John Motson

John Motson, the soccer commentator whose animated voice was inseparable from many of the sport's biggest moments over his 50 years at the BBC, ...

He went on to become the station’s leading voice, calling nearly 2,500 games in his career, including more than 200 involving England’s national team. He dreamed of becoming a newspaper reporter, and started his career after leaving school at 16, first working at The Barnet Press, a weekly, and then at The Sheffield Morning Telegraph, a daily, according to He was selected to participate in a local radio station’s experiment that relied on print reporters. He also offered analysis on “Match of the Day,” the BBC’s weekly highlights show. The network turned to Mr. The statement did not specify a cause or say where he died.

LONDON: British soccer commentator John Motson has died aged 77, his family announced in a statement on Thursday (Feb 23). Popularly known as "Motty", ...

He will be sorely missed," British minister for culture, media and sport, Lucy Frazer, said on Twitter. "10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals. Advertisement

John Motson, the football commentator who was one of the most well-known voices in British sport for 50 years, has died. He was 77.

"A quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations. Motson was known for his passion and knowledge of football and synonymous with wearing a sheepskin coat in the commentary box. He was 77.

John Motson, the legendary BBC football commentator, has died at the age of 77.

He will rightly be remembered as a legendary figure in British sports broadcasting, respected by those in the game, loved by fans and an inspiration to those who followed him in the commentary box.” His iconic sheepskin coat was another trademark. The game was broadcast early in the morning in the UK, with Motson saying: “Hold the cups and glasses at home.

Motson, often associated with his sheepskin coat and known as “Motty”, covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for the BBC before ...

He will rightly be remembered as a legendary figure in British sports broadcasting, respected by those in the game, loved by fans and an inspiration to those who followed him in the commentary box.” It was his voice that accompanied much of the news footage of that day and he gave evidence to the coroner’s inquest in 1991. In 1989 he was at Hillsborough as the disaster unfolded. Motson, born in Salford, Greater Manchester, started as a newspaper reporter in Barnet and at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph before joining the BBC as a sports presenter on Radio 2. He made his debut on Fifa 96 and provided commentary for the franchise for the following decade. John Motson, the legendary football commentator, has died at the age of 77.

A defining voice of English football, legendary commentator John Motson OBE has died at the age of 77.

Upon accepting the honour, Motson said: “I was a Football League commentator when I started in 1971 and I’ve always been an admirer of how the League has stuck together over the years. It has been a great privilege and a great thrill to do what I’ve done. At the 2018 EFL Awards, he was recognised with the Contribution to League Football Award – the EFL’s most prestigious award, presented annually by the Board of the EFL to an individual who has given a lifetime’s service to the professional game on and off the pitch.

British soccer commentator John Motson has died aged 77, his family announced in a statement on Thursday.

Football commentator, who has died aged 77, became known for his long sheepskin coat over many years.

Nursey of Bungay, a company that once made Motson’s coats – and those for that other sheepskin icon, Del Boy – [closed in 2014](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2586632/Sheepskin-coast-company-favoured-Del-Boy-John-Motson-closes-168-years-falling-trade.html) because of falling sales. [on display](https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/collectionsnews/object-of-the-week-john-motsons-sheepskin-coat/) in the National Football Museum in Manchester. “I looked forlorn and it just stuck from then on.” Even in the warmer months, people would often ask where his coat was, he said. “I didn’t set out to make the sheepskin coat anything special, but it just happened when I was at Wycombe in 1990 and the snow came down,” Motson was photographed on the snowy pitch, battling the weather in his calf-length sheepskin. It was in December 1990 that his outerwear became notable – during his appearance on

John Motson worked for the BBC for 50 years, covered 10 World Cups and commentated on almost 2500 matches. He died Thursday at the age of 77.

"John Motson was the voice of a footballing generation –steering us through the twists and turns of FA Cup runs, the highs and lows of World Cups and, of course, Saturday nights on Match of the Day," BBC director-general Tim Davie said Thursday in a statement. "And the referee has gone across now with his hand in his pocket," Motson said during the broadcast. Then, in 1971, Motson broke through and gained renown for his role on "Match of the Day," which is a weekly highlights show. He had retired from the BBC in 2018. He became the lead commentator for major soccer broadcasts for the BBC from 1979 until 2008. "It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today," the family statement read.

He went on to cover 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for the channel before retiring from the organisation in 2018. "It is with ...

Motson started working on the BBC's flagship highlights show Match of the Day in 1971. - He is being remembered as "one of the greatest commentators of his generation" - Motson started working on the BBC's Match of the Day in 1971