Heeere Come the Gators Memories of Florida Field with narration by Jim Finch and the 12th Man. Music by the Gator Band Gator Fight Song We Are The Boys Orange and Blue UF Alma Mater Gators Proceeds to help the Gator Marching Band P.P.D.I. Productions -- Memories of Florida Field Real UF Fight Songs with First-Half, Half-Time and Send-Half Florida Field Announcements by: "Heeere Come the Gators" PA Announcer Jim Finch Enjoy them at home, in your car or RV year round! To Order More Copies, Send Check or Money Order to: P.P.D.I. 502 NW 75th St., Suite 181 Gainesville, FL 32607 -- CASSETTE SIDE A 00:00.00 Heeere come the Gators 00:13.75 [BAND] Go Gators/Men of Florida 01:14.00 And now for a special announcement from the Gainesville Police Department: The Gainesville Police Department will be on the lookout for illegally parked cars north of the stadium area. 01:26.75 The first aid station is open on the west side of the stadium between gates 2 and 3 if needed. 01:35.00 Gators, enjoy splashing good times at Sea World, home of Baby Shamu the only killer whale born and thriving in the care of man. And you won't want to miss out on the Gator savings at Sea World, just present the Gator discount coupon on the back of your game ticket when you visit Sea World located in Orlando. 01:56.25 The Gator Hotline call-in show will be aired every Wednesday during football season from 7:07 'til 8PM on most of the Gator Radio Network stations. 02:06.75 Firstdown Florida! 02:17.25 Gator Basketball is back and it's right around the corner. Now's the time to buy season tickets. Call the Gator ticket office for more information. 02:28.25 The Lady Gator Volleyball team will be in action next weekend when it hosts the Florida Invitationals Friday and Saturday. All the action is free. 02:38.00 Touchdown Florida! 02:40.50 [BAND] Orange and Blue (chorus) 03:06.50 Today is dedication day for the Will in the Win room here at Florida Field. This room serves as a sports archive to preserve and record University of Florida athletic heritage, and was funded by a gift of $100,000 from General James A Van Fleet, Florida's head football coach in 1923 and 24. One of our nation's greatest war heros. 03:30.25 We welcome alumni of the College of Health and Related Professions who are gathered here today celebrating the 25th anniversary of the curriculum Physical Therapy, one of nine different curricula in the college. 03:43.25 Firstdown Florida! 03:50.25 This is the anniversary of beginning of the College of Dentistry at the University. Today we'd like to welcome the alumni, friends, and guests of the College of Dentistry who have returned for this historic occasion. 04:03.50 Sea World, the world's largest and finest marine life park features a whole new lineup of continuous shows and exhibits. Relive those carefree summers of the late 50's with the all new water ski show, Beach Blanket Ski Party, meet Johnny Stingray and the Squids, and Howard the Coward, and watch some of the most spectacular show and trick skiing you'll ever see. Plan a day to experience all that's new at Orlando's Sea World. 04:34.25 The Gator Baseball Camp will be in full swing beginning next June. For more information call the baseball office. 04:49.50 Sign up now for the 1987 Fightin' Gator Football Camp. The senior camp for grades 10 through 12 will be held June 14th through the 19th. The junior camp for grades 3 through 9 will be held June 21st through 27th. For more information call the Gator football office. 05:11.00 Today's attendance figure, a new stadium record thanks to the new south end zone: 74,432. Thank you all for coming. 05:26.50 Touchdown Florida! 05:28.75 [BAND] Orange and Blue (chorus) 06:19.50 [BAND] Swanee River March 07:51.25 [BAND] Alma Mater (part 1 - instrumental) -- CASSETTE SIDE B 09:22.50 [BAND] Alma Mater (part 2 - vocal) 10:50.00 [BAND] Fight Song (vocal) 11:45.50 Heeere come the Gators! 11:58.00 [BAND] Go Gators/Men of Florida 12:58.50 Gator Growl tickets will be on sale for $6 at gate 3 after today's game. 13:04.25 Florida Blue Key once again is sponsoring Gator Gallop. The race will begin at 11:30 at Percy Beard track. There's a $5 entry fee and registrations will be accepted until race time. Come out and run for fun at Gator Gallop. 13:21.25 First down Florida! 13:25.25 Ladies and Gentlemen today is a very special day at Florida Field. It's the annual Parents Day. Once a year the Gators honor the folks who made it all possible, the parents. Let's give all the Gator parents a great round of applause. 13:43.75 All Florida Lettermen and their families are invited to the Letterman's Homecoming Bar-B-Que following today's game in the football practice field. The cost $5 per person and tickets will be on sale at the Bar-B-Que. 13:57.25 Touchdown Florida! 13:59.75 [BAND] Orange and Blue (chorus) 14:24.25 Fans are reminded to please keep off the playing field at the end of the game. Your cooperation and good sportsmanship will be appreciated by everyone. 14:35.50 End of the third quarter. 14:37.75 [BAND] We are the Boys from Old Florida 15:32.00 Today's attendance record: 85,759. New record thanks to the new north end zone. 15:42.75 Sea World star killer whale Shamu invites you to a full and exciting day of continuous shows and marine life exhibits, from dolphins to sharks, from water skiers to the Chinese acrobats, and we would like to lever penny pennies(?), there's not another experience like it in the world. Plan a day in Orlando to see the largest lineup of new shows and exhibits ever at Sea World. 