Wembley pay tribute to John Motson by placing his sheepskin coat and microphone in his old position

PICTURED: Wembley pay tribute to John Motson by placing his iconic sheepskin coat and microphone in his old commentary position ahead of the Carabao Cup final

Wembley’s moving tribute to John Motson pays great respect to the former 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.

The home of English football has placed a picture of Motson overlooking the Wembley turf for the 2023 final between Manchester United and Newcastle United.

There is also a microphone branded ‘Motty’, and a sheepskin coat, which became synonymous with the broadcasting legend. 

As Sportsmail previously reported, Wembley will post Motson’s picture on their big screens ahead of the 4.30pm kick-off so fans of both sides can pay tribute to the footballing great who had a 50-year career narrating the beautiful game.  

Wembley's tribute to the late John Motson overlooks the pitch for the 2023 Carabao Cup final

Wembley’s tribute to the late John Motson overlooks the pitch for the 2023 Carabao Cup final

It is not the only tribute to the 77-year-old from the footballing world this weekend. On Saturday evening, Selhurst Park rose in the 77th minute of Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool to honour him. The Eagles’ home ground was the site of Motson’s last commentary for ‘Match of the Day’ in 2018. 

Current MOTD host Gary Lineker made a moving tribute to Motson during Saturday’s broadcast on BBC One, saying: ‘He lived for football, and we lived football through him’, hailing him as ‘one-of-a-kind’. 

Lineker added: ‘John always did his research, he was meticulous in his presentation, but his great skill really was getting the big moments right, finding the right words at the right time.’

Brian Barwick, formerly head of both The FA and BBC Sport, also hailed Motson’s preparation ahead of every one of the matches he covered. 

Barwick said: ‘With his mix of coloured pens [he] would create a commentary chart for every game he covered, almost works of art in their own right.’ 

Among the 2,500 games he covered in his dazzling career, Motson worked on over 200 England matches, with many of those home fixtures played at either the old Wembley or the new stadium which opened in 2007. 

While Motson’s sheepskin coat became his trademark in 1990, it was only meant as a way to keep himself warm when covering matches in the bitter English winters. Still, it entered the National Football Museum as a mark of its importance. 

Gary Lineker paid tribute to the 'one of a kind' broadcaster Motson ahead of 'Match of the Day'

Gary Lineker paid tribute to the ‘one of a kind’ broadcaster Motson ahead of ‘Match of the Day’

Fellow commentators have come forward with their own tributes to the great man, and how they inspired to be like Motson when they took to the microphone. 

Clive Tyldesley called Motson a ‘national treasure’, and after wanting his job as a sixth-form boy, he was pleased to turn the rival into a personal friend during their time in the gantry. 

Meanwhile, TalkSPORT and ITV commentator Sam Matterface shared the story about being able to enter Motson’s personal den of memorabilia, commentary cards and scrap books from across his many years in the football business. 

Both Manchester United and Newcastle head into the showpiece final eager to claim a trophy to start a new era at their club, with the Magpies hunting their first domestic trophy in 68 years.

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