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PICTURED: EFL pays tribute to John Motson at Wembley by donning his iconic shearling coat and microphone in his former commentary position ahead of the Carabao Cup final
The EFL paid a moving tribute to John Motson paying high regards to the broadcasting legend ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
The Salford-born speaker, who became known as the voice of football for his commentary work for the BBC, died on Thursday at the age of 77.
At the home of English football at Wembley, a picture of Motson overlooking the Wembley pitch was placed for the 2023 clash between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
There was also a microphone branded ‘Motty’ and a shearling coat, which became synonymous with the broadcasting legend.
As Sportsmail previously reported, Wembley will post Motson’s image on their giant screens before the 4:30pm kick-off so fans on both sides can pay tribute to the great footballer who had a 50-year career by narrating the beautiful game.
EFL tribute to the late John Motson dominates the pitch for 2023 Carabao Cup final
The tribute featured a photo of Motson, a match program for the final and a microphone
It is not the only tribute to the 77-year-old player from the world of football this weekend. On Saturday night, Selhurst Park were pulled up in the 77th minute of Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool to honor him. The Eagles’ pitch was the site of Motson’s last commentary for ‘Game of the Day’ in 2018.
Current MOTD presenter Gary Lineker paid a moving tribute to Motson during Saturday’s broadcast on BBC One, saying: “He lived for football and we lived football through him”, calling it “one of a kind.” class”.
Added Lineker: “John was always digging, he was meticulous in his presentation, but his great skill was really hitting the big moments, finding the right words at the right time.”
Brian Barwick, former director of The FA and BBC Sport, also praised Motson’s preparation before each of the games he covered.
Barwick said: “With his combination of colored pens [he] he would create a comment table for every game he covered, almost works of art in their own right.’
Among the 2,500 matches he has covered in his dazzling career, Motson has worked on over 200 England matches, with many of those home games being played at the old Wembley or the new stadium that opened in 2007.
While Motson’s shearling coat became his trademark in 1990, it was only intended as a way to keep warm when covering matches in bitter English winters. Even so, he entered the National Football Museum as a sign of his importance.
Gary Lineker paid tribute to ‘one of a kind’ broadcaster Motson ahead of ‘Match of the Day’
Other commentators have come forward with their own tributes to the great man and how they were inspired to be like Motson when they took the microphone.
Clive Tyldesley called Motson a ‘national treasure’, and after wanting his job as a sixth form student, was pleased to make a personal friend of the rival during his time on the portico.
Meanwhile, TalkSPORT and ITV commentator Sam Matterface shared the story of being able to enter Motson’s personal lair of memorabilia, comment cards and scrapbooks throughout his many years in the football business.
Both Manchester United and Newcastle head into the grand final eager to claim a trophy to start a new era at their club, with the Magpies seeking their first domestic trophy in 68 years.