English football has lost its voice. John Motson, the BBC’s longtime football commentator, died on Thursday aged 77. A message that brought sadness and nostalgia to the motherland of football.
“He was the voice of football for generations,” wrote former international and BBC colleague Gary Lineker on Twitter on Thursday afternoon. That wasn’t an exaggeration. From the early 1970s to the late 2000s, Motson covered English football on the microphone, commenting on ten World Cups and 29 FA Cup finals. For nearly forty years, the biggest games were unthinkable without his voice.
With his sheepskin coat and high-pitched tones, the cult commentator was also known as a slight eccentric in his industry. But with his reflective nature, the cuddly “Motty” was able to convey the raw emotions of the sport like no other. He commented not like a high school teacher or a poet, but in simple words. When he saw a big goal, he often just yelled an excited “Oh!” into the microphone.
Like any great commentator, Motson could divide opinion. But he didn’t become an icon on the island for nothing. Especially in the latter half of his career, as English football grew richer and more aloof in the Premier League era, his voice was like an escape route into a more romantic past.
So there was a certain, nice irony about him dying on the very day the UK government announced its plans for a new independent regulator of professional football. Because Motson was a commentator who interpreted football through its emotional highlights: through cup sensations, late winning goals and tragic defeats. Above all, his voice spoke of a type of football that many English fans would like to see back.
Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
