John Motson

John Motson (born 1945), known as "Motty" to fans of BBC's Match of the Day, is a British football commentator.

Motson's career began in the newspaper business as a reporter in Barnet and Sheffield, where he first covered Association football. It began to take off when the BBC hired him in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2. Three years later, he replaced Kenneth Wolstenholme at Match of the Day.

In a fifteen-year span, Motson called a total of 29 consecutive championships: World Cups, FA Cups, and European Championships. More recently, he was commentator for the 2002 World Cup. He has also commented on over a thousand matches broadcast on the BBC.

Motson's popularity has extended to the Internet, where BBC Sport Online created a Mini Motty "desktop toy" to keep fans up to date on action in the Premiership, FA Cup, and other leagues throughout England and Scotland. In 1996, Motson published a book entitled Motty's Diary: A Year In The Life Of A Commentator. Two years later, BBC One gave him his own TV programme, entitled The Full Motty.

Along with former Rangers star Ally McCoist, he has also lent his voice to U.S. videogame maker EA Sports as the English-language commentators for its popular FIFA series.

When Premiership television highlights moved to ITV in 2001, and MotD was no longer a weekly fixture in the schedules, Motson returned to radio on BBC Radio Five Live's coverage of the Premiership, but continuing to make frequent appearances on MotD and contributions to BBC Sport's website – which he has been doing since the site was launched in July of 2000.

Motson resumed his weekly place on Match of the Day when the rights returned to the BBC in 2004.

Quotations

• "No goalkeeper in the world would have stopped that!" - after arguably the most famous goal commentated upon by Motson; Ronnie Radford's spectacular equaliser for non-league Hereford United against Newcastle United in 1972 - regarded as the goal from which Motson's career has never looked back

• "Jimmy Greenhoff with the header on for Pearson, a chance on here - and Pearson is the scorer!" - the first goal in an FA Cup final commentated upon by Motson; Stuart Pearson's opener for Manchester United in the 1977 game at Wembley

• "Look at that! Oh, look at THAT!" - following a spectacular goal with a curling shot by Arsenal player Liam Brady against Tottenham Hotspur in 1978

• "Oh, what a pity!" - after 17 year old West Ham United midfielder Paul Allen, at the time the FA Cup final's youngest ever player, was prevented from also becoming the occasion's youngest goalscorer when he was tripped with just the goalkeeper to beat in the 1980 final

• "And still Ricky Villa! What a fantastic run - he's scored!" - the solo goal scored by Tottenham's Argentinian midfielder Ricardo Villa to win the replay of the 1981 FA Cup final

• "Arkenada...ARMSTRONG!" - the two words which Northern Ireland fans remember more than any others, as Gerry Armstrong's goal beats 1982 World Cup hosts Spain and silences the stadium

• "Norman Whiteside has done it again!" - after Whiteside had scored the late winner for Manchester United in the 1985 FA Cup final

• Mrs Thatcher has her own Cup final later this month" - after the BBC camera spotted the then Prime Minister in the Wembley crowd prior to the 1987 FA Cup final

• "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club!" - reaction to the final whistle as Wimbledon defeated Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final

• "It's delirious! It's delightful! It's Denmark!" - reaction as Denmark won Euro 92

• "You can smash them now!" - message to viewers in England regarding their early morning beer glasses after David Beckham scored the winning goal against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup

External links

• Motson's bio at BBC Sport Online
• Mini-Motty