John Motson funeral: Mourners arrive at crematorium to pay respects to legendary commentator who became synonymous with English football
Mourners were pictured arriving to the funeral of John Motson on Friday following the football commentator’s death aged 77 last month.
Motson, who became synonymous with English football during his distinguished 50-year career with the BBC, died on February 23.
‘Motty’, who began working for Match of the Day in 1971 and commentated on more than 2,500 games, was hugely popular with generations of football fans and was famous for his sheepskin coat.
Winning an OBE in 2001 for his services to broadcasting, Motson retired from his role at the BBC in 2018.
Mark Lawrenson (left), Bob Wilson and Ray Stubbs (right) arrives ahead of a funeral service for sport commentator John Motson at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes
Martin Taylor arrives ahead of a funeral service for sport commentator John Motson at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes
Martin Keown arrives ahead of a funeral service for sport commentator John Motson at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes
Motson was married to wife Anne – with the pair having tied the knot in 1977. They have one son together called Fred, who was born in 1986.
He left the BBC at the end of the 2017/18 season – with a final match between Crystal Palace and West Brom – but months later he was returning from retirement to work for TalkSport.
Motson began work on the BBC Radio 2 sports desk in 1968 and entered football folklore as he described Ronnie Radford’s famous long-range strike for non-league Hereford against top-flight Newcastle in 1972, his very first TV commentary.
Motty said the moment transformed his career and he would become friends with Radford, who died in November. He also became close to Ricky George, who scored Hereford’s winner in arguably the greatest giant killing in British football history.
His next big football break came in the year he married Anne, when he was drafted in as a late replacement for star commentator David Coleman and covered his first FA Cup final in 1977.
Coleman was in dispute with the BBC over his contract and Motty took the plaudits when Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 – with all the goals coming in the space of five minutes early in the second half.
Bob Wilson (centre) arrives ahead of a funeral service for sport commentator John Motson at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes
Garth Crooks (left) arrives ahead of a funeral service for sport commentator John Motson at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes
Motson had stints as a reporter on the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph at the start of his career.
When he retired from TV commentary five years ago, he would admit to being a Barnet fan after his local paper days.
Motty also had an affinity for Ipswich Town, having gone to boarding school in Suffolk. He commentated on the team’s famous 1981 Uefa Cup victory.
‘Motty’ as he was affectionally known, joined the BBC on a full-time basis as a sports presenter on Radio 2 in 1968 – having been at BBC Radio Sheffield beforehand.
