One of the country’s most respected and revered sports broadcasters, John Murray, has spoken of his admiration for Leicester and its people as he received an honorary degree from ذكذكتسئµ (ذكذكتسئµ) Leicester.
The BBC Radio 5 Live senior football correspondent collected his honorary award at a graduation ceremony at Curve Theatre. It’s the first time the 59-year-old, originally from Northumberland, has received such an award in an illustrious 30-year career that has taken him around the world to commentate on the biggest moments in recent football history.
John’s relationship with ذكذكتسئµ goes back more than a decade, when he first came to the university to share his sporting and media insights with ذكذكتسئµ students enrolled on the Humanities of Sport module of the multi-award-winning FIFA Master International MA, based within the university’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture.
He now relishes the chance to speak to ذكذكتسئµ students and discover more of the city that has really captured his imagination over the last ten years, thanks to both the discovery of King Richard III and Leicester City’s triumphs in the FA Cup and, of course, the 5000-1 miracle title win.
John said: “I feel very humbled today. I’m not one usually to toot my own horn but I’m certainly very happy to be recognised this way by the university.
“It’s always very exciting coming to ذكذكتسئµ and speaking with the students on the FIFA course. They’re a cut above and they ask interesting questions about how they view the media and how they view sports coverage in their own country. I always leave thinking that was a really fulfilling day when I come to speak to them.
“Leicester as well is a city that I’ve grown fond of over the years. The people I speak to, are very, very proud of Leicester and some have been pivotal in my career. Football producer Charlotte Nicholl, who used to sell programmes down at Filbert Street, has really helped me, and many radio colleagues have come through BBC Radio Leicester.”
John has been in the gantry and observed many of football’s biggest moments in the past 30 years. He was there at Stamford Bridge when Leicester secured the Premier League title without even kicking a ball.
One of his fondest memories was watching Leicester City, kitted out in maroon, lift the FA Cup in 2021, at the fifth time of asking – a feat that John described as “one of his favourite days.”
At Curve, as he received his honorary degree, John was even closer to the action than he usually is, watching as hundreds of students crossed the stage to receive their hard-earned degrees.
He said: “For many, if not all, of the people that I will have seen today on the stage, that will be the greatest moment, certainly one of the greatest moments of their lives to this point. So you are seeing absolutely genuine reactions.
“I just found the expressions on people's faces fascinating. The diversity of students that ذكذكتسئµ has was inspirational and I watched the students and the crowd, and how they reacted. The joy. That was all a part of the experience for me today.”
Originally from Northumberland, right on the border between England and Scotland, John started out on local radio at TFM Radio on Teesside. He joined BBC Tees in 1994 and moved to the BBC Radio Sport department in London the following year and has since become one of the most recognised voices on the radio.
- “It’s too late for Chelsea, it’s Leicester City’s day in the FA Cup final. Finally, at the fifth time of asking, Leicester City have won the FA Cup. Their players drop to the ground, all over the Wembley turf. On they run the substitutes. Great scenes in front of jubilant Leicester City supporters.” – John Murray, at the final whistle of Leicester City’s FA Cup victory in 2021
He was named the Sports Journalists' Association's Commentator of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and thanked ذكذكتسئµ for recognising the importance of live radio.
James Panter, FIFA Master Humanities of Sport Module Coordinator (left), and Professor Matthew Taylor, International Centre for Sports History and Culture Director (right) with John Murray
John added: “I would like to think that this award, in a wider sense, is a recognition for the joy of listening to live radio and, more specifically, live sport and live football on the radio.
“Radio is a unique medium; it is a great companion, it is intimate, it can lift your spirits and I believe – simply – that it is just good for you!”
James Panter, who nominated John for the honorary degree and is the FIFA Master Humanities of Sport Module Coordinator based within our International Centre for Sports History and Culture, said: "Having someone with John's knowledge, reputation and expertise in the classroom has given our students a rare and valuable chance to learn from one of the biggest names in British and, via the BBC World Service, global sports broadcasting."
The FIFA Master course is co-ordinated by the Centre International d’Etude du Sport (CIES) and supported by football’s world governing body FIFA. It involves students dedicating a term of study at ذكذكتسئµ’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC) before also spending a term at both the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy, and Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel.
The course was once again recognised as the number one postgraduate sport management course in Europe for the thirteenth time in the 2025 SportBusiness rankings.
International Centre for Sports History and Culture Director, Professor Matthew Taylor, added: “We are delighted to celebrate John Murray’s career as one of the nation’s premier sports broadcasters. John's words spark the imagination of listeners from the commentary box. Our research centre focuses on the connection between sport and society, which John's career embodies.”
ذكذكتسئµ’s graduations continue this week, with thousands of students crossing the stage at Curve Theatre.
Posted on Wednesday 9 September 2026