End of the Motson Era?

So, the time has come at last.


My favourite Motson moments from Euro 2008?

In one of the Holland games we got this classic:

Robben sets up RVP and Motty states 'A goal made in Chelsea and finished by Arsenal'
Arjen Robben of Real Madrid may not agree with that, especially as he has been there for the entirety of the 2007/08 season.

And

'If you're coming in late, let me refresh your memories'
Which is exactly the kind of garbage he talks on a regular basis

Also props to his awful co-commentator Mark Lawrenson for this one in the final:

‘That's a contradiction in terms an angry Lehman’

Well no actually that is the opposite of what it is.
This statement hurt my head so much I was forced to look up tautology via google

Anyway back to Motty:

"I am coming to the end of my career, I know that," said Motson.

Maybe he’s had so much horrible ‘fan’ mail that he has realised his time is up. Didn’t send any of by the way, honest.

Motson will continue to commentate on Match of the Day and Radio 5 Live

I KNEW it was too good to be true. He isn’t going anywhere. What are the odds the BBC still wheel him out for EVERY big game from now until the end of time?

In total, Motson has covered six World Cup finals as well as his 34 FA Cup finals (29 finals and five replays), and more than 200 England matches.

Those years of aural abuse have taken there toll on me. I am now medically almost 90% deaf to all sports commentary.

Still, outbursts like "it's Arsenal 0, Everton 1, and the longer it stays like that, the more you've got to fancy Everton," and "for those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are in the all yellow strip," added to Motson's charm rather than detracted from it.

BBC Sport propaganda departments says: all the utter nonsense he has come out with over the years only makes him more beloved.
I say: good riddance and take your verbal diarrhoea with you.

That was underlined in 2004, when he was named the Royal Television Society's Sports Commentator of the Year, receiving the same honour from Four Four Two in 2005 and from The Variety Club in 2006.

In an unrelated story the 1997 Academy Award for best picture goes to Titanic and not LA Confidential.

"Younger reporters and commentators depend on club websites and the like," he said. "I'm of an older generation. I haven't changed my system since 1971 and I couldn't adjust now - I'm too old.

Didn’t you just know that Motty hated the internet. It ruined his enjoyment of statistics. Now everyone has access to them and he can’t make them up on the spot anymore without being called on it.



Look I don't hate John Motson (though that may be difficult to believe) but his commentary has ruined my enjoyment of BBC football for too long now. I am glad he is taking some sort of semi-retirement so that I can enjoy listening to Jonathan Pearce and the likes from now on.


As a final comment on this let's go back to my previous post where Motson predict Huntelaar for top scorer:
Jan Klaas Huntelaar
Games started in Euro 2008 = 1
Goals scored = 1