‘Oh, what a goal! What a goal! Radford the scorer! Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are invading the pitch! And now it will take some time to clear the field. What
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John Motson, boyish in his enthusiasm, put an arm around our shoulder as he spoke
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John Motson was embedded in the fabric of football, a loveable man who I shared great memories with, writes Henry Winter
Motson with young lookalikes at White Hart Lane in 2015
SHUTTERSTOCK
Henry Winter
, Chief Football Writer
Thursday February 23 2023, 3.00pm, The Times
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‘Oh, what a goal! What a goal! Radford the scorer! Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are invading the pitch! And now it will take some time to clear the field. What a tremendous shot by Ronnie Radford. No goalkeeper in the world would stop that.” The 1972 Hereford United v Newcastle United commentary that launched John Motson into the nation’s consciousness, and into its heart, was not a classic in eloquence but it was a classic in capturing the senses-scrambled emotion of a riotous FA Cup moment. And that was one of many reasons why Motson,
who has sadly died at 77, became so loved by the public — he voiced what we felt.
Radford’s goal was great, the upset was special, the throng of teenagers in parka coats cavorting over the mud field of a pitch was joyous enough, yet the whole occasion at Edgar Street was made even more memorable by Motson’s response. Motson never lost his boyish enthusiasm for football, and it flooded through his breathless words here, marvelling at the unpredictability of the sport and the magic of the cup. His ensuing friendship with Radford and his Hereford team-mate Rickie George shows what football can do, the camaraderie it confers.
And that was Motty. Jonathan Martin, the BBC’s former head of TV sport, famously described the difference between Barry Davies and Motson as: “Barry commentates from the grandstand, John is talking from the terraces.” Both styles work. Davies’s commentary is richer in vocabulary while Motson was an explosion of exclamations. His love of the game, and players, was reflected in his savouring of names. He screamed “Oh Ballack” in one Chelsea game against Aston Villa in 2008, his tone rising on the first syllable of the Chelsea player’s name in anticipation of a goal and then dropping in the second, almost in admonishment, as the German missed. His skill of interpreting games lives, storytelling at speed, such a demanding art, was then shown when Motty responded instantly as Nicolas Anelka pounced.
Motson at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 1986
BOB THOMAS/GETTY IMAGES
He became synonymous with the game, becoming as big as some of the stars, moving from Motson to Motty. He was loved by the public also because of occasional mistakes, such as “for the benefit of those watching in black and white, Spurs are in the yellow shirts”. He was human. But it was his legendary bon-Mottys, his eager words that accompanied great events, for which he was truly loved. He once told me proudly that a football-mad rock-star had asked him to do the commentary at his funeral (the singer is still alive).
Famous or otherwise, fans could chart parts of their lives by his lines. In 1982 he wonderfully caught the drama of Spain’s goalkeeper fumbling and Northern Ireland’s striker scoring with the simple: “Arconada! Armstrong!” Perfection. Caught the moment. Motson paused, allowing viewers to savour the ball in the net, and then added, “Northern Ireland have scored through Gerry Armstrong. A mistake by the goalkeeper and it’s the 100th goal of this World Cup tournament and it could be a priceless one for Northern Ireland.” Declaration followed by detail. Motson’s journalistic background at the Barnet Press and the Morning Telegraph in Sheffield shaped his responses, the facts of the moment, the who, what, where and why. However energised, Motty always told the story.
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In 1988, the shock in his voice when Wimbledon turned over Liverpool in the FA Cup final with a line he insisted was not planned in advance: “The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club.” Timeless. In 1990, the sadness in his voice when Paul Gascoigne was booked against Germany: “Oh dear. Oh dear me. He’s going to be out of the final, if England get there.” Motty wasn’t commentating, he was talking to the nation, explaining, consoling. He put words to the story and an arm around our shoulder.
In 2001, the sheer delight in his voice as England ripped apart Germany in Munich: “Ohhh, this is getting better and better and better. One, two, three for Michael Owen!” In 2006, the almost censorious tone of an unimpressed housemaster at a pupil’s misbehaviour as he reacted to Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final in Berlin: “He’s off, it’s red, it’s Zidane! You can’t excuse that, Zidane’s career ends in disgrace!” The son of a Methodist minister, Motty would always say, “It’s important to conduct yourself in a certain way.” He was always smartly dressed.
Motson, who was happy to make the odd error, in 1985
BOB MARTIN/GETTY IMAGES
He was trusted by those in the game. The night before England played Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in 2005, Motty and I were invited for dinner by the legendary Belfast Telegraph football correspondent Malcolm Brodie to Newforge Lane, the private members’ country club for members of the RUC Athletic Association. It was just the three of us, and a bottle of Bushmills, but the main focus of the evening was Motson pulling every inch of information about Lawrie Sanchez out of the deeply knowledgeable Brodie. Halfway through dinner, Motson took a text from someone close to the England squad, giving him the line-up. It was to help him prepare and the sender knew that Motson would never divulge the details.
