Cigars and showmen: the summer that changed English football punditry

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The panel for ITV’s 1970 World Cup coverage brought colour, banter and controversy, as this book extract outlines

Over half a century later, it’s almost impossible to imagine what it was like to see colour TV for the first time. “When I first caught sight of myself,” recalled Jimmy Hill, “I was quite alarmed. The colours in those days were very garish. I looked like I had terribly high blood pressure. But the ‘wow’ factor of colour was amazing. We wanted our coverage in 1970 to have a carnival feel to it.”

ITV’s opening credits had the feel of a fiesta, with whistles and bands incorporated into the theme tune. Footage showed coloured balloons being released, bands marching and monstrous crowds in the giant Azteca Stadium. For the privileged few, a kaleidoscope of colours poured into their living room from their screens. Whether it was Brazil’s golden shirts dazzling, the baize-green pitches blazing or England’s white shirts shining, Mexico 70 provided a sensory overload.

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/mar/27/cigars-and-showmen-the-summer-that-changed-english-football-punditry

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