John Walker MotsonOBE (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.
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...
Match of the Day: 25 Years of Goal of the Season video (1995, voiced by JohnMotson) "MOTD Live Poll". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 May 2015. cestrian81 (17 October...
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Major William Merriman lifted the Cup in 1875). After the final whistle JohnMotson, who was commentating for the BBC, delivered his famous line: "The Crazy...
2010. On 6 October 2009, it was announced that football commentator JohnMotson had sponsored Adomah at Barnet. On 12 November 2009, Adomah turned down...
1995, an opportunity arose to further Champion's career at the BBC. JohnMotson took a three-month break from his role as a commentator on Match of the...
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international football matches and FA Cup matches. This was the era when JohnMotson and Barry Davies were the BBC's senior commentators so Gubba rarely got...
Manchester United and Liverpool as JohnMotson regularly landed FA Cup finals after 1977. The rivalry between Motson and Davies started when the then senior...
the trademarked sheepskin car coats worn by BBC football commentator JohnMotson – he wore his first in 1972, acquired from a furrier he met at a party...
Peter Schmeichel and Michael Owen in the studio, and commentary from JohnMotson in his 25th FA Cup Final as lead commentator. The BBC also provided live...
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dispute with the BBC, allowing JohnMotson to make his FA Cup final debut. Coleman returned for the 1978 final before Motson took over the following year...
Evolution Soccer 2011. In addition, Lawrenson has also featured alongside JohnMotson as a commentator in EA Sports' FIFA series from 99 through 2001 and on...
one-off specials) include JohnMotson, Sue Barker, Kerry Fox, Ulrika Jonsson, Alison Steadman, Stephen Tompkinson, Elton John, Noddy Holder, and Chris...
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