RIP John Motson, for myself the voice of English football as I grew up. Always knew the facts and didn’t commentate a match with any bias. Will be sadly missed.

 

RIP the voice of football in my childhood, along with Brian Moore.

R.I.P Motty. A wonderful commentator with a great gift for words and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game.

Sad news and came across as a decent chap unlike Barry Davies who me and my mates saw outside the main entrance against West Brom in 89 we went to say hello he ran past us straight towards the East Stand RIP Motty.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/remembering-the-bridges-major-role-in-john-motsons-life

Following the sad news that legendary football commentator John Motson has passed away at the age of 77, we recall how his passion for the game was forged while watching Chelsea alongside his father on the terraces of Stamford Bridge. Here, in his own words, is the story of how the Blues, and one striker in particular, played a major role in his early love of football…

 

John Motson has provided the soundtrack to some of the most iconic moments in football for more than 50 years, with his commentary on the BBC spanning no less than 10 World Cups and nearly 30 FA Cup finals, before he retired in 2018.

Having become a legend of the game in his own right, Motson’s commentary spanned generations as the voice of football, with Chelsea and Stamford Bridge featuring throughout, as SW6 played host to both his first-ever game of live football as a fan and the last game of his long and illustrious career as a commentator.

 

 

Motson in full flow before a game between Chelsea and Stoke City in 2016

 

The Bridge had the honour of being the venue as 'Motty' hung up his microphone, and iconic sheepskin coat, for the last time, commentating on our draw with Leicester City in January 2018 in his final game before retiring. Needless to say, Chelsea bid him a fond farewell on behalf of the football community, with then chairman Bruce Buck making a presentation in front of his fellow media in the Stamford Bridge press room.

However, his association with the Bridge began a long time before that, almost 70 years ago in fact, when his father brought him to a Chelsea game as a boy and helped spark his passion for football.

 

 

Cutting his special cake at his last game as a commentator as Bruce Buck presents a framed copy of the matchday programme from his first game as a fan in 1957

 

Motson himself recalled those days stood on the terraces in west London when talking to the Chelsea matchday programme towards the end of his commentary career.

‘I got attached to Chelsea with my dad in the late 1950s,’ explained Motson. ‘He brought me to Stamford Bridge for the first time on Christmas Day 1957, when Jimmy Greaves famously scored four goals against Portsmouth and it finished 7-4 to Chelsea. I sat in the old North Stand in the corner, the one raised on stilts.

‘Then, from 1958 to 1963, we were season ticket holders in the East Stand and on the far side out in the open was the big terrace and on the left was the Shed, where I stood a few times as well. I was just a typical young fan, and I remember staying behind to get Jimmy Greaves’ autograph.’

It is clear the sight of the teenage Greaves tearing defences apart for the Blues made a big impression on Motson, with those memories of coming to the Bridge dominated by the goalscoring exploits of our homegrown striker.

 

 

Motson was a big fan of Chelsea striker Jimmy Greaves

 

‘At the end of the Fifties, Jimmy Greaves would score four at one end and at the other end Chelsea would let in five,’ he remembered. ‘Jimmy Greaves at 17 was an absolute genius. At 17 he was the most fantastic thing I ever saw. As I gave up my season ticket, Peter Osgood was just coming on the scene and he was 17 and also the best.

‘Chelsea had two of the greatest geniuses come through at the club. There are those who will say Greaves’ better years were at Tottenham, but I don’t know. He had a terrific burst of speed, an uncanny eye to finish. In those days it was easier to get one-on-one with the centre-half and he’d just go past them and glide the ball past the goalkeeper as if he did it just for fun.

‘He had great instinct to be in the right place at the right time, but he could also beat three players to score. If you came to Chelsea in the 1950s you came to see Jimmy Greaves. He finished with a 4-3 win against Forest when he scored all four and was chaired off the pitch. If Chelsea defended as well as he attacked at the other end they could have been champions.’

 

 

Motson speaks alongside former Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Bonetti and ex-manager Tommy Docherty at the unveiling of the Peter Osgood statue at Stamford Bridge

 

Motson gave up his Chelsea season ticket in 1963 when he started his media career as a junior journalist with the local press in Barnet, shortly after seeing Tommy Docherty’s side seal promotion to the top flight with a 7-0 win over Portsmouth.

