Sir Trevor Brooking leads mourners as tributes paid at John Motson’s funeral

Sir Trevor Brooking led the mourners as English football paid tribute to John Motson at the former BBC commentator’s funeral on Friday.

Motson, known as “Motty”, became synonymous with the game during his distinguished 50-year career. He died last month, aged 77.

Brooking, who commentated alongside Motson for the BBC, was joined by a number of former footballers at Crownhill Crematorium in Milton Keynes.

Mark Lawrenson, Garth Crooks, Martin Keown, Ray Stubbs and Bob Wilson – all of whom have worked as pundits for the BBC – were present. Martin Tyler, the lead football commentator for Sky Sports, was also pictured arriving.

Hugely popular with generations of football fans and famous for his sheepskin coat, Motson began working for Match of the Day in 1971 and commentated on more than 2,500 games.

His commentary on Ronnie Radford’s famous long-range strike which helped non-league Hereford knock top-flight Newcastle out of the FA Cup in 1972 saw him take top billing on Match Of The Day – pushing him into the spotlight and the affections of the sporting public.

His enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the game, its players and managers earned him a place in the hearts of fans for five decades.

Motson hung up his microphone for the BBC at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season and after his final game – Crystal Palace v West Brom – he was invited on to the pitch.

He covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and more than 200 England matches. Motson became an OBE for services to sports broadcasting in 2001.