Jaguar Land Rover Band played their part in celebrating the life of one of the UKs most influential football men on Friday, as they provided the music for a celebration of the life of BBC broadcaster and pundit Jimmy Hill.
Match of the Day
The memorial event, which was attended by hundreds of football's great and good — including current England Manager Roy Hodgson, took place at Coventry Cathedral — not far from the home of the city's football club which Hill rejuvenated in the early 1960s before going on to become the presenter of 'Match of the Day' (above) and securing for himself a place in the nation's sporting consciousness every Saturday night.
The band under the baton of MD Dave Lea played the music for the service as well as an obligatory rendition of the famous 'Match of the Day' theme and the Sky Blues Song — the unofficial anthem of Coventry City Football Club.
I don't think we have ever had to play the 'Match of the Day' theme to an audience all of who appeared in the programme itselfMD, Dave Lea
Great honour
Dave told 4BR: "It was a great honour to be asked — and the event was covered extensively by all the major sports and media television stations.
It said a great deal about Jimmy Hill that footballers and managers from the 1960s right up to the modern day took the time to come along and pay their respects.
I don't think we have ever had to play the 'Match of the Day' theme to an audience all of who appeared in the programme itself."