1) In the early-1990s, the BBC released a series of videos, looking back at the 60s, 70s and 80s as captured by Match of the Day – narrated by Motson. Here, he introduces the first of them, briefly explaining the history of football in England, the history of televised football and football commentary in England, and with his verdict on the 1989 FA Cup final to boot.
2) “Tremendous spirit in this Hereford side, they’re not giving this up by any means. Radford … Now Tudor’s gone down for Newcastle. Radford again … OH WHAT A GOAL! WHAT – A – GOAL! RADFORD THE SCORER! Ronnie Radford … and the … crowd. The crowd are invading the pitch. And now it will take some time to clear the field. What a tremendous shot by Radford.” Motty loved the FA Cup, and perhaps his most famous call came in just his second year at the BBC, when Ronnie Radford’s goal saw Hereford knock out Newcastle.
"There was my match that was supposed to be a three minute edit at the end of the programme, propelled to the top of the show!"
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 19, 2018
Hereford Utd v Newcastle Utd - The match that changed everything for #JohnMotson pic.twitter.com/90QS5iVj9Q
3) “Oh Brady won it beautifully. LOOK AT THAT! OHHHH LOOK AT THAT! WHAT – A -GOAL BY BRADY! OH A MAAARVELLOUS GOAL!” The BBC’s 101 Great Goals video was a staple of many 80s childhoods, the tape beginning with Motty’s joy at Liam Brady’s curler for Arsenal against Spurs in December 1978.
Happy birthday to you, Liam Brady! 🎈
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 13, 2019
To celebrate the Arsenal legend turning 63, we're throwing it back to this iconic goal from our 5-0 north London derby win at White Hart Lane in 1978 💥
"Look at that! Oh, look at that!" 😱 pic.twitter.com/op9rWSfmVN
4) “Greenhoff … JIMMY GREENHOOOOOFFFF! Manchester United have scored, and it’s the man who got the winner in the final! Would you believe it!” Motty was a sucker for a minor coincidence, and when Jimmy Greenhoff, scorer of the winner when United beat Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final, netted against them in the 1979 semi-final replay, he could barely contain himself.
5) “Right across … Sunderland! It’s there! 3-2!” And so to Wembley and the “Five-Minute final”. Arsenal, 2-0 up against Manchester United, then conceded on 86 and 88 minutes, before scoring the winner on 89. And of course, Motty lost just enough but not too much composure to give the occasion the commentary it deserved.
🎈 Happy 65th birthday to you, Alan Sunderland 🎉
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 1, 2018
We'll never forget this moment 🏆 pic.twitter.com/CqeIIEE146
6) “Villa … and still Ricky Villa. What a fantastic run! He’s scored! Amazing goal! By Ricky Villa!” It’s fair to say Motty enjoyed the winner in the 1981 FA Cup final replay, in which Spurs beat Manchester City.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John Motson.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 23, 2023
He called one of the most iconic goals in our history, and many more.
There will never be another like Motty 💙 pic.twitter.com/pZSBiQvLCc
7) “Oh I say! It’s amazing!” Motty had a significant soft spot for Norman Whiteside, whose astounding teenage endeavours – such as this goal, the winner in the 1983 FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Arsenal, when he was just 17 – remain the stuff of legend.
8) “They seem to find angles other teams don’t appreciate.” Motty narrates a brilliant goal, scored by Liverpool and Kenny Dalglish, away to Arsenal in September 1983.
9) “Tigana! Tigana! Platini! GOAAAAALLLLL!” What else is there to say, as France beat Portugal in the semi-final of the 1984 European Championships?
10) “And Houchen, the man who was fouled, has put the ball on the spot, and he could put York City in dreamland here – it’s all down to Lukic from the Arsenal point of view. AND HE’S DONE IT! THE THIRD DIVISION SIDE SCORE IN THE 90TH MINUTE! HOUCHEN FROM THE SPOT AND THE FANS RESPOND IN THE OBVIOUS MANNER!” When York City eliminated Arsenal from the 1984-85 FA Cup, Motty was at Bootham Crescent to describe the mayhem.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John Motson.
— York City FC (@YorkCityFC) February 23, 2023
The voice of football, and the commentator of an iconic moment in our history.
Rest in peace, Motty pic.twitter.com/8yXB70XcLz
11) “Reid’s cross, Graaaayyyyy! What a fantastic goal!” In 1984-85, Everton came from nowhere to win the league title, their signature performance a 4-1 win over Sunderland in which Andy Gray scored two classic headers.
12) “Whiteside shoots … IT’S THERE! NORMAN – WHITESIDE – HAS WON – IT – AGAIN!” More Whiteside fun as Manchester United, down to 10 men, beat Everton in the 1985 FA Cup final thanks to an incredible winning goal, its scorer now a mature 19.
