Hugh Johns

Hugh Richard Lewis Johns (6 September 1922 – 27 June 2007) was best known as a football commentator for ITV. During his career, he covered 1,000 matches including four FIFA World Cup finals.

Johns was born in Wantage, Berkshire. He served in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II. After the war he tried acting whereupon he met his future wife, Joan Hatcher, who was then working as a stage manager in the West End. They married in late 1950. During the 1950s, he became a journalist working for a number of regional newspapers in England before becoming the Welsh sports columnist for The People.

Johns became a football commentator at the behest of ATV mogul Lew Grade in 1966. ITV had won the rights to cover the 1966 FIFA World Cup in competition with the BBC; Johns led the team, which also included Gerry Loftus, John Camkin and Barry Davies (later of the BBC). He was the "other voice" of the final in which England won the World Cup for the first and (to date) only time. His description of Geoff Hurst's third goal, England's fourth ("Here's Hurst, he might make it three. He has! He has ... so that's it. That is IT!"), was overshadowed by that of his opposite number at the BBC, Kenneth Wolstenholme, who cemented his fame with "Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over ... it is now!".

His finest hour in audience terms came in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, when ITV won the ratings battle with the BBC. Johns described all of England's matches in the competition with former national team captain Billy Wright alongside him. In the final between Brazil and Italy, when he was partnered with former England captain Bobby Moore, he memorably greeted Pelé's opening goal with the words:

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