John Motson

John Motson (born 1945), known as Motty, is a British football commentator.

Related Topics:
1945 - Football

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Motson's career began in the newspaper business as a reporter in Barnet and Sheffield, where he first covered Association football. It began to take off when the BBC hired him in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2. Three years later, he replaced Kenneth Wolstenholme at Match of the Day.

Related Topics:
Barnet - Sheffield - Association football - BBC - 1968 - Radio 2 - Kenneth Wolstenholme - Match of the Day

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In a fifteen-year span, Motson called a total of 29 consecutive championships: World Cups, FA Cups, and European Championships. More recently, he was commentator for the 2002 World Cup. He has also commented on over a thousand matches broadcast on the BBC.

Related Topics:
World Cup - FA Cup - European Championships - 2002 World Cup

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Motson's popularity has extended to the Internet, where BBC Sport Online created a Mini Motty "desktop toy" to keep fans up to date on action in the Premiership, FA Cup, and other leagues throughout England and Scotland. In 1996, Motson published a book entitled Motty's Diary: A Year In The Life Of A Commentator. Two years later, BBC One gave him his own TV programme, entitled The Full Motty.

Related Topics:
Internet - Premiership - England - Scotland - BBC One

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Along with former Rangers star Ally McCoist, he has also lent his voice to U.S. videogame maker EA Sports as the English-language commentators for its popular FIFA series.

Related Topics:
Rangers - Ally McCoist - EA Sports - FIFA series

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When Premiership television highlights moved to ITV in 2001, and MotD was no longer a weekly fixture in the schedules, Motson returned to radio on BBC Radio Five Live's coverage of the Premiership, but continuing to make frequent appearances on MotD and contributions to BBC Sport's website – which he has been doing since the site was launched in July of 2000.

Related Topics:
Premiership - ITV - 2001 - BBC Radio Five Live

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Motson resumed his weekly place on Match of the Day when the rights returned to the BBC in 2004.

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