"Tigana, Tigana, Platini, goal! Platini for France with a minute to go. I've not seen a game like this in years."
For as long as you pursue the popular pastime of following football, you will forever hear the voice of the great John Motson, whose passing has sadly been announced today.
Most of his admirers had probably never even met him, but the son of Methodist Minister from Salford played such a significant role in the ever-expanding popularity of the sport over almost 50 years that, for many, his death is like the loss of a family friend. In fact, perhaps his unmistakable voice is more familiar to many than some of their own relatives, such is the frequency it has been heard in homes for generations.
READ MORE: 'That's the championship!' - how John Motson soundtracked Liverpool glory era
READ MORE: 'The Evertonians have gone berserk' - John Motson's greatest Everton commentary lines
Widely regarded as one of the greatest broadcasters in the history of British sport, Motson joined the BBC as a television commentator in 1971 and went to cover more than 2,000 matches for TV and radio.
His switch to sports commentary came after he retired as a player for London club Dulwich Hamlet. He moved into journalism in 1963, reporting on a patch in Barnet, before in 1967 joining the Sheffield Morning Telegraph, where his career in football reporting began.
For 30 years, Motson was the leading football commentary figure in England, setting the gold standard for others alongside his friend and colleague Barry Davies.
Motson’s unmistakable voice narrated some of the finest moments in the history of the modern game, both in England and international football, including Ronnie Radford’s unforgettable 35-yard goal for non-league Hereford United against Newcastle United in the FA Cup and his sublime commentary on France’s classic Euro 1984 semi-final against Portugal - as quoted at the head of this article - which is considered one of his finest moments behind the microphone.
His contribution to Merseyside football is significant as well, having provided the words that soundtracked both Liverpool and Everton during their most successful spells. For this writer, it was Motson's voice that introduced me to the game in the first place, when he commentated on the first ever Merseyside Derby FA Cup final in 1986.
It was Motson who was given the task of leading the BBC's live coverage of the Hillsborough disaster, when the skill of being able to transport from the role of sports reporter to breaking news reporter without warning tested him under immense pressure.
He would also commentate on the subsequent 1989 FA Cup final between the two Merseyside teams, acknowledging the poignancy of the occasion after Kenny Dalglish's side agreed to continue in the competition in the wake of the semi-final disaster.
As the players made their way onto the Wembley surface, Motson remarked: "These pictures are being beamed all around the world. To the United States, to Hungary, to Iraq, to all the countries that normally tune in for the English FA Cup Final, but they will all appreciate that this year is different."
Motson was as comfortable covering a lower-league FA Cup tie as he was a World Cup final and he would approach both and everything in-between with a professionalism and commentating style that not only informed but provided possibly the most vital element of a commentator's skill - making the audience at home feel part of the action.
In 1996 he was rewarded for his career with an appearance on This is your Life and in 2001 was voted Britain's Favourite Commentator, with 32% of the vote and was awarded an OBE.
Motson's last live television commentary was the Euro 2008 final, after BBC lost the rights to cover live FA Cup football and would not release their star man from his contract. He would continue for Match of the Day for their highlights show.
With younger broadcasters coming to the fore, Motson finally retired at the end of the 2017-18 season, signing off with highlights coverage of Crystal Palace v West Bromwich Albion.
One of Motson's nicknames was 'The Maestro' and it was not hard to see why. A near-flawless career had taken him to World Cup finals and every corner of the UK, with his love for the sport perfectly demonstrated in every game that he covered.
Football has moved on from his golden era, but as older generations recall stories of their footballing heroes on the pitch to sons and daughters, it speaks volumes of Motson's contribution to the game that his name could be mentioned in the same breath as actual players, such was his impact on English football.
Always impartial, his knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport represents the benchmark by which all over football commentators should measure themselves.
Just like the stars of the golden eras he narrated, like Diego Maradona, his passing feels premature and another constant in a generation's lifespan has sadly come and gone. But football was all the better having John Motson and his sheepskin coat in it and, while football continues to evolve into the multi-billion industry it has become, we will always have the greatness of Motty to remind us what the beauty of the game truly sounds like.
