[Football] Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

[Titanic]

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting Match of the Day until agreement reached on social media use - BBC statement

www.bbc.co.uk

Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use - BBC statement.
It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.
In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government to set out its plan to "that used by Germany in the 30s".

 

[Eeyore]

I'm a bit nonplussed by this, as the reaction on all sides seems a bit over the top to what doesn't seem a remarkably controversial tweet.

It's a lot more than that. It's about a government backed crusade against the BBC. The very fact that they have put their own stooges in charge of key positions too. It's also about the inconsistancies.

I'm really glad to see this mass bundle. I love the BBC. Always have. And because of that I want it returned to impartiality in its fullness.

I haven't voted Tory for over 30 years. But I'm happy for Tories to present non political programmes and have their say outside of that. It works both ways.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Why doesn't Lineker just do as he's told? I for one am not at all interested in his opinions, particularly when they're completely misguided. Sack him I say....

What was he told?

 

[Wozza]

Why doesn't Lineker just do as he's told? I for one am not at all interested in his opinions, particularly when they're completely misguided. Sack him I say....

Out of interest, do you follow him on Twitter? If not, where do you read his political opinions - the BBC News? The Daily Mail?!

It's not while he's working for the BBC, that's for sure.

 

[trueblue]

There's a bit of confusion about player post match interviews, BBC claim they will not ask players to do interviews but apparantly players would have refused to do them so says the PFA, but Bristol Rovers have said they will not talk to the BBC either - I reckon that will snowball to all football league clubs....


View attachment 158189

This is an interesting situation as there will be interviews available on the world feed. There's no reason why the BBC can't use those for Match of the Day. If they opt not to, that in itself would be a bit of push back against the decision to remove Lineker. Kudos to those who've stepped away from the programme. Contrary to popular opinion, most people in TV are not making a fortune and freelance life is extremely precarious. It's a bold decision to put the principle ahead of the work for those on the lower end of the scale - there's no guarantee they'll be asked back in future. In such a dog eat dog industry, the decision of so many freelancers to unite behind this is quite an achievement.

 

[rogersix]

Absolutely - without Wrighty, Shearer and the others, the BBC could have bluffed this out. Lineker would slink off, and everything would be back to normal. Another slap in the face for "woke warriors" like Lineker. BBC DG could have a nice G&T with his paymasters in the Tory party, and they would all congratulate themselves.
That was the BBC's (and presumably the government's) massive miscalculation. They thought they could just slot someone else into MotD and all would be fine.

indeed, the power of a union.

fair play to all the others, the radio people and such who haven't got the comfort of the multi millionaires.

as you say, there are going to be some tory whatsapp groups lighting up this weekend!

as a true english patriot, it is a joy cheering on the underdog!

 

[portlock seagull]

I can assure you that Barney Ronay won’t have known your thoughts and opinions when he wrote that. Therefore, you are agreeing with him and not the other way round.

In other words you’ve read it uncritically, copied and pasted it, thought “that’ll do” and gone to bed.

As for the bit about not being Uni, you do realise there are copyright laws in this country? Break them again and you’ll have some time off. I’ve lost count of the times Bozza has asked people not to post images that are copyright protected and to acknowledge source when quoting an article

Apologies to Bozza if so but blimey Jason you like a sledgehammer don’t you. I’ve observed over time how strangely you can interpret fairly innocuous posts, very personally and sneery, a touch vindictive as others have pointed out in the past. Relax, chill out, and maybe drop the schoolmaster persona as it’s the weekend before resuming lessons on Monday. It’s like you’re always spoiling for a fight with certain posters, me included, because we once dared disagreed. You strike me as someone who holds onto grudges, forever. And what is it they say about those that preach tolerance being the least tolerant of all? You embody this on NSC, have done for some time in my view. Anyway, I’ve often taken long breaks from NSC and I’m about to again. Maybe you should, probably do your heart some good instead of racing up and down this website daily to squash any dissenting voices.

Get over yourself. You posted under your name with zero indication that it was from anywhere else other than your keyboard. Don't try and turn it round with your 'sneering' and 'inevitable' nonsense.
This is, as you pointed out, NSC. All kinds of shit gets posted but I like to think most of us, by and large, are up front enough with our posts. Otherwise, what would be the point? Might as well get Chatgpt to write them all.

Well, you and GB can believe what you want and be outraged by. The time might be a clue as to why a quick copy and paste would do. From the only FREE National that we all read. Do me a favour. Hardly the stuff of Poirot to make the connection. I was more than expecting a person to. Anyway, he succinctly articulated my opinion too. Making same points etc. Btw I read JS Porter has said same as me in so many words. I need to sue…

 

[hart's shirt]

BBC Sport are clearly working on a skeleton staff today. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/64405193/page/5

The live text updates don't have an Upvote / Downvote option.

No public contributions from tweets/texts have been shown.

