Famed British football commentator John Motson, who had a distinguished 50-year career with the BBC, has died at the age of 77, his family announced on Thursday.
Motson, affectionally nicknamed “Motty”, retired in 2018 after covering 29 FA Cup finals and 10 World Cups.
“It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday),” said a statement from Motson’s family.
BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “John Motson was the voice of a footballing generation — steering us through the twists and turns of FA Cup runs, the highs and lows of World Cups and, of course, Saturday nights on Match of the Day.
“Like all the greats behind the mic, John had the right words, at the right time, for all the big moments.”
Current Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker described Motson on Twitter as “a quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations.”
Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler said Motson “set standards that so many of us have tried to follow”.
Motson was awarded a UK state honour (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2001 for services to broadcasting.
He hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017/18 Premier League season.