John Motson, a renowned British football commentator who worked for the BBC for 50 years, passed away on Thursday, his family said.
Motson, who was known as “Motty” to his friends, retired in 2018 after covering ten World Cup finals and 29 FA Cup finals.
A statement from Motson’s family read, “It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday).”
Tim Davie, director general of the BBC, stated: John Motson was the voice of a footballing generation, guiding us through FA Cup runs, World Cup highs and lows, and, of course, Match of the Day on Saturday nights.
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Gary Lineker, the current host of Match of the Day, tweeted that Motson was “a quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations.”
Martin Tyler, a commentator for Sky Sports, stated that Motson “set standards that so many of us have tried to follow.”
In 2001, Motson received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, a state honor bestowed by the UK, for his contributions to broadcasting.
At the conclusion of the 2017/18 Premier League season, he turned off his BBC microphone.
