Legendary football commentator John Motson passes away at 77

The legendary commentator John Motson, who worked for the BBC for 50 years, passed away at the age of 77.

Before leaving BBC Sport in 2018, Motson covered 29 FA Cup finals, 10 European Championships, and 10 World Cups.

The statement from Motson's family said, "It is with great regret that we report that John Motson OBE passed away quietly in his sleep today (Thursday)."


Motson is survived by his wife Anne and son Frederick.

According to BBC director-general Tim Patten, "John Motson was the voice of the footballing generation, guiding us through twists and turns of FA Cup runs, the highs and lows of World Cups, and, of course, Saturday evenings on Match of the Day."

Presenter of Match of the Day Gary Lineker expressed his "great sadness" over Motson's demise.

Motson, a Methodist minister's son, began his career as a correspondent for the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph.

Before working full-time for the BBC in 1968, he also performed freelance work for BBC Radio Sheffield.

He began his career covering sports on Radio 2 and four years later, during the memorable FA Cup replay between Hereford and Newcastle, he made his debut on Match of the Day.

The match was originally scheduled as a five-minute intermission, but Hereford's shocking 2-1 victory—which was highlighted by Ronnie Radford's legendary 30-yard strike—saw it pushed to the main event, with Motson recording all the excitement.



Motson, who is famous for his signature sheepskin jackets and encyclopedic knowledge of sports, served as the BBC's voice for the majority of the years from 1979 to 2008 on big finals including the FA Cup, European Championship, and World Cup.

His record-breaking sixth World Cup final in Berlin in 2006 and 29th FA Cup final in 2008 were a part of that streak.

Also, he commented on about 2,500 broadcast games and covered more than 200 England matches.

In 2018, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion played in John Motson’s last Match of the Day.

At the final whistle, he was welcomed onto the field and cheered by the crowd before Palace manager Roy Hodgson gave him a crystal microphone and a framed program from his first and last games at Selhurst Park.

He went back to work for a while at Talksport, and he also did the voiceovers for certain video games on football.

In 2001, Motson received the OBE for his contributions to sports broadcasting.

Also, he received recognition for his "exceptional contribution to sports broadcasting" at the 2018 British Academy Film and Television Awards (Bafta).

FAQs:

1. Who is the wife of John Motson?
   Anne Motson
2. Where was John Motson born?
   Salford, Lancashire