99.
Jonathan Martin Champion is a British sports commentator currently working as an association football commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports. Champion is a well-established and experienced commentator who has also worked for the BBC and ITV over the last 20 years. Champion currently covers the FA Cup for ESPN and the Premier League for NBC Sports.
Alan Parry is an English sports commentator, concentrating on football and athletics. He has commentated for all four main broadcasters of football in the UK – the BBC, BT Sport, ITV and Sky TV, as well as for both BBC and commercial radio.
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Paul Andrew Francis Dempsey is a British TV and radio sports presenter and commentator now chiefly employed by TNT Sports where he covers football and boxing coverage, as well as TV host and commentary on Indonesian Djarum's multiplatform Mola TV. After 18 years working for Sky Sports and 7 with the Dublin-based channels of Setanta Sports, Dempsey was signed by BT Sport prior to their UK launch.
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