John Motson's distinctive voice has fallen silent - Thanks for the soundtrack
Late in the hotel snug bar, well beyond normal pre-match curfew, the rookie BBC commentator on trial and prospective FA Cup giantkiller settled down for the night shift.
John Motson had been sent to Hereford as Match of the Day's voice in the gantry, and he was expecting only a two-minute segment of potted highlights when Newcastle United completed the formality of a third round replay win against non-League upstarts.
His drinking pal, Ricky George, had been named as the Bulls' substitute the following day, and he anticipated a mere walk-on part as the credits rolled on Hereford's gallant Cup run. Newcastle legend Jackie Milburn spotted them across the lounge, wandered over and smiled at George: “It's lads like you who made me give up football management. You should be in your bed – you might have to come on and score the winning goal, lad.”
Little did George know that he would, indeed, come off the bench to deliver the most stunning punchline in the anthology of FA Cup fairytales.
And little did Motson know that his wonderful, shrieking soundtrack to Ronnie Radford's sensational equaliser and George's extra-time winner would earn him a place on the BBC's commentary front line.
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They drove back to north London, where they had first crossed paths on Motty's beat as a local newspaper scribe, picking up a six-pack at the off-licence before catching the highlights on Match of the Day.
It was the night the voice of football found its tongue.
Motson's iconic voice was known and loved by football fans across the country (Corbis via Getty Images)John Motson, who went on to 'call' 2,000 games including 29 FA Cup finals and 10 World Cup tournaments, has died at the age of 77.
In the same week that we lost ITV's World of Sport anchorman Dickie Davies, it feels like another couple of lights have been extinguished on the dashboard, and another slither of our childhood has disappeared with them.
In the good old days, Motson and Barry Davies was the only double act in town on a Saturday night, and the opening bars of MOTD's theme tune was a call to arms for the nation's football lovers.
Not now, darling, Motty's calling the shots.
In an era when too many football commentators are just plain bland or, frankly, sound as if they are suffering from extreme constipation, we will miss him because his intonation was pitch-perfect, his voice was distinctive, his knowledge was encyclopaedic and he always got it RIGHT.
To millions, dear old Motty became synonymous with his sheepskin coat, and it's true he wore his ovine trophy like a king's robes to go with all the stats he collated like an anorak.
But his fleece served him well, notably when delivering a live report for the BBC's Saturday lunchtime Football Focus from Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park in 1990, to reveal their scheduled FA Cup tie had been called off.
Viewers were not surprised – Motson was braving the kind of blizzard which made Antarctic explorers stay in their tents and await the search party.
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The great John Motson, wearing his iconic sheepskin coat (BBC)
John Motson, working in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City prior to the opening match of the 1986 World Cup Finals (Bob Thomas/Getty Images)But Motson was much, much more than a sharp-eyed observer who could pick out the scorer in a goalmouth scramble like the winning lottery balls from a tombola.
He was a proper journalist, always diligent with his homework before games and always prepared to ask leading questions.
It was Motson who summoned the nous to ask Sir Alf Ramsey if he was going to resign after England were denied a place at the 1974 World Cup finals by Poland after that traumatic 1-1 draw at Wembley 50 years ago.
"I've no idea," hissed Sir Alf. "What else would I do?" Within two years, Ramsey had his answer. He would be manager of Birmingham City.
And he was on the receiving end of a famous Brian Clough monologue.
"You lot are turning us off our family entertainment on a Saturday night by lecturing us,” sneered Old Big 'Ead. “You've set yourselves up as judge and jury... you've gone over the dividing line from having a contribution to make to being dogmatic, overbearing and boring."
Motson had the good grace to let Hurricane Clough to blow itself out, and absorb the hail of arrows, to let us have our crock of TV gold.
John Motson on BBC duty in 1996, during an FA Cup tie between Reading and Manchester United (Mirrorpix)He was a generous soul, hosting an annual Christmas lunch for chosen acolytes at a pub in Redbourn, with his son Fred chairing a football quiz to help the turkey soak up the plentiful refreshment. (Modesty forbids revealing who partnered ex-BBC sports news presenter Bill Hamilton to the chequered flag one year).
His temper could turn volcanic, notably when he limped through the 1994 World Cup finals with a broken toe after kicking a bedpost in anger when he learned the BBC commentary position was going to be nearer the sky than the pitch.
But above all, he was a patriot.
By his own admission, Motson “lost it” on the gantry when David Beckham's last-gasp free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford sent the Three Lions to the 2002 World Cup finals, almost sending co-commentator Sir Trevor Brooking's desk over the balcony in the process.
“If I'm sad about anything, it's that I will never commentate on an England manager who wins the World Cup," he said when he put down his microphone for the last time.
Now another voice of football has fallen silent, and the game will be poorer for it.
Thanks for the soundtrack, Motty. Like 'Rocket' Ronnie's sensational long-range hit for Hereford 51 years ago, it's been a blast.
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