Bob Hunt, a well-known BBC radio pundit and the voice of Gloucestershire cricket and Forest Green Rovers for many years, passed away at the age of 70 following a protracted illness.
Having established himself as a regular reporter from Rovers and Gloucestershire from the early 1980s, Bob gained recognition as a voice on Radio Bristol and Gloucestershire.
During his fifty-year career, Bob witnessed Gloucestershire’s historic victory over Surrey in the 2015 Royal London Cup at Lord’s and their 2019 elevation from Division Two to Division One of the Championship.
In 2012, he was chosen to be the voice of the BBC’s ball-by-ball coverage of the Championship, a position he retained until the 2019 season, which saw Gloucestershire’s promotion from Division 2.
Along with detailing Forest Green’s ascent from the Southern League to the Football League, he also provided commentary on the play-off victory in 2017 at Wembley, which was televised globally.
Bob said, “Let me tell you this, Cheltenham, Swindon, Newport – you are going to eat hummus at the New Lawn next season, because Forest Green Rovers are in the Football League!” during the incredible event, which was also shown on BBC One’s Have I Got News For You.
He was dubbed “Ballistic Bob” for his distinct style, which combined humour and the ability to capture the intensity of the game. Another iconic moment was preserved in the National Football Museum in Manchester, where he remembered betting £3 on Forest Green to win 5-1 away at Alfreton at odds of 125-1 in 2011, only to have it taken away from him when Yan Klukowski scored a sixth goal in the 96th minute.
In 2020, Bob withdrew from Forest Green due to health issues, and his son Billy took over as the commentary host. Billy stated, “Dad loved being a part of Forest Green.” He was a great fit for the club because they approached things differently.
Even though his commentary wasn’t the best, he was more concerned with entertaining and making people laugh than with the outcome.
“Collaborating with my father to provide commentary on a team we both adore is all I could wish for. I will always cherish the memories I have of travelling the entire country with him and assisting at Wembley to witness Forest Green gain promotion.
“There will be a lot of memories of Dad, and I’m sure that anyone who knew or spoke with him would have smiled.
Dad had a great time working at BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Everywhere he went, he seemed to find absurdity and amusement.
Over the next days, a lot of memories will be relived, and each one will bring back wonderful recollections for everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
“Everyone he worked with, both on and off the air, would comment on how laid back Dad made them and how much fun it would be to sit next to him. He was proud to be on the radio.
It was an honour to collaborate with him while offering commentary on a team that we both cherished.
“Dad would want people to smile at his legacy, not to be upset with anyone.”
Bob was always a pleasure to be around; he was always chirpy and ready for a laugh, according to Rovers chairman Dale Vince, who shared many enjoyable moments with Bob in their personal and professional lives.
He never let me forget the day I surprised him during our inaugural league season by swearing live on the radio to save us from relegation on the final day.
“His spontaneous Wembley remark was incredibly beautiful; it perfectly encapsulated the occasion and our identity. I definitely miss him.
In addition, he covered synchronised swimming, rugby union, horse racing, and the 400th anniversary of the historic Cotswold Olimpicks. One of his most memorable reports from the 400th anniversary of the Cotswold Olimpicks was of a competitor in the sack race who was “bounding like a demented kangaroo in lane five.””Bob Hunt was one of those rare people who could paint a vivid picture with a few simple words; and at the key moment make the listener laugh or cry with a humdinger of pay-off line,” said Roger Price, executive producer at BBC Radio Gloucestershire. There could not have been a better commentator for Radio Gloucestershire.
“My first job at BBC Radio Gloucestershire was as the Gloucestershire cricket reporter, and every Sunday Bob would join me, and we would do commentary from the one-day games,” stated presenter Steve Kitchen.
We simply had the best moments ever—fun like I’ve never experienced before or since on the radio, both on and off the air.
Working as a sports journalist requires you to spend a lot of time travelling, and Bob Hunt was the most valuable company while you were on the road.
Additionally, Bob was a connoisseur of farce; he always kept an eye out for it, but often it found him. Things just seemed to happen wherever he went, and Bob made the most of it, an ability that could turn the most ordinary fixture into an event. Paul Furley, a sports editor and frequent colleague at Forest Green games, said as much.
Bob was the ideal person to follow Forest Green Rovers, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Gloucester City AFC, and Cheltenham Town FC since he never took himself or his subject matter too seriously.
Because he was a pundit that everybody could enjoy listening to, we also dispatched him to cover events like Gloucester Rugby, Cheltenham Racecourse, synchronised swimming, and the Cotswold Olimpicks.
“Bob was my guide through my initial tentative steps into the world of cricket broadcasting, right from my debut in a BBC commentary box,” stated Ed Seabourne, the BBC’s current Gloucestershire CCC commentator. I firmly believe that his complimentary remarks about me that day have put me in this position, and I still clearly recall him giving me a call the night before my debut as the lead commentator to double check that I understood the necessary steps to get the show on.The greatest lesson he could have given me was to enjoy life. Working with him and listening to him both allowed you to ride the wave of his excitement. His broadcasts were among the most enjoyable I’ve ever listened to, and I’m honoured to have been able to call him not just a mentor figure but also a colleague. He had a sense of the fantastical and the humorous, and he seemed to naturally be a storyteller.
The BBC Radio Gloucestershire tribute documentary “They Know Me On The Gate – The Magic of Bob Hunt” will air from 6 to 7 p.m. on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6.
