HUGH JOHNSHugh Johns, who died on 27 June 2007, aged 84 was a sports commentator whose passion for football made him a much loved personality of the 60s and 70s.During his career, he was known as the ‘other voice’ of the 1966 World Cup Final. He humbly accepted BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenhome’s place in sporting history after the classic line ‘They think it’s all over…it is now!” overshadowed his own words on ITV.His experience of commentating stretched to over a 1,000 matches and he approached each one with statistical knowledge and imaginative tones.He became a newspaper sports journalist before a move into TV made him a household name. His position in the gantry of a commentary box lasted over 30 years before he eventually hung up his microphone in 1996.Hugh Richard Lewis Johns was born on 6 September 1922 in Berkshire. He attended football matches as a young boy with his father and was educated at a grammar school in Farnham.He served his country in the Second World War as a pilot with the Fleet Air Arm, before establishing himself as a competent stage actor in theatre. His vocal ability became noticed later in life when he entered TV work as a commentator.As a journalist, Mr Johns reported on a number of sporting events including football where his biggest passion lay. After stints with the Daily Herald and The People newspaper in Wales he was asked to present sports reports for regional television.Mr Johns later stumbled upon an opportunity to commentate on England’s biggest football match in the history of the sport. Against arch rivals West Germany, England had reached the 1966 World Cup Final through a combination of hard work and flair.Broadcasters ITV were auditioning for someone to fill the role as commentator for the World Cup Final. Mr Johns submitted an audition tape and his career as a television commentator took off.When the big day arrived, his commentary was overshadowed as his less memorable “Here’s Hurst. He might make it three. He has! He has! So that’s it. That is it!” failed to enter the public consciousness and become a talking point for years to come.He commentated for ITV on FA Cup finals, European Cup Finals and at further World Cups throughout the 60s and 70s and later switched to concentrate on football league games in the Midlands.As a commentator on the Star Soccer programme for ATV he helped attract football fans to the abilities of Midlands teams in the top league of English football.Not one to limit his work to football he featured in a number of other sports broadcasts and lent his voice to coverage of darts and boxing for ITV.Mr Johns handled the pressure and occasion of the events with professional ease and became known for his pre-match build up, being allowed into sports dressing rooms across the country.He was replaced as commentator on ITV in 1982 and commentated on his last game for the network at the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain. Mr Johns continued to work for a further few years in Wales, before finally retiring in 1996.Until his death he lived in Radyr, a suburb of Cardiff and was awarded with a golden microphone in 2002 by legendary football manager Brian Clough for services to football.
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