Two-hour John Motson meeting at radio station underlined why he was so revered

23 February 2023 , 19:07

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Two-hour John Motson meeting at radio station underlined why he was so revered

We met at the offices of the radio station talkSPORT in London Bridge.

They’d pounced for John Motson five years ago after he’d ended his 50-year stint at the BBC, tempting the then-72 year-old out of retirement. An aura surrounded him. Grown men, of which I was one, made no bones about their excitement at an audience with the commentator whose voice had been a soundtrack to our childhoods and adult years.

He didn’t move as freely as he used to but the fire of his enthusiasm was still there, as was the glint in his eye. No wonder talkSPORT had moved for him as quickly as they did.

He wasn’t just the voice of football. He was an encyclopaedia of football. A font of knowledge. He talked graciously about his professional respect for the authoritative Barry Davies - the other outstanding BBC commentator of his generation - and Brian Moore on ITV.

Motson spent ages explaining exactly why both men were masters of their craft, dismissing the insistence that he was every bit their equal, if not more.

John Motson dies aged 77 as tributes pour in for much-loved commentator

What are your memories of John Motson's commentary? Have your say in the comments.

John Motson spent 50 years working for the BBC and later commentated for talkSPORT (David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images)

We discussed my one unashamed claim to fame - we’d both started our careers at a north London newspaper, the Barnet Press. He expanded on the impact of his most iconic commentary, that Hereford win over Newcastle in the 1972 FA Cup - the game that would shoot him to stardom over the subsequent 50 years.

And in just a couple of hours he underlined just why he was so revered, loved and admired. He will be sorely missed.

Darren Lewis