Voices of Football: Hugh Johns, ITV's other leading man

ITV's man for four consecutive World Cup finals was near-universally loved and a trailblazer for those would follow in his path.

It is a truth fairly universally acknowledged that the successful progression of a career in the media can be as much about who you know as what you know. Sometimes, though, the connections offered by an old school tie or a period in the armed services aren’t necessary. Sometimes, quality does show through, from the most unlikely of places. The career of Hugh Johns exists in a curious hinterland. One of the defining voices of football on the television in this country throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Johns is half-forgotten these days, but he commentated on four consecutive World Cup finals for ITV and was the voice of the region which threw up surprise success after surprise success in the Football League during his time there.