Throughout the Seventies and early Eighties, Gerry Harrison was the voice of football for ITV Anglia viewers. Philip Barker looks back on Harrison’s broadcasting career, with help from Tony Jones…
BY PHILIP BARKER
Gerry Harrison who has died at the age of 89, has been described as “the voice of East Anglian football” and was one of the leading football commentators on Independent Television in the 1970s and 1980s
He covered football for Anglia Television and was also heard on the network at six World Cups. He later became a leading film-maker and producer, spearheading the launch of an internationally syndicated television magazine on football.
“Gerry gave me my first job in television in 1982 and we worked together at Anglia for 11 years,” said Tony Jones.
“Those of us who worked alongside him learned so much. He demanded the highest standards and I’m sure I won’t be alone in saying I was grateful for his advice, belief and encouragement.
“Many setting out today could learn from his approach, not just his commentary, but his attention to detail, imagination and ability to write and deliver a script that enhanced the pictures.”
Harrison was born in Upminster on August 1st, 1936. It was a significant date in world sport for on the same day, the Berlin Olympics began.
During the war, he lived in Chesham with his grandparents.
He won a scholarship to Brentwood School.
Aged 19, he sailed across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary after he was awarded an English Speaking Union Exchange Scholarship to Pomfret School in Connecticut. At one point in the voyage, he even sneaked into first class, though he was soon discovered.
His was one of the last generations to be called up for National Service in Britain.
He rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Parachute Regiment, and served on a peacekeeping mission in Jordan.
After military service, he read history at Oxford University and played at Wembley to win his football “Blue.”
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he covered hockey for The Times and in 1962, he joined the Daily Express.
He played for Altrincham when the club was still in the Cheshire League.
“New to Cheshire League football this season. At present on the staff of the “Daily Express” but finding time to be one of the fittest members of the team. Gaining experience with every game,” said the Altrincham programme notes in his debut season of 1963 when he played in an FA Cup first-round tie against Wrexham.
His reporting also took him to Vietnam during the war.
Harrison switched to broadcasting with BBC Radio Merseyside. In 1969, he entered the competition organised by BBC Television to find an additional commentator to join the BBC’s team for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
This was judged by a panel which included Sir Alf Ramsey and Sports Minister Denis Howell.
Harrison reached the final six, which included Liverpool and Scotland striker Ian St John and the eventual winner, Idwal Robling, a Welshman who had been chosen for the Great Britain squad at the 1952 Olympics.
Harrison did get his ticket to Mexico in 1970, but as a commentator for ITV Sport.
At his hotel, his name was listed simply as “G Harrison” which led some to believe that one of the Beatles had checked in.
It was Gerry Harrison who was assigned to cover Group 2 in Puebla and Toluca, which featured eventual finalists Italy, Uruguay, Sweden and Israel.
Sadly, he rather drew the short straw as this turned out to be the least exciting of all the groups.
He had rather better fortune when covering Italy’s match against Argentina when the tournament returned to Mexico in 1986. It was a contest which featured a wonderful goal by Maradona.
Harrison had long been the regular commentator and presenter for Anglia Television’s “Match of the Week,” which covered the East of England.
His beat included Norwich City and Ipswich Town but also Cambridge United, Luton Town, Peterborough United, Grimsby Town, Hull City, Lincoln City, Northampton Town and Scunthorpe United.
“He was the voice of East Anglian football for years, he was a consummate professional, a fantastic chap to work with and a thoroughly decent bloke,” former colleague Stuart Jarrold told a tribute for ITV Anglia News.
The pair had first met when Jarrold, late for a charter flight after covering Ipswich in Europe, had been hauled safely into the aircraft by Harrison.
In the early years, Harrison often had to cope with pictures from an unusual camera position behind one of the goals at Portman Road.
When matches from the region were screened on “The Big Match” on the ITV network, Brian Moore would usually introduce them with the words: “The pictures come from Anglia, the commentator is Gerry Harrison.“
At the time, Ipswich were managed by Bobby Robson and enjoyed the greatest period in their history, winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981.
Harrison covered the first leg of the final against AZ Alkmaar. The coverage featured him interviewing Robson at the start of the second half.
As Ipswich scored their second goal, Harrison’s words were “exactly what you wanted, Bobby” to which Robson responded: “I’m glad I missed it, thank you very much, Gerry!”
Harrison became Anglia’s Head of Sport in 1985 but left in 1993 to join Trans World International (Now IMG Media) as producer of a new football magazine programme, “Futbol Mundial.”
“Always generous with his time and a true champion of helping others progress in their careers. As a woman working in football 20 plus years ago, I’ll always remember how Gerry made it feel like a breeze,” said Melissa Payne.
Television executive Peter Hutton, who also worked with Harrison on the programme, recalled: “A huge influence on my career, particularly for the year when we got Futbol Mundial off and running.
“He sent me on the greatest trips all over the world on the flimsiest of leads. ‘Go to Cameroon and find Roger Milla, he’s making a comeback.’ He inspired with his boundless energy and an unsurpassed love and knowledge of football.”
Harrison covered a further four World Cups as a producer.
An authority on football history, it was appropriate that one of Harrison’s assignments was to film a match involving Manchester United and Corinthian Casuals, the famous amateur club for whom he had once played alongside his brother, David.
His commentaries were also heard in the early days of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB).
He was their commentator on the FA Cup semi-final in 1990 when Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 4-3, having lost 9-0 in a League match against the same opponents earlier in the season.
He also covered Intercontinental Cup Finals, the forerunner of the FIFA World Club Cup. He returned to Anglia to present “Anglia Soccer Night” and narrated a review of televised football in the region for the final edition of the programme in 2008.
He is survived by his wife Kate, daughters Joanna, Nicola, and Georgina, and seven grandchildren.
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