[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".

 

[Is it PotG?]

Just ordered one of these for Sunday.

 

[Stato]

Pretty much, yep - well, ideally basically option b). without any need to mention Nazis at all (and yes, we all know he didn't use the word 'Nazi' - but equally we all know that 'Germany in the 1930s' wasn't referencing the price of fish).

Too late now though. The story that we have a government willing to trample all over the human rights of displaced and desperate people asking us for help is now wrapping that fish. Lineker did them a favour by allow them to distract away from the difficult questions that the BBC etc should have been asking them.

Apart from anything else, what kind of incompetent buffoon presents a policy with an admission in its introduction that it may very well be illegal. Legislation's not a cheap process. Spend our money on a definitely legal alternative then! I'm sure you could find something equally horrible, yet legal to do to these poor people that would win you the votes from bigots that you're looking for.

Just avoid mentioning that they're getting on boats because you've closed virtually all of the legal ways to make application for asylum from overseas, nor that even those who are able to apply are facing the worst response times ever, nor that we're all paying to keep those that do make it, because you won't let them contribute anything by earning a living whilst they wait for their case to be decided. And of course, definitely don't admit that allowing in every one of the 45,000 a year mentioned in your scare story wouldn't make a small dent in the country's huge number of job vacancies that has been stifling your beloved growth ever since you forced loads of the very productive, tax contributing EU nationals out of the country, just to avoid losing bigot votes to Farage's brigade of Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscotts.

 

[Easy 10]

That completely silent 20 minutes "show" they put out on Saturday night in place of MOTD was absolutely shit. If that was the norm every week then I definitely wouldn't bother with it. I look forward to that 90-odd minutes of highlights and - yes - the analysis (as long as its not Micah Richards). I like seeing the controversies picked apart, I like hearing what the have to say on BHA, I like some of the tactical stuff they go into.

Anyone who actually PREFERRED that pitiful little 20 minute offering they put up to the usual show is, IMO, a bit odd. Might as well avoid MOTD altogether and just wait for the goals roundup on SSN.

 

[nicko31]

That completely silent 20 minutes "show" they put out on Saturday night in place of MOTD was absolutely shit. If that was the norm every week then I definitely wouldn't bother with it. I look forward to that 90-odd minutes of highlights and - yes - the analysis (as long as its not Micah Richards). I like seeing the controversies picked apart, I like hearing what the have to say on BHA, I like some of the tactical stuff they go into.

Anyone who actually PREFERRED that pitiful little 20 minute offering they put up to the usual show is, IMO, a bit odd. Might as well avoid MOTD altogether and just wait for the goals roundup on SSN.

I didn't bother, if you want to just watch limited highlights with no comment there's Youtube or Seagulls player

Some utter planks like Tory MP John Redwood on twitter saying it was better than usual. I wouldn't be surprised if he never watched MOTD in his life.

 

[Berty23]

That completely silent 20 minutes "show" they put out on Saturday night in place of MOTD was absolutely shit. If that was the norm every week then I definitely wouldn't bother with it. I look forward to that 90-odd minutes of highlights and - yes - the analysis (as long as its not Micah Richards). I like seeing the controversies picked apart, I like hearing what the have to say on BHA, I like some of the tactical stuff they go into.

Anyone who actually PREFERRED that pitiful little 20 minute offering they put up to the usual show is, IMO, a bit odd. Might as well avoid MOTD altogether and just wait for the goals roundup on SSN.

My thoughts exactly. It was comical how the right of the tory party said it was better with no comms and pundits. Like John Redwood ever watched motd ffs.

Part of the fun of watching motd is being wound up by any analysis that misses how amazing we are. How the pundits are wrong because they take a different view on a subjective call than we do with all our bias. It is an entertainment show. If people just want the highlights then watch the short highlights without analysis.

 

[Eric the meek]

That completely silent 20 minutes "show" they put out on Saturday night in place of MOTD was absolutely shit. If that was the norm every week then I definitely wouldn't bother with it. I look forward to that 90-odd minutes of highlights and - yes - the analysis (as long as its not Micah Richards). I like seeing the controversies picked apart, I like hearing what the have to say on BHA, I like some of the tactical stuff they go into.

Anyone who actually PREFERRED that pitiful little 20 minute offering they put up to the usual show is, IMO, a bit odd. Might as well avoid MOTD altogether and just wait for the goals roundup on SSN.

What that 20 minute offering provided though, was a clear message from the staff who didn't turn up. It highlighted what they add to the program. And IMO, there was a gaping hole without them. In their absence, the program was sterile, uninteresting, impersonal and lacked its usual warmth and banter.

 

[Easy 10]

I didn't bother, if you want to just watch limited highlights with no comment there's Youtube or Seagulls player

Some utter planks like Tory MP John Redwood on twitter saying it was better than usual. I wouldn't be surprised if he never watched MOTD in his life.

I watced it on Saturday more out of a slightly morbid interest than anything else, just to see what they'd do with it. It was just as bad if not worse than I'd expected.

There was a cantankerous old spanner in my local yesterday, loudly proclaiming to his captive audience, again and again, how "brilliant" MOTD was last night with "no f*cking Lineker and no f*cking pundits", wishing it was like that every week. I was sooooo tempted just to bark out "well don't f*cking WATCH IT then". But, as I'm english, I just rolled my eyes and went back to my paper.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Too late now though. The story that we have a government willing to trample all over the human rights of displaced and desperate people asking us for help is now wrapping that fish. Lineker did them a favour by allow them to distract away from the difficult questions that the BBC etc should have been asking them.

