Beloved Sheffield reporter and Match of the Day commentator John Motson never forgot his roots

The late much-loved former Match of the Day BBC football commentator and former Sheffield Morning Telegraph reporter John Motson was always proud of his professional roots despite his legendary status.
By Jon Cooper
Published 23rd Feb 2023, 15:41 BST
Updated 23rd Feb 2023, 15:41 BST
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John Motson – or ‘Motty’ as he was affectionately known – has died aged 77 after an illustrious career which began at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph in the 1960s and was followed by a 50-year tenure with the BBC.

The BBC TV football commentator and Match of the Day star who was famed for his trademark sheepskin coat held roles at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph covering football in 1967 and at BBC Sheffield before he joined BBC Sport in 1968 and covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals, and numerous Champions League and European Championships matches.

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Esteemed sports reporter and broadcaster Alan Biggs, of Talk Sport and Sky, said: “He worked in Sheffield at the Morning Telegraph and that was a few years before my starting but I knew it meant a lot to him, and I know he kept in touch with one or two of the people he had worked with from that time.

Pictured is former Sheffield Morning Telegraph reporter and retired BBC Match of the Day football commentator John Motson who has died aged 77. Courtesy of PA Images/PA Wire.Pictured is former Sheffield Morning Telegraph reporter and retired BBC Match of the Day football commentator John Motson who has died aged 77. Courtesy of PA Images/PA Wire.
Pictured is former Sheffield Morning Telegraph reporter and retired BBC Match of the Day football commentator John Motson who has died aged 77. Courtesy of PA Images/PA Wire.