Legendary football commentator John Motson dies aged 77

Motson, born in Salford, Lancashire, enjoyed a distinguished career with the BBC, covering 29 FA Cup finals and 10 World Cups.

After starting as a newspaper reporter in Barnet and at the Sheffield Morning Telegraph, Motson joined the BBC in 1968 as a sports presenter on Radio 2.

Motson's 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 saw him take top billing on Match of the Day - pushing him into the spotlight and the affections of the sporting public.

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.

Current Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has described Motson as "a quite brilliant commentator and the voice of football in this country for generations".

Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler said he was the standard-bearer for those that followed.

"John was the standard-setter for us all," Tyler said. "We basically all looked up to him - his diligence, his dedication, his knowledge. He was a very serious broadcaster but he was a real fun guy to be around."

Fellow commentator Clive Tyldesley wrote on Twitter: "As a teenager I just wanted to be John Motson. Nobody else."

Motson's 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.

Motson hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season and after his final game - Crystal Palace v West Brom - he was invited on to the pitch.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson made a special presentation and Motson was warmly applauded by fans.

Motson, educated at Culford School near Bury St Edmunds, began a career in journalism as a reporter in Barnet in 1963 and in 1967 he worked for the Sheffield Morning Telegraph.

His broadcasting career began the following year as a sports presenter on BBC Radio 2 and his big breakthrough came in 1972 when his commentary of Hereford's famous upset of Newcastle in an FA Cup replay earned him a regular slot on Match of the Day. Motson later said that he owed his commentating career to Radford's stunning goal.

Motson called his first FA Cup final in 1977 when he replaced David Coleman for Manchester United's win against Liverpool and from 1979 to 2008 he commentated on every FA Cup final for the BBC.

He was also the BBC's voice for other major finals, including the European Championship and the World Cup.

In September 2017, Motson announced he would retire from the BBC at the end of the season and in 2018 the corporation celebrated his career with three special programmes, Motty Mastermind, Motty - the Man Behind the Sheepskin and Countdown to the Full Motty.

BBC director-general Tim Davie also described Motson as "the voice of a footballing generation", steering fans "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".

Davie added: "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."