Football commentator John Motson has died at the age of 77.
John was best known as the voice of BBC football coverage, with his career with the broadcaster spanning 50 years.
News of his death was first reported by the BBC on Thursday.
“It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday),” a statement from his family read.
John enjoyed a distinguished career with the BBC, covering 29 FA Cup finals and 10 World Cups.
After starting as a local newspaper reporter, he joined the corporation in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2.
He took top billing on Match Of The Day four years later, after his commentary on Ronnie Radford’s famous long-range strike – which helped non-league Hereford knock top-flight Newcastle out of the FA Cup in 1972 – pushed him into the spotlight.
His long career also took in two Olympic Games and Wimbledon’s memorable 1988 FA Cup final triumph against Liverpool at Wembley as the Crazy Gang beat the Culture Club.
Awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting, John hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season.
ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley was among the first to pay tribute to John, writing on Twitter: “As a teenager I just wanted to be John Motson. Nobody else. Terribly sad.”
Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker also tweeted: “Deeply saddened to hear that John Motson has died. A quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations. He’ll be very much missed. RIP Motty.”
BBC director general Tim Davie also said in a statement: “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. He will rightly be remembered as a legendary figure in British sports broadcasting, respected by those in the game, loved by fans and an inspiration to those who followed him in the commentary box.”
