Match of the Day latest — Fans left divided as Gary Lineker refuses to apologise with pundit’s TV return confirmed
MATCH of the Day fans are divided after Gary Lineker confirmed his return to the BBC - but refused to apologise for his 'Nazi' comments.
The fallout from Gary Lineker's suspension from BBC rumbles on but the Match Of The Day host is set to return for the FA Cup this week after crunch talks with the corporation.
Lineker today shared a statement confirming a decision had been reached - but he appeared to not apologise for his original tweet comparing the Government's new migration policy to "1930s Germany".
His statement read: "A final thought: however difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away. It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you. We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you."
But fans were left divided by the comment, with one saying: "The BBC apologises Lineker doesn't! Astonishing!," while another wrote: "Gary Lineker is a decent human while Tommy Robinson and he gang are a bunch of Vile Racist Bullies."
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Le Tissier hits out at Wright
Matt Le Tissier has hit out at Ian Wright for not backing him when he was one of three pundits sacked by Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday show in 2020.
He told GB News: "It's really interesting as Ian is taking a stand for his mate and fellow TV worker. But what's really interesting about it is that if you go back three years and have a look at the reaction of Ian Wright to the sacking of myself, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas and you will see that reaction is completely contradictory to the way he acted to this.
'So it's all very well to take this stand, but let's show a little bit of consistency Wrighty.
'If you're watching you know what I'm on about. He certainly didn't stand in solidarity with the three of us.
'It was a case of old people that have had their time and it's time to move onto some younger people. It was along those lines.'
Joey Barton's a purist
Joey Barton has had his say on the all-new MOTD.
The ex-Man City star was particularly irked by the lack of theme tune and ex-players talking s***e.
Morgan's MOTD thoughts
Piers Morgan has called out fans who say they enjoyed the new MOTD format.
The Sun columnist tweeted: "BBC should now adjust the licence fee so that everyone on Twitter pretending to prefer Match of the Day in the new format can pay £1 less a month but only ever watch it that way in future. Spoiler alert: nobody would take that deal. It’s sh*t."
Not all bad
However, some fans seem to have liked the new condensed Match of the Day.
One wrote on Twitter: "Best Match of the Day ever."
Another shared: "New Match of the Day tonight much better well done BBC hopefully other Channels will follow suit and ditch inane commentary and pundits .....Personally I would like to hear from the managers though ,my only criticism."
A third wrote: "Love the new Match Of The Day format, however it has come about... 20 minutes rather than an hour and half, action from start to finish, just what I wanted really, just goes to show when they strip it down how much waffling there is on it.."
Walker's quip
Dan Walker couldn't but offer his funny take on the length of Match of the Day.
The usual format was cut to just a 20 minute highlight show.
And immediately he saw the funny side with the below tweet.
Wallace continues...
Wallace tweeted soon after: "Has any other sporting hero , standing up for what is right, made this incredible, cultural change ever?"
It sparks a debate, doesn't it?
Funnyman tweet
Danny Wallace has had his say on the Beeb's offering of MOTD.
Theme tune solidarity
The BBC cutting the theme tune and beginning credits for MOTD caused hilarity with some fans on Twitter.
Many joked that it showed solidarity with Gary Lineker.
One wrote: "I'm guessing the intro music on Match of the day has shown solidarity with @GaryLineker aswell.
Another asked: "Did the theme tune also boycott MOTD?"
Liverpool up first
Highlights for Liverpool's defeat to Bournemouth up first.
No commentary at all - just edited highlights, cheers and the thud of the ball being kicked.
It's surreal.
Missing credits
Those expecting to see the famous MOTD credits are disappointed.
Straight into highlights. No theme tune. Mad.
Just 20 minutes
In 10 minutes, Match of the Day starts.
What would have been an eighty minute show has now been whittled down to just 20 minutes.
No host, no punditry, just highlights.
What will the public make of it?
Labour leader addressed the BBC vs Lineker situation
Keir Starmer joined the group of people who disagree with the BBC’s decision to drop Gary Lineker.
