John Motson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Motson
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Motson in 2018
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| Born |
John Walker Motson
10 July 1945 Salford, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 23 February 2023 (aged 77) |
| Other names | Motty |
| Education | Culford School, Bury St Edmunds |
| Occupation | Football commentator |
| Employer |
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| Spouse(s) |
Anne Jobling
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 1 |
John Walker Motson (10 July 1945 – 23 February 2023) was a famous English football commentator. People often called him "Motty". He started working for the BBC in 1971 and commentated on more than 2000 football games on TV and radio. From the late 1970s until 2008, Motty was one of the most important voices in football commentary at the BBC.
Motty was easy to spot because he often wore a special sheepskin coat in winter. This started after a very cold game in December 1990. The coat became his trademark look, making him instantly recognizable to football fans.
In 2008, Motty said he would stop doing live TV commentary. He still covered games for Match of the Day highlights and worked on BBC Radio 5 Live. He even commentated on Footy Pups for CBeebies! In September 2017, he announced he was fully retiring from the BBC. By then, he had commentated on 10 FIFA World Cups, 10 UEFA European Championships, and 29 FA Cup finals. In July 2018, he returned from retirement to work for Talksport.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Motty was born in Salford, Lancashire. His father was a Methodist minister. As a child, he loved Boston United football club. He remembered their big win against Derby County in the FA Cup in 1955.
He went to Culford School near Bury St Edmunds. At this school, football was not the main sport. Students mostly played rugby union, field hockey, and cricket.
In 1963, Motty began his career as a newspaper reporter in Chipping Barnet. Later, in 1967 and 1968, he worked for the Sheffield Morning Telegraph. This is where he first started covering football matches.
Becoming a Famous Commentator
Motty joined the BBC in 1968. He started as a sports presenter on Radio 2. His very first radio commentary was for a football game between Everton and Derby County in December 1969. In October 1971, he became a regular commentator for the BBC TV show Match of the Day. His first TV game was a 0–0 draw between Liverpool and Chelsea.
The Hereford Upset
On 5 February 1972, Motty had a huge moment in his career. He was asked to commentate on an FA Cup replay between Hereford United and Newcastle United for Match of the Day. Most people expected Newcastle to win easily. But Hereford caused a big surprise by winning the game!
Motty's commentary for the equalizing goal by Ronnie Radford became famous. He shouted, "Oh what a goal! Radford the scorer. Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are on the pitch. What a tremendous shot by Ronnie Radford." Motty later said this match was the most exciting story of the season. Because of this game, BBC bosses gave him more important TV matches. He then signed a three-year contract with the BBC.
FA Cup Finals and Memorable Moments
Motty's first FA Cup Final as a commentator was in 1977. It was the match between Manchester United and Liverpool. Motty stepped in at the last minute for another commentator. When Martin Buchan of Manchester United went to collect the trophy at Wembley Stadium, Motty made a clever comment. He said it was "fitting that a man called Buchan should be the first to climb the 39 steps," referring to a famous book called The Thirty-Nine Steps.
Between 1979 and 2008, Motty commentated on almost every FA Cup final shown by the BBC. In total, he covered 29 FA Cup finals.
In April 1989, Motty was commentating on an FA Cup semi-final when the Hillsborough disaster happened. He found himself describing a very sad event, not just a football match. He later helped by giving evidence at the inquiry into the disaster.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2001, a speech expert studied the voices of top TV and radio commentators. John Motson's voice scored the best results! A survey of football fans also found that 32% thought he was Britain's favourite commentator.
The BBC stopped showing live FA Cup football in 2008. Motty wanted to join another channel, but the BBC did not allow it. So, he retired from live television commentary. His last live TV broadcast was the Euro 2008 final. He still continued to commentate on pre-recorded games for Match of the Day highlights.
Motty covered a total of 10 FIFA World Cups. His first was in 1978. One famous World Cup moment he described was in 1998. Just before the final, Ronaldo was left off the team sheet, then put back on! Motty called the scene "absolute mayhem and chaos." His last World Cup was in 2010. He also covered 10 UEFA European Championships and more than 200 England national team games.
Motty was also a commentator for the FIFA video games series by EA Sports. He worked with other famous football personalities like Ally McCoist and Andy Gray. He first joined the game series for FIFA 96.
In September 2017, Motty announced he would fully retire from the BBC at the end of the football season. His last live radio commentary was on 11 March 2018. His final pre-recorded TV commentary was broadcast on Match of the Day on 13 May 2018.
Personal Life
John Motson married Anne Jobling in 1976. They lived in Little Brickhill and had one son named Frederick.
In 2012, he said he was a supporter of Barnet football club.
Motty was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life in 1996. He also appeared on the BBC Radio 4 show Great Lives in 2007, where he talked about Brian Clough, a famous football manager. In May 2018, BBC Two celebrated Motty's career with three special TV programmes.
John Motson was given an award called Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001 for his great work in sports broadcasting. He passed away on 23 February 2023, at the age of 77.
