Legendary British football commentator John Motson, who worked for the BBC for 50 years, died at the age of 77. Before retiring from BBC Sport in 2018, Motson covered 29 FA Cup finals, 10 European Championships, and 10 World Cups. His work spanned over 2,000 games.

“It is with great regret that we report that John Motson OBE passed away quietly in his sleep today (Thursday),” Motson’s family said in a statement.

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Motson was best known as a commentator on Match Of The Day from 1971 to 2018. He was appointed an OBE by the Queen in her 2001 birthday honors, for services to sports broadcasting. He started his career as a correspondent for the Barnet Press and Sheffield Morning Telegraph. He began working full-time for the BBC in 1968.

Motson, known for his signature sheepskin jackets and encyclopedic knowledge of sports, worked as the BBC’s voice for the majority of the years from 1979 to 2008 on big finals including the FA Cup, European Championship, and World Cup.

Motson is survived by his wife Anne and son Frederick.

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Who is Frederick Motson?

Frederick Motson was born in 1986 to John Motson and his wife Anne. John lived with Anne in Hertfordshire, close to Barnet FC, the club Motson supported. The couple was married for 45 years, their wedding was in 1977.

Frederick studied law at the University of Buckingham before studying at The College of Law and the University of Westminster. He has been working as a lecturer in law at the Open University since 2000. He is also a Central Law trainer and a chief examiner for the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

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Frederick has authored a broad range of academic papers regarding the law, including contract law and the law of tort. He is John Motson’s only child.

Like his mother, Frederick also seems to stay away from the spotlight as not much information about him and his wife is available.