John Motson has died aged 77

February 23, 2023
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John Motson, the Legendary football commentator has died at the age of 77.

Motson, whose broadcasting career lasted more than five decades, covered ten World Cups, ten European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals, and over 200 England games.

“It is with great regret that we report that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday),” his family said in a statement.

“Legendary commentator John Motson, who had an outstanding 50-year career with the BBC, has died at 77,” according to a statement on the BBC Sport website.

Motson began his career as a newspaper writer in Barnet and at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph before joining the BBC as a sports broadcaster on Radio 2 in 1968.

Motson’s analysis of Ronnie Radford’s spectacular long-range shot that helped non-league Hereford defeat top-flight Newcastle in the FA Cup in 1972 earned him top billing on Match of the Day, catapulting him into the spotlight and the hearts of the sports public.

His lengthy career also included two Olympic Games and Wimbledon’s dramatic 1988 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium when the Crazy Gang defeated the Culture Club.

Motson, who was awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting, retired from the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season.

John Motson death: Statement from Tom Edwards

Tom Edwards, director-general of the BBC, stated: “John Motson was the voice of a football generation, guiding us through the ups and downs of FA Cup campaigns, World Cup highs and lows, and, of course, Saturday evenings on Match of the Day.

“John, like all of the greats behind the microphone, had the perfect words at the right time for all of the important occasions.

He will always in our heart rightly as an iconic character in British sports broadcasting whom is prefer by fans and having huge respect by players alike. He also served as an inspiration to commentators who came after him.

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