John Motson obituary: BBC commentator was 'voice of football' for 50 years

"And determination it is, the Crazy Gang person beaten the Culture Club."

That summary came astatine the extremity of Wimbledon's daze FA Cup last triumph implicit Liverpool successful 1988.

It was among a highlights reel which ran for 50 years with the BBC, covering 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and much than 200 England games.

Popularly known arsenic "Motty", helium was celebrated for his trademark sheepskin coats and encyclopaedic cognition of the game.

For many, a portion of their puerility volition person gone with his decease aged 77.

"A rather superb commentator and the dependable of shot successful this state for generations," said erstwhile England striker and BBC workfellow Gary Lineker.

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His distinctive presumption was honed from hours of diligent research, utilising a scrapbook maintained by his woman Anne.

Every large infinitesimal provided a Motson masterpiece. In 1981 it was "Villa... AND STILL RICKY VILLA! What a fantastic run! He's scored! Amazing goal!" arsenic helium described Ricky Villa's victor for Tottenham successful the FA Cup last replay against Manchester City.

Twenty-five years later, helium was successful presumption arsenic Zinedine Zidane was sent disconnected for France successful the World Cup final.

"And the referee has gone crossed present with his manus successful his pocket. He's been told astir it. He's off, it's red, it's Zidane! You can't excuse that - Zidane's vocation ends successful disgrace!" said Motson arsenic helium captured the drama.

He astir mislaid his emotion of shot aft commentating connected the 1989 FA Cup semi-final betwixt Liverpool and Nottingham Forest astatine Hillsborough, which resulted successful the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.

The lad of a Methodist minster, Motson was calved successful Salford successful 1945 and grew up successful Lewisham, south-east London.

He was sent to boarding schoolhouse astatine Culford adjacent Bury St Edmunds successful Suffolk, and developed his emotion of shot erstwhile taken to matches by his begetter during holidays.

Motson started retired arsenic a newsman connected the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph newspapers earlier joining the BBC arsenic a sports newsman connected Radio 2.

If commentary is each astir timing, past helium could not person been amended placed for his breakthrough connected Match of the Day during the celebrated FA Cup replay betwixt Hereford and Newcastle successful 1972.

"Radford again... ohio what a goal! Radford the scorer. Ronnie Radford - and the assemblage are invading the pitch.. and present it volition instrumentality immoderate clip to wide the field. What a tremendous changeable by Radford," the broadcaster bellowed out.

Hereford's daze 2-1 triumph - acknowledgment to Ronnie Radford's long-range onslaught and Ricky George's victor - saw the lucifer promoted from a five-minute conception to the main game, with Motson connected the microphone.

"I was inactive connected proceedings that twelvemonth connected tv truthful it was a large time for me. I went down determination reasoning that Newcastle were going to person a comfy win," helium would callback years later.

"The feline who drove maine down to Hereford for the crippled was called Billy Meadows, helium was their centre-forward. He took maine down with Ricky George, who was to travel and people the winning extremity successful other clip aft Radford deed a 40-yarder.

"Billy past drove america home, due to the fact that they some lived adjacent maine successful Barnet, and we sat successful Billy's beforehand country and had food and chips and listened to American Pie [by Don McLean] earlier Match of the Day came connected and there, wonderment of wonders, was my lucifer propelled to the apical of the show.

"I didn't look backmost aft that due to the fact that the BBC realised past I was susceptible of commentating connected important matches."

Despite a rivalry with the arsenic revered Barry Davies, for astir of the play from 1979 to 2008 Motson was the BBC's dependable connected large finals specified arsenic the FA Cup, European Championship and World Cup.

That tally included his record-breaking sixth World Cup last successful Berlin successful 2006 and his 29th FA Cup last successful 2008.

Motson was an energetic stats instrumentality compared with the poetic, languid benignant of Davies.

They hailed from a aureate procreation of BBC commentators which included the likes of David Coleman, Peter O'Sullevan, Bill McLaren, Murray Walker and Harry Carpenter.

Those voices were synonymous with athletics successful an epoch earlier multi-channel viewing options.

"These days anybody tin download a mile and a fractional of stats disconnected the internet," said chap commentator Gerald Sinstadt connected Motson's status from the BBC successful 2018.

"John's acquisition was that helium did his ain research. He knew the cardinal stats and the ones that would marque a constituent erstwhile the infinitesimal arrived."

Motson was determination for 'Gazza's tears' erstwhile England were beaten successful the 1990 World Cup semi-finals and again erstwhile Paul Gascoigne scored against Scotland astatine Euro '96.

Of each the England matches helium commentated on, it was the 5-1 triumph implicit Germany successful a World Cup qualifier successful Munich successful September 2001 which helium singled retired arsenic his favourite.

"Oh, this is getting amended and amended and better. One, two, 3 for Michael Owen!" helium said arsenic Owen sealed a hat-trick.

In the aforesaid year, researchers utilizing dependable illustration investigation recovered helium had the "perfect pitch, measurement and rhythm".

And helium was introduced to the net procreation erstwhile the BBC Sport website brought successful a 'Mini Motty' desktop artifact which would popular up with shot updates.

Motty took successful commentaries connected BBC Radio 5 Live earlier deciding to discontinue from the BBC and was down a Match of the Day microphone for the last clip during Crystal Palace's 2-0 triumph implicit relegated West Brom successful 2018.

Already an OBE, helium was honoured astatine the British Academy Television Awards, for his "outstanding publication to sports broadcasting".

Motson was erstwhile asked what made a large commentator.

"You've got to person a decent voice, you've got to person a consciousness of timing, cognize erstwhile to speech and not to talk. You are the eyes and ears of the viewer," helium said.

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