Lineker leaving Match of the Day…

[quodec]

.., over political tweets!!! Wright & Shearer out with him in solidarity. Who’d dare step in to cover? Maybe till have to show repeats of old shows!!!

[Norman Breaks]

I don't feel he should have to step away from the program. He's entitled to his point of view, he's showing empathy, not hate. He wasn't using MOTD to voice his views. But...he spoke out against the establishment. Face palm to England and the BCC on this one.

[PogMoThoin22]

Love Lineker, he's a great presenter, will be missed

[Happy Days]

It's not the leaving of Lineker that griefs me. But my darling when I think of you

[Mirabeau]

Good riddance to the rubber-faced arsemuncher.

[marhay70]

Nothing wrong when he had a go at the Quataris in the World Cup but don't upset the Tories. BBC are a crock of shit these days, free speech is right, he wasn't using their platform to voice his opinion, so what's it to do with them? If it was RTE I'd understand but the BBC used to have standards.

[PlaneSpeeking]

Good riddance to the rubber-faced arsemuncher.

Could not put it better!!!!

[PlaneSpeeking]

Love Lineker, he's a great presenter, will be missed

… said no one ever …!!

[quodec]

There's talk now that the match commentators will withdraw their services for the games tomorrow. Squeaky bum time for the BBC!!

[Setanta]

Cancel culture strikes again



Can't say I've much time for linekar/MOTD (always felt analysis was poor compared to rte),


but a country,where it looks like the government is getting someone suspended for speaking out against em,is in a dark place democratically speaking.....

I seen on BBC website claims David Attenborough documentary won't be shown either over perceived backlash from right wing elements....these are same clowns who demoan cancel culture,either they want free speech or not

[nlgbbbblth]

Cancel culture strikes again



Can't say I've much time for linekar/MOTD (always felt analysis was poor compared to rte),


but a country,where it looks like the government is getting someone suspended for speaking out against em,is in a dark place democratically speaking.....

I seen on BBC website claims David Attenborough documentary won't be shown either over perceived backlash from right wing elements....these are same clowns who demoan cancel culture,either they want free speech or not

RTE's The Premiership / Premier Soccer Saturday (1998-2013) was seriously biased against Manchester City. They were never the featured game (unless it was Manchester derby) and barely got a mention in the round-ups. Totally dismissive. As a City fan since the late 1970s it was galling to watch.

[Boardsie Exile]

I think Match of the Day is doomed to go the way of Top of the Pops, it just isn't relevant to a younger generation who get their media via their phones. You can also get the goals of each EPL game within the hour of fulltime via Sky's youtube channel. Making motd even more redundant.

This fiasco will likely hasten its demise.

[marhay70]

RTE's The Premiership / Premier Soccer Saturday (1998-2013) was seriously biased against Manchester City. They were never the featured game (unless it was Manchester derby) and barely got a mention in the round-ups. Totally dismissive. As a City fan since the late 1970s it was galling to watch.

RTE biased against City? What about that prick Scahill and United? As a lifelong United supporter, I actually quite enjoy watching City play, especially since Guardiola took over. I know people say it's money bought success but you can't buy the sort of relationship that players have on the pitch, like what Fergie's teams had, and the great Barca teams or Bill Nicholson's Spurs teams. I don't see that in PSG and only intermittently in the current Madrid team.

Back on topic though and the BBC may have bitten off more than they can chew in this. Lineker is a popular man in football and a well respected professional and former international and England Captain. The PFA is considering mounting a boycott of the programme which will effectively take it off the air, and could end soccer coverage on the BBC for the foreseeable future.

[Hairy-Joe]

Cancel culture strikes again



Can't say I've much time for linekar/MOTD (always felt analysis was poor compared to rte),


but a country,where it looks like the government is getting someone suspended for speaking out against em,is in a dark place democratically speaking.....

I seen on BBC website claims David Attenborough documentary won't be shown either over perceived backlash from right wing elements....these are same clowns who demoan cancel culture,either they want free speech or not

Couldn't have put it better.

I've no interest in soccer at all but the BBC are running scared of offending the Tories. I always thought that the function of media was to treat all equally and report the news.

