Legendary commentator John Motson spent his final night watching football in his local pub, the landlords have revealed.
Motson, who enjoyed a 50-year career with the BBC, sadly passed away on Thursday aged 77. The commentator has been described by many as the 'Voice of Football' after covering 10 World Cups, 10 European Championship and 29 FA Cup finals for the BBC.
Motson hung up the microphone in 2018 and became a regular at The George, his local pub, after moving to the village of Little Brickhill in Buckinghamshire. Landlords Simon and Louise Babikian have revealed Motson visited the pub three or four times a week.
"Wednesday evening, the night before he passed, he came into the pub to watch his football match and sat with his mates having a beer and talking us through the game, as he would most evenings," Louise told the BBC. "He seemed to really enjoy himself."
Simon has described Motson as "a true gentleman" and "a true friend" to many people in the Buckinghamshire village. The football legend would often offer his "diplomatic" opinion on the game and also enjoyed watching other sports in his local pub.
Simon called Motson "our local encyclopaedia" thanks to his tremendous knowledge of football, which helped him become the one of the sport's most iconic commentators.
What is John Motson's greatest moment in the commentary box? Let us know in the comments below!
Motson's passing came as a shock to Simon, Louise and other locals. Simon added: "My memory will be him saying goodnight, how he'd see us at the weekend and he might come in the day after for the [Manchester] United game [against Barcelona on Thursday night]. He just loved every team and everybody."
Louise believes the pub was Motson's "special place" and a lot of people did not recognise him until he spoke. She added: "Once he spoke, he had such an iconic voice and was so pleased to meet people that recognised what he's done for the world of broadcasting."
Motson's legacy in English football is secured. He joined the BBC in 1968 as sports presenter on the radio after working as a newspaper journalist. Three years later, he started working as a commentator for the BBC's flagship football show, Match of the Day.
Motson's breakthrough was in 1972, when he commentated on Ronnie Radford's famous goal for minnows Hereford against giants Newcastle in the FA Cup. He screamed: "Oh what a goal! Radford the scorer. Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are on the pitch."
Several iconic lines followed. One of the more famous ones came in 1988, when Wimbledon stunned Liverpool in the FA Cup final. "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club," said Motson - referring the nickname given to Wimbledon during the 1980s.
"Deeply saddened to hear that John Motson has died," tweeted Gary Lineker after the sad news broke. "A quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations. He'll be very much missed. RIP Motty."
