The BBC’s decision to stand Lineker down from its flagship football highlights programme caused a pundit boycott and left producers scrambling to keep the show alive, reports Miguel Delaney
Downing Street calls Gary Lineker’s criticism of asylum policy ‘unacceptable’
Get our free Morning Headlines email to get news from our correspondents around the world
Subscribe to our free Morning Headlines email
Match of The Day commentators joined in boycotting the BBC show after the broadcaster announced it would be broadcast on Saturday without presenters or critics due to Gary Lineker’s removal from the show.
It comes as former England and MOTD footballers including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have pulled out of the show “in solidarity” with Lineker, who has been asked to “step back” from his position.
The presenter was embroiled in a spat over neutrality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with Germany in the 1930s.
In a joint statement posted online, commentators said, “We have decided to step down from tomorrow night’s broadcast.”
“We are relieved that football fans who wish to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use the World Feed commentary if they wish. However, in the circumstances, we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme.” .
The BBC said: “We understand their position and have decided that the program should focus on match action without presenting the studio or the newscast.”
The row was sparked by his response on Twitter to an Interior Ministry video in which Home Secretary Suela Braverman revealed plans to stop people from crossing the canal on small boats.
The main points
How the chaos of Gary Lineker and Match of the Day unfolded – and the BBC’s fallout
The BBC and the presenters were planning to go ahead with Match of the Day as normal until lunchtime on Friday, before the broadcaster tried to persuade Gary Lineker to agree to a solution the main host deemed unacceptable. The company was left scrambling to find a replacement team late Friday night, after being turned down by a series of figures within the industry.
The Independent He was told the BBC hierarchy, above BBC Sport, wanted Lineker to agree to a public statement that would essentially amount to an apology and an expression that he would be more careful on social media, which sources close to have said. From the standpoint he was rightly seen as the lieutenant colonel “humiliating himself”.
Match of the Day commentators join the boycott of the BBC programme
Match of The Day commentators joined in boycotting the BBC show after the broadcaster announced it would be broadcast on Saturday without presenters or critics due to Gary Lineker’s removal from the show.
In a joint statement posted online, the commentators said: “As commentators for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, we have decided to step down from tomorrow night’s broadcast.”
“We are relieved that football fans who want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use the World Feed commentary if they wish.
However, under the circumstances, we do not feel it would be appropriate to participate in the programme.
The BBC will have to find out what Gary Lineker already knows – sport is political
For a program that was only meant to be about goals, Match of the day It was now about something else entirely – not least the future of the programme, the BBC, impartiality in journalism and football’s role in politics.
This is a new era, and the BBC and its flagship football program will have to adapt to it and think about it for real.
DJ Fatboy Slim shows his support for Gary Lineker during the live performance
Fatboy Slim showed his support for Match of the Day host Gary Lineker during a live show on Friday night.
The face of the BBC football expert was featured as part of the visual effects used on the DJ set at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.
Other faces including Prince and Greta Thunberg are included as part of the show.
When Lineker’s image appeared behind him, Fatboy Slim turned to clap for the analyst, encouraging the crowd to do the same and prompting cheers.
Enough respect for @ImWithGary, said the DJ, real name Norman Quentin Cook, as he shared the video on Twitter.
Commentators at the Ministry of Transport and Communications continue to boycott the BBC programme
Saturday’s match will be played without a presenter, analysts and several regular commentators, following the fallout from Gary Lineker’s suspension on the BBC programme.
Former England and MOTD footballers including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have previously announced they will boycott the show in solidarity with Lineker.
Late Friday evening, several of the show’s commentators posted a joint statement online, announcing that they too would be resigning from the Saturday broadcast.
“As commentators for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, we have decided to step down from tomorrow night’s broadcast,” the statement read.
“We are relieved that football fans who want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use the World Feed commentary if they wish.
However, under the circumstances, we do not feel it would be appropriate to participate in the programme.
Commentators at the Department of Commerce and Development including Steve Wilson, Connor McNamara, Robin Rowen and Stephen Wyeth contributed to the statement.
Viewers cancel license fees after a day of controversy on the BBC
Several Twitter users have posted pictures on social media to show that they have canceled monthly direct debits of their TV license fees in response to a day of controversy for the BBC about Gary Lineker.
Simon Gordon, a learning and disability support worker, told PA: “I have felt for some time that there was a bias towards the government as shown by the BBC in their news coverage.”
The treatment of Gary Lineker this week confirmed what I had feared. Fiona Bruce described Stanley Johnson in question time last night, beating his wife ‘just once’ seemed further evidence of that.
The BBC’s decision not to broadcast the (Sir) David Attenborough episode in case it offended right-wing viewers was the final straw.”
Angela Riley, an outdoor nursery manager from Edinburgh, Scotland, shared a guardian An article about the controversy surrounding Sir David’s series of documentaries on Twitter read: “That’s it – our monthly TV license has been canceled until further notice.
“I can no longer continue in good faith to fund the slow and relentless attack on the integrity of the BBC by this (Conservative) government.”
What did Gary Lineker say about the feud?
Here’s the latest tweet on the line from Gary Lineker, posted Thursday afternoon just after 2pm, simpler times:
Andy Gregory
EXCLUSIVE: How Gary Lineker and Match of the Day chaos broke out
The BBC and the presenters were planning to go ahead with Match of the Day as normal until lunchtime on Friday, before the broadcaster tried to persuade Gary Lineker to agree to a solution the main host deemed unacceptable.
The company was left scrambling to find a replacement team late Friday night, after being turned down by a series of figures within the industry.
Our main football writer Miguel Delaney This report contains how the day developed:
BBC defends Fiona Bruce after being criticized for interfering with question time
And in another BBC row, she defended the broadcaster question timeFiona Bruce is against accusations that she downplayed domestic violence during a discussion about Stanley Johnson.
The presenter intervened when journalist Yasmine Alibhai Brown called Boris Johnson’s father a “wife-beater” on Thursday’s episode.
Bruce said: “I don’t question what she says, but so everyone knows what this refers to, Stanley Johnson’s wife spoke to journalist Tom Power, and said that Stanley Johnson broke her nose and that she ended up in hospital as a result.” Stanley Johnson has not commented publicly. On it. Friends said it did happen but it was a one-time event.”
After the show, public figures including Labor MP Kate Osborne and Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazir accused her of downplaying the seriousness of domestic violence.
But in a statement released on Friday, the BBC said: “Domestic violence is abhorrent, and we never wish to suggest otherwise. When serious allegations are made on air against people or organisations, it is the BBC presenters’ job to ensure that the context is given to the allegations.” – and any right of reply from the person or organization – is given to the public, which is what Fiona Bruce was doing last night.
She was not expressing any personal opinion about the situation.
Photo report: Gary Lineker backs out from today’s game amid row over asylum claims
Gary Lineker withdraws from today’s match amid the dispute over his asylum statements
The BBC and the presenters were planning to go ahead with Match of the Day as normal up until Friday lunchtime, before the broadcaster attempted to get Gary Lineker to agree to a solution that was seen as unacceptable by the flagship host. It left the corporation scrambling to find an alternative team as late as Friday evening, having been rejected by a series of figures within the industry.
The Independent has been told that the BBC hierarchy, above BBC Sport, wanted Lineker to agree to a public statement that would have essentially amounted to an apology and an expression that he would be more careful on social media, which sources close to the situation said would have been rightly seen as the presenter “humiliating himself”.
It was consequently the BBC’s decision to take him off Match of the Day. Lineker had already been in contact with Ian Wright, when the former Arsenal striker told the host that he would fully back him if anything changed and be prepared to walk from the show.
