Lineker pays tribute to John Motson ahead of Match of the Day
‘He lived for football, and we lived football through him’: Gary Lineker pays touching tribute to ‘one of a kind’ John Motson ahead of Match of the Day, after the iconic commentator passed away aged 77 on Thursday
- Legendary commentator John Motson died on Thursday at the age of 77
- Gary Lineker paid tribute to the ‘one of a kind’ broadcaster on Saturday
- Fans rose to celebrate Motson’s legacy in the 77th minute at Crystal Palace
Gary Lineker paid tribute to the ‘truly wonderful commentator’ John Motson ahead of Match of the Day on Saturday night.
The broadcasting legend died this week at the age of 77, leading to a wave of tributes from football fans, players, presenters and commentators.
Fans rose to celebrate Motson’s legacy in the 77th minute of Crystal Palace’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday, and a sheepskin coat will be placed in his old commentary position at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final.
‘He was a truly wonderful commentator,’ Lineker said. ‘He was one of a kind, and for people of my generation, he was part of our lives for 50 years.’
Motson was a fixture on Match of the Day for 46 years in a career that also took in 29 FA Cup finals, 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, and over 2,500 games.
Gary Lineker paid tribute to the ‘one of a kind’ broadcaster John Motson ahead of Match of the Day on Saturday
The legendary commentator, who became synonymous with English football during his distinguished 50-year career with the BBC , died on Thursday aged 77
Even in retirement he remained an avid football fan, and spent his last night watching Man City’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig at a local pub.
Lineker continued: ‘John always did his research, he was meticulous in his presentation, but his great skill really was getting the big moments right, finding the right words at the right time.
‘He lived for football, and we lived football through him. We, and football, will miss him.’
The former England striker also spoke of 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.
It saw him take top billing on Match of the Day – pushing him into the spotlight and the affections of the sporting public.
Motson was hugely popular with generations of football fans and was famous for his sheepskin coat.
He became an OBE for services to sports broadcasting in 2001, and hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season. After his final game – Crystal Palace v West Brom – he was invited on to the pitch.
His enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the game, its players and managers, earned him a place in the hearts of fans for five decades.
JOHN MOTSON: LEGENDARY COMMENTATOR DIES AGED 77
- Legendary football commentator John Motson dies aged 77, as sport mourns sheepskin coat-wearing icon who voiced 2,000 games including 29 FA Cup finals and 10 World Cups
- ‘An absolute LEGEND and gentleman’: Tributes pile in for iconic commentator John Motson
- ‘The soundtrack to my youth watching football’: Tributes from fellow commentators, including Clive Tyldesley and Guy Mowbray, flood in
- From Ronnie Radford to David Beckham via Gazza’s tears and the Crazy Gang beating the Culture Club: Motson’s greatest commentary moments
- John Motson tributes LIVE: Gary Lineker leads the way as the sporting world reacts to the death of legendary football commentator
Lineker said Motson had been ‘part of people’s lives for 50 years’ saying he ‘lived for football’
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