However, that was far from his last appearance at a Chelsea game, as he continued to commentate on the team as part of his duties with BBC Match of the Day right up until 2018, creating many more fond memories, including Roberto Di Matteo’s opening goal 43 seconds into the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough.

‘Fortunately I had a stop watch in front of me and realised straight away it was a record,’ he added. ‘There was also the cup tie earlier that season when Chelsea were two down to Liverpool at half-time, then Mark Hughes came on and it finished 4-2.

 

 

play video

 

MEN'S TEAM

ROBERTO DI MATTEO VS MIDDLESBROUGH | 17TH MAY 1997 | GOAL OF THE DAY

Robert Di Matteo's most memorable goal for Chelsea: THAT 1997 FA Cup Final strike, after 43 seconds against Middlesbrough at Wembley.

 

‘Charlie Cooke made a big impression on me. Then when the team wasn’t necessarily doing so well there were still special players like Kerry Dixon. But the big change was the arrival of all the overseas players, when Glenn Hoddle signed Ruud Gullit and he then signed Gianluca Vialli, and like many Chelsea supporters it’s hard for me to look past Gianfranco Zola.’

It seems Chelsea and Stamford Bridge had a special place in Motson’s heart, then, even if he was ever the neutral professional when behind the commentator’s microphone.

However, in many supporters’ minds, having spent so many years listening to his voice while watching the Blues on television, he seems almost as big a part of the sport as those players who inspired his infectious passion for football.

Boxing at Albert Hall. Muhammad Ali seen here with BBC sports commentator John Motson and ATV commentator Alan Parry in the background. The trio are commentating on the Santiago Alberto Lovell v Joe Bugner bout

Some cracking posts in this thread so far. Thanks for sharing chaps.

RIP Motty !

 

 

Sad News indeed. RIP John Motson.

Edited February 23, 20233 yr by erskblue

Gunna be honest, I thought he was already dead.

well I never. Never had anything against him in particular, apart from when he said all black players look the same! If I had to rate the ones I remember from my youth it would be: 

Brian Moore

Barry Davies

John Motson

Hugh Johns

Gerald Sinstadt 

RIP John

32 minutes ago, kennypaul said:

well I never. Never had anything against him in particular, apart from when he said all black players look the same! If I had to rate the ones I remember from my youth it would be: 

Brian Moore

Barry Davies

John Motson

Hugh Johns

Gerald Sinstadt 

RIP John

You've forgotten the best one of them all David Coleman. His commentary was another reason why the cup final was unmissable always low scoring games apart from 74 just to hear him say 1-0 was great. Brian Moore when he first started out was terrible like Johnathan Pearce really shouty. 

 

John Motson was my favourite enlglish commentator and I never knew his connection with Chelsea, some great photos in this thread. Jimmy Hill also good but Motson always brought the right amount of excitement into the commentary.

In Australia we had for many years Les Murray and for a while teamed with him was Johnny Warren.  All sadly missed.

Great commentator for the BBC. Grew up in the mid seventies listening to him having taken over from David Coleman.

I must admit I did like  listening to Brian Moore on cup final day. Only because he used to show so much emotion with his commentary and his Chelsea games were always good!!

John Motson’s commentary was always very informative and fair. Never thought he sided with teams like modern tv commentators.

He along with Barry Davies, Tony Gubba and Alan Parry on the BBC were great when our games were on MOTD back in the 70s and 80s

3 hours ago, Richard P said:

Great commentator for the BBC. Grew up in the mid seventies listening to him having taken over from David Coleman.

I must admit I did like  listening to Brian Moore on cup final day. Only because he used to show so much emotion with his commentary and his Chelsea games were always good!!

John Motson’s commentary was always very informative and fair. Never thought he sided with teams like modern tv commentators.

He along with Barry Davies, Tony Gubba and Alan Parry on the BBC were great when our games were on MOTD back in the 70s and 80s

a couple more commentators spring to mind now Keith Macklin , Gerry Harrison, Alan Weekes. Maybe its just me but every time Weekes used the word was it sounded a bit like wazz