Frank Hogan, the man whose 'John 3:7' sign became a fixture at GAA games over the past 30 years, has passed away following an illness.
Hogan, who was from Tipperary, took inspiration from seeing a man holding a 'John 3:16' sign in the stands at Wimbledon when Pat Cash won his title in 1987.
He initially carried a sign which read 'John 3:16' but changed to 'John 3:7' in 1988. The latter is a verse from the Gospel of John which reads, "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again'."
"When he won the title, he started to climb up the chairs in Wimbledon up to his family," Hogan told DCU FM in an interview seven years ago.
"On the way up, there was an Englishman and he had a sign the size of a car number plate and written on it was 'John 3:16'.
"I said to myself that I could go to Croke Park and bring that message. I got a piece of cloth and I painted on it 'John 3:16'. I had it between two sticks and it was almost impossible to hold it straight. I found it difficult to get someone to come with me and if they did, they wouldn't come again.
"I met a friend and he made a sign as you'd see on TV at the moment."
Asked why he carried the sign, he said: "There are plenty of sinners watching the matches."
Sad to hear of Frank Hogan's passing. Iconic as some players and managers in the GAA.
Here's an interview we did with him about the whole thing a few years ago for @DCUfm
‘Interview with the man behind the John 3:7 sign, Frank Hogan’ on #SoundCloud https://t.co/VzBcqyE3Aa #GAA pic.twitter.com/LL8Hjy1nib— Seamus Conwell (@SeamusConwell) March 9, 2020
"I've often been in Croke Park for an All-Ireland final and I'd be on the pitch for 20 minutes," he added.
"They'd be throwing cameras back and forth, everyone wants to get their picture taken with the sign - grandmothers, grandchildren, fathers and mothers. I have to be the most photographed person in the country."
Pictures: Sportsfile
