John Motson - Biography & Images
John Walker Motson, OBE – born 10 July 1945 – was a football commentator with he BBC.
The son of a Methodist minister, Motson was born in Salford, Lancashire, and educated at Culford School, near Bury St Edmunds.
In 1963, Motson’s career began in the newspaper business as a reporter in Barnet. In 1967 and 1968 he worked for the Sheffield Morning Telegraph where he first covered football.
He’s broadcasting career took off when the BBC hired him in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2.
Motson’s first FA Cup Final as a commentator was for the 1977 match between Manchester United and Liverpool. Motson was drafted in as a late replacement for David Coleman, who was in a contractual dispute with the BBC.
In April 1989, Motson commentated on the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest when the Hillsborough disaster occurred.
Motson found himself commentating on a tragedy rather than a football match, and he later appeared as part of the Hillsborough inquiry, since he had been a witness.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to sports broadcasting.
John died at the age of 77 in February 2023.
