FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING IN BLACK AND WHITE, MOTTY’S IN THE BROWN BOX
The voice of football for the past half-century has gone silent. John Motson was recruited by the BBC as a sports presenter in 1968, but hit the big time four years later when commentating on what would prove one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history. Few anticipated Hereford United to beat Newcastle United in the match, and as Ronnie Radford scored the equalising goal, Motty’s (as he was affectionately nicknamed) proclamation of “Oh what a goal! Radford the scorer. Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are on the pitch. What a tremendous shot by Ronnie Radford.” nailed the shock of the moment.
This moment in the sun gave him career momentum, and serving as fill-in for David Coleman during the 1977 FA Cup final launched him to the mantle of BBC’s Mr. Football. He would commentate on north of 2,500 televised games (among them 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, and 29 FA Cup finals) with his trademark sheepskin coats and encyclopaedic penchant for stats. He was there for the highs and lows of the game, from iconically remarking “And there it is, the Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club.” as Wimbledon clinched an upset victory against Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final, to being present for the Hillsborough disaster and almost losing his appetite for the sport in the aftermath of the tragedy. He peppered in the amusing gaffes inbetween, such as noting “the World Cup is truly an international event.”
He dialed back his head commentary role in 2008, but continued to work with the Beeb in a more backseat role for a decade more and more recently took up a role with Talksport. Motty was true to his love of the game till the end, watching a match at his local pub the night before his death aged 77. A rare case of an unexpected septuagenarian death being a unique for a regular team, he was picked by Pull my finger.
John Motson
10 July 1945 – 23 February 2023, aged 77
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