Not many people know more about The FA Cup Final than John Motson – and the legendary commentator believes the Wembley showpiece is still the highlight of the season.
After providing the colour to our favourite footballing moments over the last 50 years, ‘Motty’ retired on Sunday, with Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over West Brom being his final match.
Motson commentated on 29 FA Cup Finals, and five replays, and the 72-year-old has nothing but admiration for the world’s greatest knockout competition.
He said: “The FA Cup Final is the climax to the football season and there is simply nothing like it.
“It has meant so much to me since my father took me to my first Final in 1964, Preston North End v West Ham United.
“I grew up with The FA Cup and felt lucky when I started to cover FA Cup ties for Match of the Day.
“And it became even more important to me from 1977 when I was given the opportunity to commentate on my first Final.
“Wembley always deserves an entertaining Cup Final on the day when so many people around the world are watching and I feel privileged to have been a part of so many.”
Motson was in the commentary box when Chelsea and Manchester United contested The FA Cup Finals of 1994 and 2007.
But he can sit back and enjoy this year’s edition as a special guest of The FA, as the two clubs lock horns once again under the arch.
“I don’t think it will be a high-scoring game but the Cup Final should always be a showpiece,” said Motson.
“What I’m hoping for is an open game but it might not be that straightforward with Jose Mourinho’s counter-attacking style.
“From Chelsea’s point of view, an awful lot revolves around Eden Hazard. If he plays well then Chelsea will have a real chance.
“If Manchester United can stifle him – and Mourinho should know him well enough – and they restrict Chelsea from playing with any freedom, then United have got match-winners of their own, the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Jesse Lingard, who specialises in scoring at Wembley.
“The Cup Final is the Cup Final, it is the pinnacle of the season, and I just hope it lives up to expectations.”
Motson’s first radio commentary was Everton v Derby County in December 1969 and he went on to cover 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and more than 200 England games.
Such was his impact over the last half century that he received the Bafta Special Award for his outstanding contribution to sports broadcasting.
“What I will miss the most is 3 o’clock on a Saturday,” he said, “when I’ve got a microphone in my hand and I’ve got 90 minutes of football and intense concentration ahead of me.
“What I won’t miss as much is the painstaking amount of research that has to be done before a game. The build-up to a game can be quite testing.
“But the commentary itself has been an absolute pleasure, especially at Wembley.”
