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<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nLegendary commentator John Motson, who had an illustrious 50-year career with the BBC, has died aged 77.<\/span><\/p>\n Motson covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for BBC Sport before retiring from the organisation in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Popularly known as ‘Motty’, he had worked on Match of the Day since 1971 and commentated on almost 2,500 televised games.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2001, he became an OBE for services to sports broadcasting.<\/span><\/p>\n Motson, the son of a Methodist minister, had stints as a reporter on the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph at the start of his career.<\/span><\/p>\n He also worked as a freelancer for BBC Radio Sheffield before he joined the BBC on a full-time basis in 1968.<\/span><\/p>\n After starting out as a sports reporter on Radio 2, he made his breakthrough on Match of the Day during the famous FA Cup replay between Hereford and Newcastle four years later.<\/span><\/p>\n Originally billed as a five-minute segment, Hereford’s shock 2-1 win – featuring Ronnie Radford’s famous 30-yard strike – saw the match promoted to the main game, with Motson capturing all the drama.<\/span><\/p>\n From 1979 to 2008 Motson was the BBC’s voice on major finals such as the FA Cup, European Championships and World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n That run included his record-breaking sixth World Cup final in Berlin in 2006 and his 29th FA Cup final in 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n His final game for Match of the Day was between Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n He was invited on to the pitch after full-time and applauded by the fans before Palace manager Roy Hodgson presented him with a framed copy of the programme from his first and last matches at Selhurst Park and a crystal microphone.<\/span><\/p>\n