Fellow commentators and Gary Lineker led tributes to John Motson after the man hailed as the “voice of football” died at the age of 77.
Motson worked for 50 years for the BBC and commentated on more than 2,500 games on television and radio. Known for his trademark sheepskin coat and affectionately nicknamed “Motty”, he covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for the BBC before retiring from the broadcaster in 2018.
His final game for Match of the Day was that year, when he was behind the microphone for Crystal Palace’s 2-0 home win against West Brom before being invited on to the pitch and given a standing ovation by supporters. He later came out of retirement for a stint at TalkSport.
The Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler told BBC Radio 5 Live: “He was a standard setter for us all. He was a very serious broadcaster but he was a really fun guy to be around. He had a great sense of humour. Just a few days after Dickie Davies left us, broadcasting has taken two very big hits. [Motson] was an icon and a beacon to us all.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Ian Darke, the ESPN and BT Sport commentator, said: “Probably the most famous football commentator of them all. Meticulously researched and retaining boyish enthusiasm and love of the game over half a century of the biggest games, he set the gold standard.”
Motson joined the BBC in 1968 and famously commentated on Hereford’s FA Cup giantkilling against Newcastle in 1972. The fixture took top billing on Match of the Day, pushing him into the spotlight and the affections of the sporting public. Almost 25 years later his voice became instantly recognisable to a new generation through his contributions to the Fifa video game series. He made his debut on Fifa 96 and provided commentary for the franchise for the following decade. He commentated on his sixth World Cup final in Germany in 2006.
Motson, born in Salford, Greater Manchester, started as a newspaper reporter in Barnet and at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph before joining the BBC as a sports presenter on Radio 2. His career also took in two Olympic Games and Wimbledon’s memorable 1988 FA Cup final triumph against Liverpool at Wembley, when he famously said: “The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club.” He was awarded an OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting.
Motson’s family released a short statement that said: “It is with great sadness that we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today.” The BBC presenter and former England international Gary Lineker tweeted: “Deeply saddened to hear that John Motson has died. A quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations. He’ll be very much missed. RIP Motty.” Jamie Carragher, the Sky Sports presenter and former Liverpool defender, said: “RIP John Motson. An absolute Legend of the game. So many of us grew up listening to this man describe the action & goals on MOTD & cup finals. Sad loss.”
Rishi Sunak also paid tribute. “He was a legend of the game,” the prime minister said. “He was the voice of football for millions of people across the country. He will be deeply missed by fans and the entirety of the football community.”
Motson’s career also took in some of football’s darkest moments. In 1989 he was at Hillsborough as the disaster unfolded. It was his voice that accompanied much of the news footage of that day and he gave evidence to the coroner’s inquest in 1991.
In 2017, Motson explained to the Guardian of his decision to step down at the end of that season: “I just thought my 50th year in the BBC is 2018 and it has to end some time and I thought that would be a good note to go out. I also don’t want to go into the area where people say: ‘He’s been there too long, he’s lost it, he’s not what he was.’ I wanted to go out while I was still commentating as well – or as badly – as I have for all those years. I didn’t want to carry on and then people say: ‘Oh dear me, we’ll have to get rid of him.’”
Callout
Many clubs conveyed their condolences to his family and friends, with Jon Hale, the Hereford chairman, saying: “John was such a warm, kind man … you will be fondly remembered, and much missed by the whole football fraternity and the mark you made on football will be forever immortalised. Rest in peace, Motty.”
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, said: “John Motson was the voice of a footballing generation – steering us through the twists and turns of FA Cup runs, the highs and lows of World Cups and, of course, Saturday nights on Match of the Day. Like all the greats behind the mic, John had the right words, at the right time, for all the big moments. He will rightly be remembered as a legendary figure in British sports broadcasting, respected by those in the game, loved by fans and an inspiration to those who followed him in the commentary box.”
