Clyde Connelly (Tim Smith) 2002-2004

First Regular Appearance: 6.13 (#273) Cold Turkey  Sunday 5th January 2003

Last Regular Appearance: 8.8 (#332) Blame  Sunday 5th December 2004

Duration: EP: 273 - 332  |  SE: 6.13 – 8.8

Squad Number/Position: #30 (Midfielder) (2002-2004)

Last Seen: Falling to his death from the Dragon's Lair roof, whilst suffering from depression.

Harchester United had always been Clyde’s only team. From academy, through to youth team and finally, on Boxing Day 2002, he made his first team debut - a lucky break following several of the squad being struck down by Christmas dinner food poisoning. After a money-shedding pursuit by Jeff Stein to sign Clyde and Bobby Thompson to his books, Clyde goes with PFA rep Bobby Barnes, before becoming a client of Tash Parker. Being so inexperienced in this new world of the Premiership, Clyde’s naivety regarding the media sees him become the puppet of manipulative journalist Suzanne Simmons ("Sunday Star") when she is on a mission to find out who in the team tested positive for cocaine. Before his first season is even over, Clyde is also caught up in Jamie Parker's siege, hiding in the toilet and relaying back to the police negotiators.

The youngest two in the team, Clyde finds a best friend in Ryan Naysmith and they are soon flatmates. After scoring the winning goal against Everton which saves Harchester from relegation, Clyde ends up in a three-way battle for ownership of the club, after Ryan swipes his complimentary tickets to give his blackmailer Steve. Clyde is determined to become Harchester’s chairman, but the media attention once again goes to his head. He joins leagues with Donna, who is challenging his claim to the club, and after making a public spectacle of himself Stuart suspends him - just as Clyde is marrying Donna in Las Vegas! Realising that being respected as a player was far more important than being a flashy media ploy, Clyde drops his claim and concentrates on his match fitness again.

Donna is disappointed when Clyde is spending less time on her, and sleeps with Curtis, which is then revealed by Tony Boyle on television! Clyde finishes with Donna, which is made all the worse when she becomes Chairwoman and Clyde cannot get that dreamed move to Spurs. After a pummelling from Curtis and being an unwilling accomplice to Viv robbing a jewellers, Clyde is excited again when Spurs get in touch following Harchester’s liquidation. Donna gets Clyde back for the team though - by bedding him and otherwise threatening an exclusive on their latest encounter.

As Harchester celebrate making the Champions League, Clyde is one of the first to get the news that the team has been relegated to the Championship. Clyde meets his worst enemy in new manager Don Barker, who is no fan of Clyde’s position on the pitch or his attitude. With Ryan having less time for him, Clyde connects with newcomer Tommy Valentine. Nobody in the top flight wants to touch Clyde anymore, and when Clyde takes on Barker’s son-in-law Frank Stone after a 4-0 defeat to Barca, Frank flips and beats Clyde up.

Clyde again tries to fight back at Barker, but Don is one step ahead and exposes Clyde in the media with an innocent situation with a lapdancer as the reason Clyde’s form has been bad lately. Feeling trapped in a league with a manager and team mates he believes hate him, Clyde sinks even further into depression, and forces himself on Holly Jones. When she finds a letter from him apologising for what happened, she goes to approach him. Little does Holly know at that moment, following an almighty comeback on the pitch against PSG, Clyde is climbing the gantry to the roof of the stadium. Deciding to end his own life, Clyde stands on the edge and glides forward to his death.

Understandably, Clyde’s mother demands answers as to why her son ended up taking his life, and gets to see Holly’s letter. Sadly, the truth is later distorted by Ryan, when selfishly saving himself following his affair with Chelsea, puts the blame on his friend and leaves the world believing it was Mrs Wright ending things that pushed Clyde over the edge.

Clyde’s age had been (probably unintentionally) altered by the time he died - he was said to be seventeen in his first season in 2002/03, eighteen the following season, but said to be born in 1983 on his grave and memorial plaque in Dec 04. His final age of twenty-one was believed to be due to Tim Smith’s own age at the time.

Tim Smith's Interview with Dream Team Diehard (January 2013)

In May 2020 Tim hosted the Dream Team cast reunion fundraiser Harchester Reunited