16:05.00 Touchdown Florida! 16:06.75 [BAND] Orange and Blue (chorus/excerpt) 16:22.00 Replays of today's game will be aired statewide tonight beginning at 11:30. The Florida Football Highlights TV show will be aired statewide on Sunday afternoon. Check your local TV listings for the time in your area. 16:36.50 Once again this season Billy's Towing is providing service to fans who have car problems after the game. If your won't start raise your hood and Billy's Towing will come to the rescue. 16:48.50 May I have your attention please? University of Florida Police Department has requested that all fans stay off the field at the end of the game. Those attempting to go onto the field will be arrested for tresspassing. Thank you. 17:04.25 Drive carefully on your way home. Come back again to see us next Saturday afternoon at Ben Hill Griffin Florida Field. 17:14.25 [BAND] Alma Mater 18:47.00 END OF RECORDING -- notes: Jim Finch was PA Announcer 1966-2001 1991 north end zone expansion mentioned band recordings seem to be taken from Echoes from Florida Field 1961 gap between Side A and Side B timed to match Echoes From Florida Field -- FINCH NEEDED NO INTRODUCTION TO FLORIDA FANS By David Whitley and Staff Reports, Orlando Sentinel UPDATED: October 26, 2018 at 12:41 a.m. When Florida starts its football season on Aug. 31, you won't have to be a Redskins fan to know something is missing. Just show up at Florida Field and listen as the Gators run onto the field. It won't be there. "Heeeeeeeeeeere Come The Gators!" They'll still come out, only Jim Finch won't be there to welcome them. His body finally gave out last week, and they buried the voice that launched countless memories. He was 69. "Players tell me that was the thing that stayed with them the longest," said Otis Boggs, Florida's longtime radio voice. "It never left them." It was probably college football's most distinctive introduction. Even Florida's rivals should observe a moment of silence as Finch's echo fades. This is like plucking Ibis' feathers, or yanking the spear out of Chief Osceola's hand. And all the noise couldn't have come from a quieter guy. Finch came to Gainesville about 1960 and was a news director at a radio station. He volunteered to do mostly grunt work with Florida's announcing crew. When the announcing job came open in 1966, Finch was as good a candidate as anyone. "He had a wonderful voice," Assistant Athletic Director Norm Carlson said. Carlson hired Finch, and a tradition evolved under everyone's ears. Finch decided every player deserved equal billing. He began stretching the "Here" for as long as it took for the last player to run onto the field. That required some heavy vocal lifting. Carlson doesn't remember if Finch's job came with a paycheck. If so, it was probably about $4.999 million less than Washington will be paying Steve Spurrier this year. In his own way, Finch was as much a part of the Swamp mystique as Spurrier. The two men practically came in together, and they left together. But the P.A. announcer was as unpretentious as the coach was explosive. Finch could have become Florida's version of Michael Buffer, the boxing announcer who has parlayed "Let's Get Ready To Rumble" into a cushy career. He could have appeared at the weddings, bar mitzvahs and births of Florida fans, and belted out his famous intro. Finch never craved fame or fortune. Boggs said he was happiest just doting over his grandchildren. His heart problems got bad last May, then he needed kidney dialysis. Finch still managed to make it to the pressbox, take a deep breath and let the words fly. "He was a real positive guy," Carlson said. "You never heard him complain or call attention to himself." How do you replace him? The university is already getting applications. A committee will probably be formed. The issues are more sensitive than who will replace Jabar Gaffney. Would it be a tribute or insensitive for the next announcer to mimic Finch? Is there an old tape they could run, or would that be ghoulish? Whatever happens, a little piece of what makes Saturdays special is gone. Ron Zook may win 12 games and start throwing visors, but there was only one Spurrier. Somebody will yell into the microphone, but there was only one Finch. If Florida fans think Life After Steve is going to take some getting used to, they haven't heard anything yet, because they'll never hear Finch again. Originally Published: March 4, 2002 at 12:00 a.m. -- Monday, February 25, 2002 Longtime PA Announcer Jim Finch, 69, Passes Away Jim Finch, football public address announcer at the University of Florida since l966, passed away Saturday night in Gainesville at the age of 69. Finch's popular elongated rendition of "Here Come The Gators" brought the Florida football team on the field for the start of all home games for the past 36 seasons, and was regarded as one of the best game day traditions at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. An on-air radio personality in Gainesville for over four decades, he also did the football play-by-play for Gainesville High School in the l960s and started on the UF public address crew in l964. He took over as the announcer in l966. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, a memorial for close friends and family will be held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Gainesville at 8 p.m. There will be a Mass at the same church at Noon, Thursday, Feb. 28. Burial will follow at Forest Meadows Cemetery.