Maybe that was his background. Standards mattered to Motson. He was hooked on football the moment his father took him to Charlton Athletic against Chelsea in 1952. He never forgot even the tiniest detail, such as the ball hoofed out of play at The Valley and into a drum with a reverberating thump. His passion for the game deepened further through painful separation from the sport when he was sent to a boarding school that did not play football. Motty would recall the moments sneaking out and having a forbidden kickabout, broken up occasionally by a housemaster, who then confiscated the round ball. Only oval allowed.
John Motson's best commentating moments
His career accelerated by Edgar Street, Motson went on to cover more than 2,000 games, including ten World Cups. His attention to detail was legendary.
He had a phenomenal memory, encyclopaedic, and when he did need a fact checked while abroad he would ring his patient wife, Anne, who would selflessly go into his study and search the alphabetically co-ordinated books to find the pertinent detail.
We were abroad covering England in Italy once and I was walking down the hotel corridor and found Motty standing outside his room, looking anxious. Football was his great forte, technology less so. He couldn’t get his adaptor to his computer into the complicated Italian telephone jack, so I got a Swiss Army knife, went into Motty’s room, got under his desk and dismantled the casing — apologies Telecom Italia — so Motty could connect to the outside world. As I climbed back out, I couldn’t help but notice that Motty had all his match notes laid out so neatly on the desk, and coloured felt-tip pens lined up like soldiers on parade, guarding the notes.
Motson commentated on more than 2,000 games
BBC
He was always great company, very popular, as was highlighted when he stood down from live TV commentating in 2008. The Euros were to be his last TV gig, so he had a farewell do in Vienna. “Just a small gathering,” he texted. It was packed and turned into a day-nighter. On return to London, he messaged to say he was having another farewell, a lunch in Mayfair. “Just a few friends,” he texted. I had the honour of sitting between Martin O’Neill and Sir Peter O’Sullevan. Needless to say, I didn’t get a word in.
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Later that day, as afternoon flowed into evening, I had a chat with Motson. “You can’t be retiring,” I said. Of course not, he had so many other plans, namely radio and occasional books. When chatting, Motson would stand close, almost conspiratorially, wanting to know the latest media gossip, but then standing back when conversation turned to football, and talking and talking about the game he loved and that he gave so much to. John Motson was a broadcasting legend, embedded in the fabric of football, one of life’s characters, and will be missed dearly.
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Motson’s great lines
By Hamzah Khalique-Loonat
Motson, the former BBC and
Match of the Day commentator, covered more than 2,000 football matches, including ten Fifa World Cups, ten European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals, lending his voice to some of football’s most memorable moments.
Ronnie Radford’s goal for Hereford v Newcastle in the FA Cup third round, 1972
“Now Tudor has gone down for Newcastle. Radford again . . . Oh what a goal! What a goal! Radford the scorer – Ronnie Radford. And the crowd are invading the pitch. What a tremendous shot by Radford”
Wimbledon’s victory over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final
“And there it is, the Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club. Wimbledon have destroyed Liverpool’s dreams of the double.”
Michel Platini’s goal against Portugal in the Euro 1984 semi-final for France
“Tigana, two to his right, and Platini through the middle, Tigana again, Tigana — Platini, goal! Platini for France, with a minute to go, it’s three-two. I’ve not seen a match like this in years!”
The 1992 Euros final between Denmark and Germany
“Povlsen’s put his arms up, is it over? It is! It’s dramatic, it’s delightful, it’s Denmark who are the European champions!
Zinedine Zidane’s red card in the 2006 World Cup final, after headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi
“And the referee has gone across now with his hand in his pocket. He’s been told about it. He’s off, it’s red, it’s Zidane! You can’t excuse that; Zidane’s career ends in disgrace!”
Martin Buchan receiving the FA Cup at Wembley, referencing Scottish author, John Buchan’s novel, 39 steps
“How appropriate that a man called Buchan should be the first up the 39 steps to accept the cup”
Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland in Euro 1996
“Here’s Gascoigne. Oh brilliant! Oh yes! Oh yes!”
Alan Sunderland’s 89th minute winner for Woolwich in the 1979 FA Cup final, also known as the “Five-minute final”, a minute after Samuel McIlroy equalised for Manchester United.
“There’s a minute left on the clock, Brady in for Woolwich, right across Sunderland, he’s there, 3-2!”
Jeremy Goss’ volley for Norwich against Bayern Munich, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes in the Uefa Cup, 1993
“It’s almost fantasy football!”
Michael Owen’s hat-trick against Germany in England’s 5-1 victory in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup
“Ohhh, this is getting better and better and better. One, two, three for Michael Owen!”
On Ricky Villa’s mazy run and goal against Manchester City for Tottenham in the 1981 FA Cup final replay
“Villa — and still Ricky Villa! What a fantastic run! He’s scored!”
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