RIP MOTTY

[dt woodhall]

Very sad news this morning about John Motson.

Lots of local connections, supporter of the club, and a true gentleman.

Thoughts with his family, one of the best of his kind.

[yam man]

IMO THE best.

[Oakham Pilgrim]

When I was back home once years ago my mother organised with someone she knew at the Standard for me to review a concert in the Stump. Waiting for it to start I recognize a voice and realised that Motty was in the row in front with his wife. A combination of reticence and a reluctance to interrupt his night out meant that I don't think I spoke to him. It's the nearest I got. It's not much of a story, but it's the best I can do!

[Gus]

When Boston was in the League a company I dealt with invited the two of us to go to Bury. Who should be sitting at the next table for our meal but Motty and after eating he asked us where we came from. When I told him Boston we had a good chat about the town, and I think he told us that his mother had lived further down from where we live. I know he used to go to watch Boston with his uncle who worked in Cheers.
Motty explained that he was at Bury because it was the last League ground he had been to.
I also remember it for the fact that when Boston scored first I jumped up, cheering, and some young scrote came down the steps and told me that I should f-off behind the goal. He got ejected fairly quickly. Happy days.

[Oakham Pilgrim]

A much better story than mine! Happy days indeed.

[Uncertain Corridor]

When I was about 13 my mum encouraged me to write him a letter asking what it would take to become a football commentator. He wrote me a lovely long letter back and said how he had Boston connections and ours was the first result he looked out for! This was 47 years ago and I must have the letter somewhere…a legend and the football voice of my lifetime. RIP Motty.

[Eddie Killick]

His father went to school with my father in their younger days when they lived in Swineshead and was a keen United fan.

[Dipdodah]

In the 1980s. I was organising a charity 5 a side football tournament.  We needed some celebrity to open the event.we approached Geoff Capes.  He said he would do it but wanted £1000.

After pulling a few strings, I managed to get Motty's private number.  I rang him and spoke to him for about ten minutes.  He could not make the event, but wished us all the best and sent a prize for the raffle.

We managed to get Chris Jones ( Radio Lincolnshire ) to do the event for free.  It wasn't until the day of the tournament we realised the posters had been misprinted.  It said Cliff Jones