Iconic football commentator and 'friend of Reading' John Motson has passed away aged 77.
Motson, who commentated for over 50 years, covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for BBC Sport.
Best known for Match of the Day, he first appeared on our screens in the beloved highlights programme back in 1971 and remained until 2018.
"It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday)," said a statement from Motson's family.
He covered more than 200 England matches and commentated on almost 2,500 televised games in a glittering career.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of legendary commentator, John Motson OBE.
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) February 23, 2023
A friend of the club, Motty kindly agreed to open our Media Suite in 2008 and was a regular VIP guest at Reading home games 💙
He will be sorely missed by the world of football ⚽🎙 pic.twitter.com/1qDuEuOXJU
Opening the media suite at the-then Madejski Stadium in 2008, he was a regular visitor alongside friend Sir John Madejski.
A statement read: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of legendary commentator, John Motson OBE. A friend of the club, Motty kindly agreed to open our Media Suite in 2008 and was a regular VIP guest at Reading home games He will be sorely missed by the world of football"
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here