As a player, Tisdale represented Southampton, Bristol City, FinnPa, Panionios and Yeovil Town during a career which began in 1991 and concluded in 2000, playing primarily as a midfielder.

Having played his last senior game for Southampton on 27 April 1996, he again went out on loan in the 1996–97 season, this time to Huddersfield Town, where he made only two appearances.

In his time at Southampton he made a total of 18 first team appearances, scoring once, against Manchester City on 16 March 1996, when he took one touch and delicately lifted the ball over goalkeeper Eike Immel.

[4] During the summer of 2006, Tisdale left Team Bath to take up the vacant manager's position at then Conference National side Exeter City.

In his first season he led the club to their first playoff finish, just missing out on promotion after losing the final 2–1 to Morecambe at Wembley Stadium on 20 May 2007.

[13] On 1 June 2018, following a failure to agree a new contract, Tisdale left Exeter City after twelve years at the club.

[14] Tisdale was appointed manager of newly relegated League Two club Milton Keynes Dons on 6 June 2018 ahead of the 2018–19 season.

[16] Tisdale went on to lead Milton Keynes Dons to automatic promotion back to League One at the first attempt, achieving a third-place finish.

[18] After a twelve-month break, Tisdale returned to football management on 19 November 2020, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with League One club Bristol Rovers.

[19] On 10 February 2021, Tisdale departed the club after just 12 points in 15 league matches that saw Rovers only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

[25] Born in Malta, Tisdale went to Beechen Cliff School in Bath, England,[26] where he was childhood friends with actor Andrew Lincoln.