Legendary commentator John Motson, who was widely regarded as the voice of football on the BBC, has died aged 77.
Motson died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning sparking tributes from across the football world. He covered more than 2000 games in his illustrious career, which spanned more than 50 years in the industry.
Some of his finest moments include covering World Cups European Championships and FA Cup finals. He was handed an OBE for his services to broadcasting in 2001.
John Motson’s family issue statement following death, aged 77
Sharing the news of his passing, Motson’s family said: “It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday).”
John Motson describes Chelsea performance as ‘best ever’ in Premier League
Motson was the iconic voice of the BBC’s Premier League for half a century, however it was a Chelsea performance he had described as the ‘best’ he’s ever seen.
The Blues defeated Everton 5-0 back in November 2016, and left Motson staggered by the levels they reached on their way to the dominant victory.
He said: “This was the best 90-minute performance I have ever seen in the Premier League. I put it above anything I saw from Arsenal when they were at their best, I put it above anything I saw from Manchester United, because this was football on another planet.
“I mean alright, people are going to say Everton had a poor night. They always say that, don’t they? But I remember going back before the Premier League, in 1988 being at Liverpool when they demolished Nottingham Forest 5-0, and the late Sir Tom Finney said ‘that’s the best performance I’ve ever seen. Well I’m now saying that about Chelsea against Everton.
“It was incredible. If that had been a live game we’d still be talking about it in three weeks’ time. It was amazing. Chelsea’s touch play, their movement, their dominance, their finishing, there wasn’t a weakness because you saw all their strengths in that 90 minutes.
“They tore Everton apart, they threw them on the bonfire on Guy Fawkes night. Chelsea were just out of this world. If Conte is working on the training ground producing football like that I’m not going to look any further for the champions.”
Chelsea would go on to win the Premier League in dominant fashion, with the likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa showing dominance far more than just in this game.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
