Legendary BBC sports commentator John Motson passes away at age 77

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Sports journalism suffered a setback. John Motson, one of the BBC's commentators with the longest tenure, passed away on Thursday at the age of 77, according to a report. Until retiring in 2018, Motson worked for BBC Sport, covering 29 FA Cup Finals, 10 European Championships, and 10 World Cups.

Known as "Motty," he had been a "Match of the Day" contributor since 1971 and has provided commentary for about 2,500 televised games. He was made an OBE (Knight of the Order of the British Empire) in 2001 for his contributions to sports broadcasting. Motson, a reporter for "Barnet Press" and "Sheffield Morning Telegraph," the son of a Methodist preacher, began his career as a reporter. Before joining the BBC full-time in 1968, he also worked as a freelancer for BBC Radio Sheffield.

Four years later, during the infamous FA Cup rematch between Hereford and Newcastle, he made his debut on Match of the Day after beginning his career as a sports reporter on Radio 2. The shocking 2-1 victory for Hereford, highlighted by Ronnie Radford's infamous 30-yard strike, was originally scheduled as a five-minute feature.

The FA Cup, the European Championship, and the World Cup were among the major tournaments Motson covered for the BBC from 1979 to 2008. His streak included participation in both his 29th FA Cup final in 2008 and his sixth World Cup final in Berlin in 2006.

The match between Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion was his final Match of the Day broadcast. After the final whistle, he was welcomed onto the field and cheered by the crowd before Palace manager Roy Hodgson gave him a crystal microphone and a framed copy of the programmes from his first and last games at Selhurst Park.