No-one's being named for providing the live texts. (Probably a good thing to protect individuals from online abuse.)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It's a lot more than that. It's about a government backed crusade against the BBC. The very fact that they have put their own stooges in charge of key positions too. It's also about the inconsistancies.

I'm really glad to see this mass bundle. I love the BBC. Always have. And because of that I want it returned to impartiality in its fullness.

I haven't voted Tory for over 30 years. But I'm happy for Tories to present non political programmes and have their say outside of that. It works both ways.

I agree. Patrick Moore presented Sky at Night for 50 odd years, but his political leanings were horrendous. It wasn’t a secret either as he drove around with UKIP stickers all over his car, with a megaphone.

 

[portlock seagull]

This Countryfile story suggested there were six episodes (now changed to five, funnily enough), with no mention that one wouldn't make it to BBC1.

BBC Wild Isles | Everything you need to know | Countryfile.com

BBC Countryfile Magazine's guide to Wild Isles - when is it on and what will we see?

web.archive.org

And showing it on BBC3 is a total cop-out. They know the typical Daily Mail reader, who might object, would never find it/watch it there.

But let's not get sidetracked here...

Damned if do, damned if don’t. Nobody wins, think that’s clear. Except the Tories who want to destroy the BBC and Channel 4. Thanks Gary, you’re a proper martyr. Nice one.

 

[Zebedee]

The Government's new policy on tackling illegal immigration is long overdue and it doesn't seem to me to be that unreasonable. It certainly doesn't justify Lineker's idiotic reference to Nazi Germany. I'm not anti immigration but I really can't see why we should be obliged to take economic migrants who are already safe in France and have no real need to enter the UK.

 

[portlock seagull]

However, they also had a statement on their Countryfile page clearly stating the show was a six-part series with no mention of the final episode being hived on a different platform. So perhaps they're not being entirely honest after all.

EDIT - I assume that this is the Attenborough show being referred to. The quote is incomplete, If not, then apologies.

Well, they’ve strongly denied and are showing on a channel. Of course, that won’t be enough for the conspiracists.

 

[Nobby]

I'm a bit nonplussed by this, as the reaction on all sides seems a bit over the top to what doesn't seem a remarkably controversial tweet.

But that is the point isn’t it.
It has all gone viral because
1. Our current Government and their pet media have picked up on it to try to get Lineker sacked
2. Then they have washed their hands of it saying it’s up to the BBC
3. The BBC have pathetically bowed to their bullying despite never having done this sort of thing before.

The Government have scored a big own goal by highlighting it.

That is why it’s important and that’s why it’s gone viral The actual tweet is pretty innocuous in the big scheme of things - but it is highlighting just another one of our right wing governments ploys to feed their attack dogs, both in the media and in their voter base.

And people have stood up to them. In the end bully’s don’t win long term thankfully

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The Government's new policy on tackling illegal immigration is long overdue and it doesn't seem to me to be that unreasonable. It certainly doesn't justify Lineker's idiotic reference to Nazi Germany. I'm not anti immigration but I really can't see why we should be obliged to take economic migrants who are already safe in France and have no real need to enter the UK.

You’ve just shown how much you have been influenced by the rhetoric that Gary Lineker has compared to early 1930s in Germany.
Nothing you have posted is truthful. Not one word.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I agree. Patrick Moore presented Sky at Night for 50 odd years, but his political leanings were horrendous. It wasn’t a secret either as he drove around with UKIP stickers all over his car, with a megaphone.

I think he got away with it as he was universally accepted as being wildly eccentric, supremely intelligent, but daft as a brush at the same time.

 

[rogersix]

Damned if do, damned if don’t. Nobody wins, think that’s clear. Except the Tories who want to destroy the BBC and Channel 4. Thanks Gary, you’re a proper martyr. Nice one.

it's looks more likely that the beeb will be reborn

 

[Deadly Danson]

Why doesn't Lineker just do as he's told? I for one am not at all interested in his opinions,

WELL DON'T READ THEM THEN!!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think he got away with it as he was universally accepted as being wildly eccentric, supremely intelligent, but daft as a brush at the same time.

I heard him saying, on the radio, the only good German, was a dead German. His fiancée was killed in a bombing raid. He never married but became a very hateful cynical man.
A brilliant scientist, and I enjoyed his astronomy programmes, but disliked his political views, as he never forgave and blamed every German for his hate.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Apologies to Bozza if so but blimey Jason you like a sledgehammer don’t you. I’ve observed over time how strangely you can interpret fairly innocuous posts, very personally and sneery, a touch vindictive as others have pointed out in the past. Relax, chill out, and maybe drop the schoolmaster persona as it’s the weekend before resuming lessons on Monday. It’s like you’re always spoiling for a fight with certain posters, me included, because we once dared disagreed. You strike me as someone who holds onto grudges, forever. And what is it they say about those that preach tolerance being the least tolerant of all? You embody this on NSC, have done for some time in my view. Anyway, I’ve often taken long breaks from NSC and I’m about to again. Maybe you should, probably do your heart some good instead of racing up and down this website daily to squash any dissenting voices.

