John Motson: Legendary football commentator dies aged 77

Legendary football commentator John Motson has died at the age of 77, the BBC has announced.

Motson - whose career in broadcasting spanned more than half a century - covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and over 200 England games during his long career.

A statement released by his family read: "It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday)."

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An announcement on the BBC Sport website read: "Legendary commentator John Motson, who had an illustrious 50-year career with the BBC, has died aged 77."

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After starting as a newspaper reporter in Barnet and at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph, Motson joined the BBC in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2.

Motson's commentary on Ronnie Radford's famous long-range strike which helped non-League Hereford knock top-flight Newcastle out of the FA Cup in 1972 saw him take top billing on Match of the Day - pushing him into the spotlight and the affections of the sporting public.

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His long career also took in two Olympic Games and Wimbledon's memorable 1988 FA Cup final triumph against Liverpool at Wembley as the Crazy Gang beat the Culture Club.

Awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting, Motson hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season.

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BBC director-general Tim Davie said: "John Motson was the voice of a footballing generation - steering us through the twists and turns of FA Cup runs, the highs and lows of World Cups and, of course, Saturday nights on Match of the Day.

"Like all the greats behind the mic, John had the right words, at the right time, for all the big moments.

"He will rightly be remembered as a legendary figure in British sports broadcasting, respected by those in the game, loved by fans and an inspiration to those who followed him in the commentary box."

Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler:

"I was very shocked to hear the news. I didn't know John had been ill and I'm finding out now that he had been a little bit ill over the past year or so. I hadn't seen him so much since he disappeared from the gantry, but I saw 45 years of him on the gantry!

"First of all, he was somebody I admired in terms of the profession enormously. His preparation was second-to-none, his attention to detail, his wish to know everything possible about the game he was about to broadcast. He was a real example to me for that.

"Before my first television game back in 1974, he sent me a telegram, which said 'Talk little, but say a lot'. And I think that summed up John, really. He was economical with his words, but he punched them out when he spoke and they had great resonance.

"He was a funny guy away from the microphone, a bit quirky as a person, and had a great sense of humour. He helped a lot of people as well; he certainly encouraged me at the beginning and we virtually went round the world together, first of all when I was working for ITV and he was with the BBC and when I moved to Sky, the same thing applied.

"We were friends but rivals in a way as well, I suppose. Yet I was full of admiration for him and my deepest sympathies go to his family at such a sudden loss."

More to follow...