Introduction to a Legendary Commentator
A television sport commentator, whose voice was synonymous with football in the region, has passed away. Gerry Harrison was known for his work on the games of Norwich City and Ipswich Town from the 1970s to 1990s for ITV Anglia and also covered several world championships for the national channel.
Career Highlights
In the 1980s, he presented a motorsport show called Wheels. Colleague and commentator Tony Jones praised Harrison as a "huge colleague" and "an inspiring boss who demanded the highest standards." Harrison became widely known for his work on the Sunday Highlights Show of the week. He also covered the assets of Ipswich Town under Sir Bobby Robson when the team won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981. Harrison also covered matches involving Cambridge United, Luton Town, Peterborough United, and Northampton Town.
Early Life and Career
Before his television career, Harrison received radio training in London and began his radio career on the radio at the BBC in Merseyside. He applied for a BBC competition to commentate on the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Although he made it to the last six candidates, he was eventually taken on by ITV for the competition.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
Jones recalled that when Harrison was in Mexico City, he was confused with one of the Beatles. He received numerous calls to his hotel room, and there was an influx of visitors to the hotel reception after the news spread that a "G Harrison" had been booked by ITV. Harrison spoke to BBC Radio Norfolk in 2020 and said it was not the only difficulty he had in the job when he reported for Anglia TV and Norwich City.
Challenges in the Job
Harrison said, "It was my first job on TV; I didn’t know the area, I didn’t know the teams, and I knew nothing about television, so I didn’t start on a good note." He also discovered that the comment position at the upper end of the back of the river was the final score, which made it difficult for him to see the players. Despite these challenges, Harrison went on to have a successful career, earning the respect and admiration of his colleagues.
Tributes from Colleagues
Tony Jones, who lives in Suffolk and started commenting on football this year, said Harrison gave him his first television job in 1982 and described him as "exceptional." Jones said, "It was impossible not to learn from Gerry. He was such a distinctive voice – not only in Anglia TV reporting but also in reporting on the network because Gerry was part of the team at several world championships and championships and went back to 1970." The BBC Radio Norfolk Football commentator Chris Goreham also remembered Harrison as "inspiring" when the couple worked on Anglia TV. Rob Butler, the moderator of Canary Call, said, "I learned a lot from him, and he was always so nice and supportive. We lost a real legend."