Well, you and GB can believe what you want and be outraged by. The time might be a clue as to why a quick copy and paste would do. From the only FREE National that we all read. Do me a favour. Hardly the stuff of Poirot to make the connection. I was more than expecting a person to. Anyway, he succinctly articulated my opinion too. Making same points etc. Btw I read JS Porter has said same as me in so many words. I need to sue…

There’s literally nothing vindictive about pointing out NSC’s copyright policy, indeed I have to. Anyone else doing the same would also have been outed and told off.

Anyway, Leeds.

 

[peterward]

It’s been mentioned on here a few times but buried in other posts. I don’t think this is really about Linekar. It’s existential regarding the BBC. Given the number of Tories parachuted into it recently it seems the government have effectively got them to shift to the right or lose their funding all together.

They have a stark choice now. Get GL back in and get their other presenters back onside, but face almost constant government interference until the next election or stand their ground and lose the goodwill of many liberals and centrists (and face constant scrutiny and questions about free speech).

Until now I’ve always defended the BBC on here as neutral. It’s clear that for now they are not.

It’s absolutely astonishing in this country that we need a footballer to feed hungry working class kids and an ex footballer to point out the country is lurching to the far right.

There's a few key points,

Is Lineker free to say whatever he likes as a very public face of the BBC?, I'd argue he should be bound by the same social media policy standards as others. In the BBC as a tax payer funded public broadcaster that bar with impartiality is higher than in other private businesses where users are not famous. Maybe Lineker hadn't signed anything, but he should be made to, like regular employees, and not be exempted because he's a millionaire star.

fwiw I've had to sign one in my employment, I'm not even allowed to say where I work on SM and colleagues have got into hot water expressing opinions publically if it may bring the employers reputation into to disrepute. I know 2 people who've been suspended, one for comments in a whatsapp group, one for post on FB.

Anyway, that was the easy bit to resolve.

The next bit is on what Lineker said as the very public face of BBC football.

He compared the new policy to try and curb people coming in Dinghys as similar to 1930s Germany as the ground was laid for the Holocaust, the largest mass murder last century, that remark is obscene.

That's also not just my opinion, the head of the Jewish Council said so too yesterday, the victims of mass murder of 6 million have rightly condemned Linekers attempts at equivalence. There is none.

I can see both sides of the immigration issue, you can't do nothing as this criminal controlled rackets expand exponentially, and whilst there will be chancers and economic migrants in those who arrive, many will be genuine. There's a bigger argument on how to deal with that, which must include safe passages and application centres, sorely missing today. The whole Rwanda thing does seem crazy and disproportionate, and this government is shit, but doing nothing was also not a feasible option.
The mechanics of a fair solution is for others, but Lineker whose political colors are pretty clear, was plain wrong to compare that too the groundwork period for a sickening genocide of the Jewish nation.

Even Starmer who has done much to sort out the Corbyn mess with the Jewish community, has jumped straight onto
the public bandwagon, and doesnt see the contradiction, in his actions defending Lineker comments of comparison that have upset the Jewish Council.

And now its a battle of wills, BBC ballsed up banning Lineker, totally OTT and it could have been resolved quietly.

I heard Alistair Campbell was a guest on Nicky Campbell yesterday on BBCR5 live and before he said a word, I told the Mrs, he'd side with Lineker regardless as he attacked the Tories and he'll use whataboutism to justify it..... its exactly what be did, saying if Sir Alan Sugar and David Attenborough can speak out so can Lineker...... none are an exception imho, they either all can't or they all can, and it's not a defense for Linekers misguided equivalence to Nazi Germany.

Which is onto final point, calling or comparing to Nazism is extremely dangerous, its what David Lammy called those who voted to leave and now Lineker makes that comparison to a policy, however misguided to resolve a real issue.

Not that it matters, but I classify myself as centrist, I believe in social justice, but what I don't believe in, is liberal intelligentsia that will hound and cancel some they don't agree with or share a world view not their own, then equally all rush to defend the misguided comments of on one of their own. Its akin to football tribalism not rationality.

No problem for those refusing to work in solidarity with their mate Lienker as BBC did over react, but Linekers public comments comparing Nazi Germany were wrong, even I agree with some of his sentiments and even if the government policy is wrong and Alan Sugar was wrong too, so was Lineker.

He's not beyond the rules that other BBC employers are bound by, he isn't bigger than the BBC and whilst he takes their millions, he's not without limits, as none of us are either.

 

[Eeyore]

BBC Sport are clearly working on a skeleton staff today. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/64405193/page/5

The live text updates don't have an Upvote / Downvote option.

No public contributions from tweets/texts have been shown.

No-one's being named for providing the live texts. (Probably a good thing to protect individuals from online abuse.)

I follow things here generally. I love this little site. Well, big site.

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