This is the Unsung podcast, introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss.

In this episode, we meet and tell the story of one of the most influential people in sport in the 21st century.

But this person isn’t a player, nor a coach, nor a big-money investor.

He’s a computer scientist.

He didn't need trophies, the ear of powerful politicians, or a billion-dollar bank account to make his mark. Just some nifty cameras and a few lines of code.

His name is Paul Hawkins, and he’s the man who invented Hawk-Eye and changed sport forever.

In the episode, he describes the three sliding doors moments in sport – one in cricket, one in tennis, and the other in football – responsible for paving the gradual then sudden path towards AI. And we also discuss sport’s most controversial subject: VAR…

Quotes:

Paul Hawkins, Hawk-Eye Innovations

"I ended up losing at Henley. I was in the university A four and we lost to the university B four, which we should never have done. I think I've probably learned as many life lessons through sports disappointments. Many years later, I'm still a little bit bitter about it!"

"I had 5,000 pounds, which is all the capital investment Hawk-Eye has ever had. And with that I developed a brochure, and went out to paint the vision gauge the interest."

“Then my bit of luck came, that with the last bit of my 5,000 pounds, I managed to get on test match special. Ironically, Jonathan Agnew's not been the biggest fan of Hawkeye but if it wasn't for him, it probably never would've happened.”

"Credibility takes a long time to build up and a short amount of time to lose.”

"If it wasn’t for Frank Lampard’s goal, maybe football would still be without technology."

"If you had a podcast with five or six people, they'd all have different ideas about the right way to improve VAR. And the reality is, until you actually try some things, you don't know the consequences of doing it. The ideas I've put into onto the table is to make [VAR] a challenge system."

Explore more

The Twinning Project

https://www.twinningproject.org/

Sponsor Paul and Josh Hawkins

https://www.justgiving.com/page/scholarshipfreshmen-1712243230533

Pre-order Off-Field Volume #1!

www.off-field.net

(Use code MORPETH2025 for 10% discount)

Buy Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits, by Alexis James

www.unsungbook.com

More from Off-Field

Unsung is an Off-Field production, bringing you the untold and unsung in audio, digital, and

print. To enjoy more of our storytelling head to www.off-field.net

Episode credits

Writing & Narration: Alexis James

Guest: Paul Hawkins

Producer: Matt Cheney

Artwork: Matt Walker

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