He said: “It is not impartial for BBC to cave in to Tory MPs complaining about Gary Lineker, it’s the opposite of impartial. They got this one badly wrong and now they’re very, very exposed.
“What they should be doing is standing up, accepting they’ve broken the asylum system, and telling us what they’re going to do to actually fix it, not whingeing on about Gary Lineker.”
Lineker for PM
One Man City fan showed his support for Gary Lineker with a brilliant banner in the stands.
When the cameras caught the hilarious supporter, it was clear where he thought the ex-England striker's future lies.
Lineker won't back down
BBC boss Tim Davie was last night locked in a personal shootout with Gary Lineker after a day of chaos for the Beeb’s sports coverage.
Davie insisted he would not quit while Lineker refuses to back down amid a row over his controversial tweets.
The saga saw Match of the Day cut from 80 minutes to just 20 and several other football shows axed as other stars walked out in support.
BBC bosses have demanded Lineker agree to stop posting political messages online after he commented on the Government’s small boats policies.
But a source close to the £1.35million-a-year England legend insisted he would carry on.
Actor Reece Dinsdale hits out at BBC
The Corrie and Emmerdale star took to Twitter to comment on the BBC’s decision to drop Gary Lineker from Match of the Day.
He pointed out how Gary was allowed to make an opening speech on the BBC’s coverage highlighting the controversies surrounding the FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar last December, but then couldn’t comment on his own social media about his country’s policy.
Reece Dinsdale tweeted: “He can comment on human rights in Qatar whilst presenting the BBC’s coverage of the World Cup but he can’t comment on the state of his OWN country’s government for himself. How does that balance up, then?”
'There's a lot of questions that need to be answered'
Former senior BBC head of religion and ethics told shared his thoughts on Lineker's situation with the BBC.
He said: “I think they've made a difficult decision, whether it's the right thing or not only they can tell you. But a lot of people disagree with what they've suggested simply because many people would point to the hypocrisy of that particular decision.
“And they’d also point to the fact that Gary is a sports presenter. His views are pretty well known anyway, regards to this and many other particular kinds of subjects.
"He's not a news and current affairs presenter. And, you know, we need to ask is he entitled to have an opinion as a freelance employee, not a full time employee?
"Can the BBC, or any employer, really police somebody who has a job which is actually only a part time job? He's a freelancer. And so this opens up a whole load of issues, I can understand the BBC wanting to get to the bottom of it.
"My question would only be actually, you know, did they really understand the makeup of how people operate these days. Gary has a portfolio career. He has a number of employers.
"And so can the BBC really impose its particular perspective on social media policy on somebody who is a freelancer, as opposed to somebody who is a full time worker?
“So I actually think there's a lot of questions that need to be answered. And I think what it does is show you that the nature of how we work has changed radically.
"He really is a freelancer, and a lot of freelancers work for many different organisations. If he was a full time member of staff at the BBC, I think that would be a completely different conversation.
“It's complicated because of the nature of his contract. And the fact that he's not actually a news and current affairs presenter. And I think we've lost sight of that.”
What Ian Wright said on his podcast about the Lineker tweet
Before breaking the news that Gary Lineker is being sacked from the BBC, Ian Wright released his latest podcast episode in which he explained the row.
He said: "I'll tell you something. If they do - the BBC get rid of Gary Lineker - I'm out, I'm gone. I'm not staying there. On his own platform he should be able to say what he wants to say.
"Gary's tweet was the headline news, bro. They need Gary Lineker to distract everybody because for me it is a human issue, it's not political.
"They've got no empathy. The most vulnerable ones are always the ones that suffer, they're the ones that suffer and it starts with words. Gary Lineker, he retweeted from a German professor about - because the Hitler thing is what they all jumped on and everything like that.
"He retweeted saying that it all starts with language, it starts with words, they don't just start throwing people into concentration camps, it starts with words and language."
Gary Lineker might have presented Match of the Day for 'the last time'
Former controller of editorial policy at the BBC, Richard Ayre, said that there might be no space for reconciliation between Gary Lineker and the national broadcaster.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Saturday, he said: "It is an irreconcilable position, I think, between the BBC guidelines and Gary who, perfectly understandably, feels that he has a right as an individual to express his views on any issue, however politically contentious it may be, and the BBC takes a different view because its guidelines lay down particular rules for people who are really high-profile BBC personalities, and I don't think it's likely that in the coming days they're going to be reconciled.
