John Motson | |
|---|---|
 Motson in 2018 | |
| Born | John Walker Motson 10 July 1945 Salford, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 23 February 2023 (aged 77) Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Other names | Motty |
| Education | Culford School, Bury St Edmunds |
| Occupation | Football commentator |
| Employers | |
| Spouse |
Anne Jobling (m. 1976) |
| Children | 1 |
John Walker Motson OBE (10 July 1945 – 23 February 2023) was an English football commentator. Beginning as a television commentator with the BBC in 1971, he commentated on over 2000 games on television and radio. From the late 1970s to 2008, Motson was the dominant football commentary figure at the BBC, apart from a brief spell in the mid-1990s.
Motson often wore a sheepskin coat (his 'Motty' coat) during winter months after he reportedly "battled horizontal sleet showers ahead of Wycombe Wanderers' FA Cup tie with Peterborough United" in December 1990.[1] These coats became Motson's trademark look, making him instantly recognisable to his audience.
In 2008, Motson announced his retirement from live television commentary. He continued to cover games for Match of the Day highlights and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live as well as commentating on CBeebies' Footy Pups. In September 2017, he announced his full retirement from BBC commentary, having commentated on 10 FIFA World Cups, 10 UEFA European Championships, and 29 FA Cup finals.[2] In July 2018, he announced he was returning from retirement to work for Talksport.[3]
- ^ "Object of the week: John Motson's sheepskin coat". Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ MacInnes, Paul (6 September 2017). "John Motson almost ready to hang up his sheepskin and end the boys' own story". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "John Motson comes out of retirement to join talkSPORT". Talksport. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2019.