Yes the Tories (and a lot of other politicians in other countries) are oppressing the media. I can see this being the thin edge of the wedge in the manner of Hungary, Turkey, etc

Edit Yes I regard Linekar's tweet as reporting the news and making a comparison for others to understand

[marhay70]

I think Match of the Day is doomed to go the way of Top of the Pops, it just isn't relevant to a younger generation who get their media via their phones. You can also get the goals of each EPL game within the hour of fulltime via Sky's youtube channel. Making motd even more redundant.

This fiasco will likely hasten its demise.

Real football supporters don't just want to see goals. Why would they stand for hours in the freezing cold and the pissing rain, having paid huge sums of hard earned cash, if that was the case? They like to see action and build-ups and have analysis by experts, that they can agree or disagree with. The MOTD format has outlasted a lot of others and I think, has life in it yet.

[marhay70]

Couldn't have put it better.

I've no interest in soccer at all but the BBC are running scared of offending the Tories. I always thought that the function of media was to treat all equally and report the news.

Yes the Tories (and a lot of other politicians in other countries) are oppressing the media. I can see this being the thin edge of the wedge in the manner of Hungary, Turkey, etc

Edit Yes I regard Linekar's tweet as reporting the news and making a comparison for others to understand

Oppressing what media? The Daily Mail? The Daily Telegraph? These are exactly the media who are baying for Lineker to be thrown in the Tower, never to see the light of day again.
There is only one element to blame here and that is the right wing, Brexiteer, ERG wing of the Tory Party. The Johnsons, the Reese-Moggs, The Bravermanns all those with no interest in the future of the UK or Ireland, only in themselves and the Cayman Islands. Scum.

[Happy Days]

I find it ironic that they very ones who condemn cancel culture are now the one calling for Linekars head. Bunch of hypocrites

[PlaneSpeeking]

I find it ironic that they very ones who condemn cancel culture are now the one calling for Linekars head. Bunch of hypocrites

Exactly! I hate the man, his opinion was abhorrent but no one should lose their job for an opinion.

[BrianD3]

I don't pay much attention to what the UK government is saying re: immigration so don't have any strong opinions on what Lineker said.

Lineker disagrees with what's happening - grand - he could have done so without making comparisons with Nazi Germany which is guaranteed to inflame any discussion.

I think this debacle is a culmination of the politicisation of sport in the era of social media and virtue signalling. Sports people use their status to push political views and in many cases, we're not dealing with historians or intellectuals here. Anyone remember how Lineker was caught out in the Brass Eye Paedogeddon special on Channel 4? "Pipe to Pipe Bushman" and all that.

As for BBC Sport colleagues going out in solidarity - all may not be as it seems. I'm sure most of us here have felt pressured into doing something we felt uncomfortable with due to peer pressure. If the likes of Alan Shearer had been seen to side with the BBC on this, he would have been torn apart on social media.

Should Lineker be allowed to express personal opinions on social media using the disclaimer that they are his own opinions and not those of the BBC? I'm on the fence on that. One of the reasons why people can express strong opinions on this site and the likes of boards is because there is a degree of anonymity. I used to be a public (not civil) servant and have often expressed opinions on boards that I would not do in real life or on a platform with zero anonymity.

Ultimately I think the BBC's main mistake here is not having clear enough policies on impartiality, social media and political views for ALL its employees and contractors - not just those working in news and current affairs. Would Lineker have turned down his 7 figure p.a. pay if he was contractually prohibited from expressing personal political views on Twitter - would he fcuk.

[Apelles]

Sorry, misread an article

[gugleguy]

Cormac now interviewing pundit about BBC's handling of Lineker in light of scandal on drivetime

Of course Cormac asks pundit how he thought BBC handled issue: naturally pundit sez BBC handled terribly.


I suppose Cormac should really have then recommended that RTE could have supplied person to review situation.
Somebody to.see who was more 'woke' in this situation: BBC or Gary Linekar.
/Sarcasm

[Jack The Stripper]

Only time now before some one from rte breaks ranks.