Martin Tyler has made a late charge for a football playing career aged 80 after turning out for his boyhood club.In puzzling scenes, the 80-year-old commentator played the first few seconds of Woking Academy’s training ground match against Corinthian Casuals on Tuesday.After the Sky Sports wordsmith kicked off, a team-mate instantly booted the ball out of play for him to be clapped and substituted.That wasn’t because his kick-off had been absolutely dreadful; it was just a pre-planned event.Tyler played in the match to mark the training facility being renamed the Martin Tyler Performance Centre in his honour.He is a lifelong Woking fan, having first attended one of their games aged eight in 1953, and he has played for them and against them as well as coached them. Legendary Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler turned out for Woking’s academy Tyler, 80, is a lifelong Woking fan and has helped them in various capacities down the yearsTyler told the Guardian of his link to the Surrey-based club in 2018: ‘My non-league upbringing has stayed with me all the way through and I have been lucky enough to work at the highest levels of the game.’Of his first match, he said: ‘We caught a bus, I think it was a No 437, which took us straight from just 200 yards from my house all the way to Kingfield, dropping us right outside the ground.’It must have seemed to be a huge amount to me and just being a part of that made a deep impression. There was a left-winger called Freddie Pink and he scored. I can see him scuttling down in front of us as we were very close to the pitch pretty much on the halfway line. I learned how to watch that day and thankfully after all these years I’m still watching. ‘I was really taken with the red and white halves that have remained my favourite kit ever since. I got very upset later on when Woking changed to all red. When I played my one game for the club 15 years ago they played in a kit like Arsenal’s with red shirts and white sleeves. I didn’t get to wear the Cardinal red and white halves, which were very much part of that day.’I became a fan and wanted to know all about the club so I read the local paper voraciously. So in the space of my first two games I experienced the joy of a 4-1 win and the pain of a 4-1 defeat. I learned very quickly being a fan is not all joy.’Woking’s academy manager Matt Winter said: ‘Tonight is the renaming of our academy facility that we have here within the grounds of Woking College. ‘It’s a really big occasion. A lot of work behind the scenes has gone in, in terms of upgrading the facility, to provide the best facilities for the players that are part of the academy here at Woking. ‘Of course involving a real Woking legend, and a real football legend in Martin Tyler.’Speaking of Tyler’s influence at the club, Winter added: ‘My first dealing with Martin was working in the first team environment under Alan Dowson, a good friend of Martin’s.’We shared a real affiliation for Woking and when I became academy manager after a little while we had some good conversations and we invited him to get involved.’He brings another set of ears, his knowledge of football over decades and a really good figure to have around the place.’The boys absolutely love having him here, listening to his knowledge and stories. He’ll come and speak to players on a one-to-one basis, help some of them with their on-field stuff as well as off-field as well.’He’s been a massive addition and I know the staff love having him around.’Woking go into the new National League season managed by Jermain Defoe. He took over in March and won two, drew four, and lost one of his games in charge.