Ian Dennis pays tribute to John Motson and reposts ‘pertinent’ letter commentator wrote to him

A ‘pertinent’ letter from John Motson to his future BBC colleague Ian Dennis has resurfaced amid tributes to the football commentator legend following his death at the age of 77.

The moving letter had been written 35 years ago by ‘Motty’ after Dennis wrote to him asking for advice on becoming a football broadcaster and saw him give important suggestions to the then 17-year-old.

In his response, the announcer urged the teen to put in “hard work and perseverance” and that “enthusiasm and opportunity” would be key if he wanted to succeed in the business.

The words were a source of encouragement to Dennis, who would later call them ‘inspirational’, and the pair would work together at the BBC for several years.

Today Dennis, who is BBC Radio 5 Live’s chief football reporter, paid tribute to Motson, saying he was “forever grateful” to him after he passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

On Twitter he wrote ‘Forever grateful. RIP Motty’ and shared a post from 2014 where he originally revealed the letter his mentor had sent him decades ago.

In the 2014 tweet, Dennis said the legendary commentator’s advice “is still relevant today for anyone with broadcast aspirations,” and Motty told him to not give up if you fall on hard times while trying to achieve your dream.

Motson wrote: ‘Thank you for your letter inquiring about a career in sports broadcasting. I’m happy to tell you how it came about for me, although I must point out that enthusiasm and opportunity are the two most important things you need, as openings don’t come up that often and it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance.

‘I started by joining a local weekly newspaper as a trainee reporter, doing an apprenticeship in news coverage and sports. This is a well-traveled route, and the way to start is to write to the editor of the local newspapers in your area, asking if they have any openings.

“From there I went to a provincial newspaper, and from there to local radio, at first as a freelance. There are many more local and commercial radio stations now than when I started, and I suggest again that you contact the station manager in your area and tell him about his ambition.

‘You may well be considered too young for a full-time position at the moment, but you might ask if there is the possibility of some freelance work so that you can establish your name in their minds.

‘Let me finally say, by way of encouragement, that when I left school I didn’t get a newspaper job right away. In fact, I worked in a bookstore for a few months while I waited for an opening in journalism to come up. The important thing is not to get impatient because a lot of people are trying to break into the business, by which I mean enthusiasm is often the key.

‘I wish you every success and hope you can let me know if and when you find a route into our business. I hope this is of some little help.

Fans of the man who was known as ‘the voice of football’ and who commentated over 2,000 matches on TV and radio, including 29 FA Cup finals, 10 World Cups and 10 European Championships for the BBC, have been sharing the letter in tribute to him after the news of his death this morning.

They have joined thousands of people in paying tribute to the man who was a Match of the Day fixture for 46 years and who painted the image of the game for generations of fans.

Many took to social media to pay tribute to his unmistakable voice and his iconic shearling coat, worn on and off screen in many of his matches.

They also shared memories of his comments during the defining moments of the biggest matches of their lives, including Gazza’s tears in Turin in 1990 and Gascoigne’s subsequent destruction of Scotland at Wembley in Euro 1996.

Motty himself said that his favorite game to comment on was the 5-1 thrashing of Germany in a World Cup qualifier in Munich in September 2001, where he declared: ‘Oh, this is getting better and better. One, two, three for Michael Owen’ as millions of excited fans watched at home.

He left the BBC at the end of the 2017/18 season -with a final match between Crystal Palace and West Brom- but months later he returned from retirement to work at Talksport.

Recruited as a late replacement for David Coleman, who was in a contract dispute with the BBC, Motson covered his first FA Cup final in 1977 when Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1, all the goals coming within five minutes. at first. The second half.

A unique insight into the beautiful game, honed from hours of diligent research, using the scrapbook kept by his wife Anne, won Motson, who remained a lifelong Barnet fan, the affection of the sporting public.

From Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang’s triumph against the Culture Club of Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final at Wembley to the drama of Italy’s 3-2 victory over Brazil in the 1982 World Cup, the last victory of France in extra time against Portugal in Euro 1984, ‘Tigana… Tigana… Platini, Goal!’ – there was a Motty Moment for all of them.

“This is getting better and better,” Motson said as he watched England beat Germany 5-1 in Munich during a 2002 World Cup qualifier, leaving then-Three Lions boss Sven -Goran Eriksson, happily repeating the phrase the next time they met. .

However, there were also more serious moments.

Motson was the commentator for the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough. He later went on to testify at the inquest.

Selhurst Park was the scene of his latest commentary on Match of the Day, as the 2017/2018 Premier League season came to a close with Crystal Palace beating West Brom.

Motson subsequently went on to collect the BAFTA Special Award, at the Royal Albert Hall, in recognition of his distinguished career in broadcasting, which he quickly dedicated to everyone in the BBC sports department who helped him along the way.

We will miss John Motson. His voice will always ring in our ears,’ Football Focus presenter Dan Walker posted on Twitter, summing up the nation’s sentiments.

Motson, who was awarded the OBE in 2001 for his broadcasting services, returned to work for a time at talkSPORT and also provided voice-overs for some football computer games.

He is survived by his wife Anne and their son Frederick.