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John Motson: My Favourite Goal #1 - The Goal Hanger

John Motson: My Favourite Goal #1

John Motson is a legend in the commentary world, commentating on over 2000 matches, but which has he ranked as his favourite?  

John Motson is a legend in the commentary world, commentating on over 2000 matches, but which has he ranked as his favourite?

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There are three outstanding goals from my commentary career and the first one is Ronnie Radford for Hereford United in the FA Cup against Newcastle in 1972. The story behind that is I was sent for a cup replay which everybody thought would be a formality for Newcastle and, with the score 1-0 to Newcastle with five minutes to go, that’s how it looked. That would have been a 2 minute wrap up at the end of Match of the Day if things had of stayed that way.

Malcolm Macdonald had scored for Newcastle and then Ronnie Radford - who at the time was a part time player - hit this shot from 40 yards out of the mud before a packed crowd and it flew into the top corner and levelled the score at 1-1. The winning goal in extra-time was scored by a guy called Ricky George who happened to be a personal friend of mine. I actually travelled down to the game with Ricky!

That Ronnie Radford goal gets brought out on the old video every time the FA Cup comes around. So there was I, a young and inexperienced commentator with an opportunity to cover a goal I never expected to be doing so.

It was a weirdly memorable day. Hereford won 2-1. Headlines everywhere. Match of the Day promoted the game to the top of the programme. It was reported that 10 million people watched match of the day that night. It truly was one of the most memorable days of my life, which really changed my career and a new BBC contract. If Ronnie hadn’t have scored that goal I don’t know if my career would have ever gotten off the ground.

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