John Motson

Motson has been the finest television football commentator for the best part of 25 years, and perhaps ever

Football's grand master of the microphone

Motty's sheepskin coat has become a trademark almost as familiar as Kenneth Wolstenholme's "They think it's all over ... it is now" as Geoff Hurst completed his World Cup Final hat-trick in '66

John Motson is the nation's-favourite, statto-mad, sheepskin-wearing voice of football

We'd be lost without Motty's unique insights.

Motson has done more to define the images of the famous competition (FA Cup) than anyone in the modern era.

Motty is a treasure, a gently reassuring presence in our lives

Motty, like Pele and Madonna, needs no other form of identification.

The FA Cup final without Motty is almost unthinkable. Because, like the competition itself, Motty is a hopeless romantic.

Motty is, in the words of the old cliché, a legend in his own lifetime. He has brought knowledge of and passion for football direct into the homes of millions - he is a national institution, recognised and loved. He is also a thoroughly decent bloke.

John Motson has for many years been the undisputed true voice of English football.

There is no doubting Motty is a footie hero ... this will be an ideal stocking-filler for dads at Christmas

Like Cheryl Cole and Lincolnshire sausages, John Motson is a national treasure to be cherished. From his verbal scraps with Brian Clough to the traumatic Hillsborough tragedy, his autobiography reveals the man behind the microphone.

John Motson is an institution and his commentaries on Match of the Day are part of the fabric of football. The BBC legend has been behind the microphone for 40 years, covering just about every big match going.

Bright and breezy ... it reflects on a lifetime watching football matches big and small and of bumping into all the heroes of the game

Strangely compelling memoir by one of the best-known sports commentators of his generation. If you cannot remember what colour shirts Newcastle United wore in 1972 when they were drummed out of the FA Cup by Hereford ... this is the book for you

Motty's knowledge and passion for football are unrivalled as he shares his story for the first time with humour and honesty.

Filled with a multitude of detail about Motson's background and the sporting times he lived through ...Motson is one of the most intelligent and accomplished commentators in history, a voice that has conveyed the best (and worst, depending on your allegiance) moments in the recent past of the game. His book offers a fascinating look at what goes on behind the scenes of football broadcasting, as well as a trip down memory lane for many supporters. A must-read for any football fan.

The voice of the sheepskinned sage and cult hero John Motson will doubtless be heard at the 2010 tournament, and he reminisces on his career to date in the amusing Motty: Forty Years in the Commentary Box

Independent on Sunday 'Books of the Year'

Forty Years in the Commentary Box

From Ronnie Radford to Wayne Rooney, John Motson's knowledge and passion for football are unrivalled. In Motty, he shares his story for the first time and guides us through a career which has spanned forty years and over 2,000 matches. From reporting on the exploits of the giant-killing Hereford team in the 1972 FA Cup that made his name on Match of the Day, to the estimated twenty-million viewers who tuned in to his commentary on England's match with Portugal at the 2006 World Cup, Motson's time in the commentary box has delivered some unforgettable anecdotes. In dozens of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, we hear about the greatest football matches he has watched and the greatest players and managers he has been privileged to know. Many of them are football icons; Bill Shankly, Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Alf Ramsey, and Matt Busby, amongst countless others. 
Motty is essential reading for anyone who has grown up with the undisputed voice of football.

John Motson

Praise for Motty

Motson has been the finest television football commentator for the best part of 25 years, and perhaps ever

Football's grand master of the microphone

Motty's sheepskin coat has become a trademark almost as familiar as Kenneth Wolstenholme's "They think it's all over ... it is now" as Geoff Hurst completed his World Cup Final hat-trick in '66

Motson has been the finest television football commentator for the best part of 25 years, and perhaps ever

Football's grand master of the microphone

Motty's sheepskin coat has become a trademark almost as familiar as Kenneth Wolstenholme's "They think it's all over ... it is now" as Geoff Hurst completed his World Cup Final hat-trick in '66

Motson has been the finest television football commentator for the best part of 25 years, and perhaps ever

Football's grand master of the microphone

Motty's sheepskin coat has become a trademark almost as familiar as Kenneth Wolstenholme's "They think it's all over ... it is now" as Geoff Hurst completed his World Cup Final hat-trick in '66

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