13) The 1986 FA Cup final was the first all-Merseyside affair, and Motty enjoyed the spectacle of supporters doing whatever it took to watch it unfold.
No ticket to get into the 1986 Fa Cup Final? No problem.... pic.twitter.com/jPFWkVEFsf
— When Football Was Better (@FootballInT80s) February 6, 2023
14) “The football world holds its breath. Are we going to see the wheel turn full circle after Seville? WE ARE! FRANCE’VE WON! FRANCE ARE IN THE SEMI-FINAL, 4-3 ON PENALTIES! FERNANDEZ! WHAT A GREAT MOMENT FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS! AND WHO WOULD SAY THEY DON’T DESERVE IT AND IN THE MOST TENSE AND DRAMATIC CIRCUMSTANCES IN GUADALAJARA, BRAZIL ARE OUT OF THE WORLD CUP!” France’s victory over Brazil in the quarter-finals of Mexico 86 remains one of the finest games of football ever played, and of course Motty nailed its decisive moment.
15) “Houchen! Brilliant goal! Keith Houchen! The man with the Midas touch in the FA Cup strikes gold for Coventry!” Simple yet brilliant, Motty didn’t miss when old friend Keith Houchen scored one of the greatest Cup final goals of them all.
You will not see a better Cup Final goal! Bennett whips in a great cross and it's met by an incredible diving header from Houchen!
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) May 16, 2020
Brilliant goal - It's 2-2!
Watch Now ➡️ https://t.co/2LLlyvQrvK #PUSB pic.twitter.com/gORFhV3S63
16) “Here’s Dawson, oh and driven in! And No 11, Matthew Hanlan followed it in, and Sutton have done it again from a corner kick.” The following January, Motty was at Gander Green Lane, to see the Cup holders eliminated in the third round by Sutton United of the GM Vauxhall Conference.
17) “The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club.” Motty delivers one of his most famous lines as Wimbledon shock the world, beating Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final.
“The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club.”
— 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 (@RothmansYears) February 23, 2023
John “Motty” Motson 1945 ~ 2023 pic.twitter.com/CkP5BXZJ4p
18) “And in the end the German bench get up and protest at Gascoigne’s last challenge. And, er, he’s so involved in this game … he has, actually, Gascoigne, got a yellow card and I … oh dear. Oh dear me. He’s gonna be out of the final if England get there for the tackle on No 14, Berthold, Gascoigne has had his second yellow card of the competition and here is a moment that almost brings tears to his eyes.” When Paul Gascoigne cried at Italia 90, football and the UK changed forever – and of course Motty was on hand to describe the moment.
19) Cantona … oh look at that pass! And he found Irwin again! Ohhh that’s brilliant! Denis Irwin has scored, but the return ball from Cantona was one of the passes of the season.” Motson wrote that, in all his years in the game, the most influential footballer he ever saw was Eric Cantona. He was at Old Trafford to see Manchester United beat Spurs in January 1993, and he was enraptured.
Cantona ➡️ Irwin ⚽
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 9, 2020
You won't see a better assist than this today 💫#MUFC #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/oXHlq7q6ow
20) “Hughes ... Cantona, little flick ... Hughes again, movin’ on, Ince ... Hughes ... good move, this ... HUGHES, INCE, HUGHES! GREAT MOVE! FANTASTIC GOAL! OH, A BEAUTIFUL GOAL, COUNT THE PASSES!” When Manchester United visited Sheffield United in the 1993-94 FA Cup, Motty suddenly got modern.
21) “So Bierhoff’s got a short time to press his claims, now that the two other strikers who started the match have both been taken off … Kuntz.” When Germany played Czech Republic at Euro 96, Motty unwittingly provided fodder for David Baddiel and Frank Skinner’s Fantasy Football League show.
22) “Here’s Gascoigne. Oh Brilliant! Oh yes! Ohhh yes!” When Paul Gascoigne scored for England against Scotland, also at Euro 96, Motty crystallised what everyone who wasn’t Scottish was thinking.
Happy birthday, Gazza! 🥳 Who's excited for England v Scotland at the Euros at Wembley again this summer? 🙋♀️🙋♂️#bbcfootball #EURO2020 #bbceuros pic.twitter.com/rEU20TT8u0
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 27, 2021
23) “Rivaldo’s dummy … Ronaldooo! It’s 2-0! And Ronaldo is rampant now! Resplendent Ronaldo!” When Ronaldo settled the 2002 World Cup final, Motty got all alliterative.
24) “Oh, Ballack!” When the German midfielder misses a chance for Chelsea against Villa in September 2008, Motty couldn’t resist chiding him by way of pun.
25) “Aaron Lennon, Defoe to his left, Keane making ground too, Lennon’s going all the waaaaay…” When Spurs visited Chelsea in September 2009, it all got a bit much and Motty deployed the falsetto.