"It may already have been the last time we've seen Gary presenting Match Of The Day, unfortunately.
"The BBC, in this time of all times, has to tread as straight a line as it can between the parties and avoid taking sides in its own output, and the BBC believes it also has to ensure that those key people who are identified as the BBC in the public mind also walk a straight line in what they say on their private social network
"It's a sad occasion for viewers, for anybody who's interested in football, it will be very sad if they can't reconcile with Gary. He is superlative, he is absolutely extraordinarily good, not just as a football pundit, of course, but I think, in my 50 or so years of association with the BBC, I've never come across such a naturally gifted television presenter.
"He's terrific and it will be very sad if he goes, but frankly the BBC and its reputation is bigger and more important than any individual, even Gary."
General director won't resign
The BBC's crisis-engulfed director general says he will not resign over the fallout of Gary Lineker's suspension from Match Of The Day.
he free speech row triggered a mass walk out of presenters - plunging Match Of The Day into chaos and Football Focus being pulled off air.
But despite the carnage engulfing the taxpayer funded corporation, the Beeb's director general Tim Davie has refused to step down.
Describing the carnage as a "difficult day" he apologised for the disruption to BBC sports programming.
He told the BBC on Saturday: "I’m sorry audiences have been affected and they haven’t got the programming.
"As a keen sports fan I know to miss programming is a real blow and I’m sorry about that.
"We are working very hard to resolve this situation and make sure we get output on air."
Mr Davie did not confirm whether he had spoken to Mr Lineker in last 24 hours.
But he said: "Everyone wants to calmly resolve the situation.
"Gary Lineker’s the best in the business - that’s not for debate."
Wayne Lineker offers to step in
Gary Lineker's party-loving brother Wayne has weighed in on the furore surrounding his sibling’s future.
That’s by declaring he’s “looking forward to standing in” for the England legend on Match of the Day in a hilarious social media post.
Lineker was axed by BBC chiefs after comparing the Government’s language around its small boats crackdown to that of 1930s Germany.
The former England and Leicester star has refused to back down.
And fellow presenters Alan Shearer and Ian Wright then pulled out of tonight’s MOTD broadcast.
It will instead go out with no host or post-match analysis after potential stand-ins ruled themselves out of the running.
Labour MP hits out at BBC
Angela Rayner has took to Twitter to address BBC and suggest that they "rethink" their decision about removing Gary Lineker from Match of the Day.
She said: "The BBC’s cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure from Tory politicians. They should rethink."
'Listening mode'
BBC director general Tim Davie has revealed he is listening to feedback about how editorial guidelines are applied to different BBC staff.
When asked if Lord Sugar, Chris Packham or Karren Brady would be removed for their political opinions, he said: "the current guidelines as they exist today... do draw distinction between those people who are seen as pan-BBC figures... that are different to those appearing on programmes. We can debate that.
“I am in listening mode. I want to make sure that going forward we have a workable solution.”
Petition to reinstate Gary Lineker is created
has created a petition to have Gary Lineker reinstated to Match of the Day.
So far, it has reached almost 162,500 signatures with a statement saying: "Gary Lineker has been forced to step back from presenting Match of the Day after tweeting critically about the government's migrant policy.
"As a freelance sports presenter, Mr Lineker should be able to share his personal views on current affairs. Many other BBC faces have posted controversial opinions on social media without sanction.
"Meanwhile, the BBC chair Richard Sharp remains in post - despite helping to arrange an £800,000 loan for the former Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he was applying for his job.
"The Mirror believes Mr Lineker should be able to return to our screens as soon as possible."
Alan Brazil 'ready to step in'
Scottish broadcaster and former football player Alan Brazil is stepping in for Gary Lineker following his ongoing dispute with the BBC.
Ad vans were seen on location promoting Brazil's gig.
Credit: Tom Pettiford | TalkSport
