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Simon Hill

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This article is about the Australian sports commentator. For other uses, see Simon Hill (disambiguation).

Simon Hill
Hill in 2007
Born (1967-11-01) 1 November 1967 (age 57)
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
OccupationFootball broadcaster

Simon Hill (born 1 November 1967) is an English football commentator based in Australia. He is also a gifted musician and vocalist, specialising on the drums. He plays in several bands.[1]

Hill studied journalism at the University of Portsmouth, graduating in 1990. His first job was at Red Dragon FM, a radio station in Cardiff, Wales.[2] Hill later worked for BBC World Service and BBC Radio 5 Live before becoming a football correspondent for ITV Sport.[3]

Career

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SBS Television Australia (2004-2006)

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Hill joined SBS Sport in Australia following a decade working in radio and television in the United Kingdom. He hosted SBS's Ashes Cricket coverage in 2005, when Australia toured England.[4] Hill commentated Australia's 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, the two-legged playoff against Uruguay.[5]

He also commentated Australia's matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and regularly featured as a panellist on Toyota World Sport and The World Game.[6] Hill has not since commentated at a FIFA World Cup due to contractual obligations with Fox Sports Australia and Paramount Australia.[7][8][9][10][11]

Fox Sports Australia (2006-2020)

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On 29 July 2006, Hill joined Fox Sports Australia on a three-year deal as its main commentator for the network's A-League and Socceroos matches. Hill would also appear on Total Football, Fox Sports' weekly football show. Upon joining the network, Hill said that "For any true follower of football, Fox Sports is an absolute must, and for me it's a great fit."[12] Hill would serve as the network's lead commentator for Australia's 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns, along with the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 Asian Cups. Hill was also a monthly contributor to Australian football magazine FourFourTwo.[citation needed] Hill commentated Fox Sports' feed of the A-League Grand Final from 2007 to 2019.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Football Australia postponed the remainder of the 2019-20 A-League season.[13] After 14 years at Fox Sports, Hill was made redundant in July 2020, claiming he was "removed" from the network after a host of cost-cutting measures.[14] During the pandemic, Hill struggled to find commentary work in Australia, going as far to admit that "part of the reason I’m still in Australia is because of the global pandemic [...] Had that not been the case, I might have been back in the UK."[15] Many Australian football fans and pundits expressed dismay at the state of Hill's employment.[16]

Freelance work (2020)

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In May 2020, Hill briefly worked as commentator for the K League world feed. He described the arrangement as "a really positive experience all-round."[17]

In his absence for the remainder of the postponed 2019-20 A-League season, Hill was the Newcastle Jets home ground announcer. Hill would later state how "Newcastle Jets have been very good to me [...] I thank them for that. Other clubs like Sydney FC have given me bits of work. I’ve had work from Football Queensland, Football Australia.[15]

In August 2020, Hill announced a freelance affiliation with Optus Sport, joining the network as a commentator on their UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League broadcasts.[18] Over several months, he appeared in their match day podcasts and provided a weekly column on the website. Hill commentated the network's feed of the 2020 UEFA Champions League final, before leaving shortly after.[19]

Hill currently hosts The Global Game with former Australian footballer Alex Brosque on the SEN Sydney 1170 radio network. After leaving Fox Sports, Hill provided an A-League commentary feed for SEN for the remainder of the 2019-20 A-League season.[20]

Paramount Australia (2021-present)

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In August 2021, Hill joined Paramount Australia to commentate on the Socceroos, Matildas, and A-Leagues competitions.[21][22]

Personal life

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Hill was born in Manchester to Audrey and George.[citation needed] He is a Manchester City supporter.[23][24]

Career achievements

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References

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  1. ^ Adams, Scott (17 May 2020). "My Life With Heavy Metal: Simon Hill". Sentinel Daily. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Lucy Zelic - 'In conversation with': Simon Hill". SBS Sport. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Lucy Zelic - 'In conversation with': Simon Hill". SBS Sport. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Englishman to anchor SBS Ashes call". The Age. 29 May 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. ^ "15 years later: Hill and Foster recount famous Socceroos v Uruguay commentary | Socceroos". www.socceroos.com.au. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Reflecting on decades of SBS' coverage of the FIFA World Cupᵀᴹ". SBS Sport. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  7. ^ "FIFA World Cup: Commentary team | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  8. ^ "SBS launches World Cup programming schedule". SBS News. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  9. ^ "SBS name 2018 FIFA World Cup on-air team". SBS Sport. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Introducing Optus Sport's 2018 FIFA World Cup On-Air Hosting Team". Optus. 4 May 2018.
  11. ^ "All-star team announced for SBS broadcast of FIFA World Cup 2022". SBS News. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  12. ^ "FootballNews • Login".[dead link]
  13. ^ "Remaining A-League matches postponed due to COVID-19". the-AFC. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  14. ^ "'I was removed' - Simon Hill explains dramatic Fox Sports exit as he slams A-League coverage". SPORTING NEWS. 15 August 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Simon Hill considering leaving Australia if A-League commentary exile continues | Sporting News Australia". www.sportingnews.com. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  16. ^ Rugari, Vince (27 June 2020). "Australian football's voice weakened by Hill, Foster exits". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Live stream plus remote production a virtual victory for sports fans". FTBL. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Simon Hill joins Optus Sport". Singtel Optus Pty Ltd.
  19. ^ "Simon Hill to call UEFA Champions League on Optus Sport". Optus. 3 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Simon Hill returns to A-League on SEN 1170". www.sen.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Simon Hill returns as Network 10 reveals commentary team for Socceroos coverage and Paramount Plus | Sporting News Australia". www.sportingnews.com. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  22. ^ "10 ViacomCBS Unveils Football Commentary Team". Paramount Australia & New Zealand | Corporate. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  23. ^ Ep #128 - Simon Hill - A very happy Manchester City supporter! | Whilst it's been a fascinating A-League season so far, not having former Fox Sports Australia legendary commentator Simon Hill behind the mic has been... | By Legends with Bevo | Facebook. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via www.facebook.com.
  24. ^ "Optus Sport". sport.optus.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
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