When Gerry Harrison, sports commentator for ITV spent more than two decades behind the microphone in East Anglia, his voice became the unofficial soundtrack of a rivalry that splits whole counties. The story unfolded at stadiums from Portman Road to Carrow Road, and even when the national spotlight dimmed, local fans tuned in because Harrison knew how to make a 70,000‑seat clash feel like a family dinner. Today, a new generation of commentators – most notably Chris Goreham, who calls the action for BBC Radio Norfolk – are picking up the mic, but the echo of Harrison’s style still reverberates every time the East Anglian derbyNorwich kicks off.
Gerry Harrison’s diction was nothing short of aristocratic, turning a routine match report into a lesson in eloquence. He managed to elevate the East Anglian derby to a cultural spectacle, something most modern commentators merely skim over. While we now have fresh voices, the benchmark he set remains unchallenged. It’s no wonder fans still hear his timbre in their memories when the rivalry reignites.