Apart from anything else, what kind of incompetent buffoon presents a policy with an admission in its introduction that it may very well be illegal. Legislation's not a cheap process. Spend our money on a definitely legal alternative then! I'm sure you could find something equally horrible, yet legal to do to these poor people that would win you the votes from bigots that you're looking for.

Just avoid mentioning that they're getting on boats because you've closed virtually all of the legal ways to make application for asylum from overseas, nor that even those who are able to apply are facing the worst response times ever, not that we're all paying to keep those that do make it, because you won't let them contribute anything by earning a living whilst they wait for their case to be decided. And of course, definitely don't admit that allowing in every one of the 45,000 a year mentioned in your scare story wouldn't make a small dent in the country's huge number of job vacancies that has been stifling your beloved growth ever since you forced loads of the very productive, tax contributing EU nationals out of the country, just to avoid losing bigot votes to Farage's brigade of Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscotts.

Don’t mention it includes deporting unaccompanied children to heaven knows where, and to heaven knows who.
Caroline Noakes, ex immigration minister, has already said she won’t vote for it. I really hope more Tories rebel.

 

[Easy 10]

What that 20 minute offering provided though, was a clear message from the staff who didn't turn up. It highlighted what they add to the program. And IMO, there was a gaping hole without them. In their absence, the program was sterile, uninteresting, impersonal and lacked its usual warmth and banter.

Yep. I gather it fulfilled some kind of contractual obligation to the EPL, but the production staff clearly wanted to put out the absolute bare minimum they could get away with. And despite a few contrary oddballs claiming it was somehow "better", it was a total shitshow and an embarrassment for the BBC. Job done, in that regard.

 

[Beanstalk]

I watced it on Saturday more out of a slightly morbid interest than anything else, just to see what they'd do with it. It was just as bad if not worse than I'd expected.

There was a cantankerous old spanner in my local yesterday, loudly proclaiming to his captive audience, again and again, how "brilliant" MOTD was last night with "no f*cking Lineker and no f*cking pundits", wishing it was like that every week. I was sooooo tempted just to bark out "well don't f*cking WATCH IT then". But, as I'm english, I just rolled my eyes and went back to my paper.

I find the most annoying thing about people like that is that they don't have to watch Match of the Day. We live in an age where, with a little bit of research and effort, you can consume pretty much any version of the Premier League that you like. Want to just watch the reaction and no highlights? YouTube. Want to just watch the footage with no analysis? YouTube. Want to watch the footage immediately after it happens with Arabic commentary? Twitter. Want to watch it with no commentary as was presented on Saturday night? It's very easy to find that as well.

The only conclusion is that those sorts of people just don't want people to enjoy things. They are so miserable that they can only take pleasure in taking away from others joy. It's pathetic really.

 

[Stato]

Don’t mention it includes deporting unaccompanied children to heaven knows where, and to heaven knows who.
Caroline Noakes, ex immigration minister, has already said she won’t vote for it. I really hope more Tories rebel.

Exactly. And in this case, would Lineker be allowed to mention that there is direct historical evidence available to prove that this is as much of a bad idea as it sounds?

Britain's child migrant programme: why 130,000 children were shipped abroad

The national child abuse inquiry is hearing testimony from people who were shipped as children to Australia. Some children sent to former colonies between the 1920s and 1970s faced servitude, hard labour and abuse

www.theguardian.com

 

[Easy 10]

I find the most annoying thing about people like that is that they don't have to watch Match of the Day. We live in an age where, with a little bit of research and effort, you can consume pretty much any version of the Premier League that you like. Want to just watch the reaction and no highlights? YouTube. Want to just watch the footage with no analysis? YouTube. Want to watch the footage immediately after it happens with Arabic commentary? Twitter. Want to watch it with no commentary as was presented on Saturday night? It's very easy to find that as well.

The only conclusion is that those sorts of people just don't want people to enjoy things. They are so miserable that they can only take pleasure in taking away from others joy. It's pathetic really.

This bloke was a proper coffin-dodger though, so probably a technophobe who wouldn't have the first idea how to whistle up some online highlights "with no f*cking Lineker". Plus it'd give him one less thing to MOAN about to everyone.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Exactly. And in this case, would Lineker be allowed to mention that there is direct historical evidence available to prove that this is as much of a bad idea as it sounds?

Britain's child migrant programme: why 130,000 children were shipped abroad

The national child abuse inquiry is hearing testimony from people who were shipped as children to Australia. Some children sent to former colonies between the 1920s and 1970s faced servitude, hard labour and abuse

www.theguardian.com

I saw a programme about this, where children had been evacuated to the country in the 40s, but there was uncertainty as to whether their parents had survived the Blitz, so were shipped out to Australia, and used as unpaid skivvies.

Talking of dehumanising immigrants, arrivals aren’t listed by name, but given a number on a wrist band. That’s just one step away from tattooing it on their arm.

 

[Eric the meek]

Don’t mention it includes deporting unaccompanied children to heaven knows where, and to heaven knows who.
Caroline Noakes, ex immigration minister, has already said she won’t vote for it. I really hope more Tories rebel.

I wasn't aware of that. Just when you think a policy can't be any worse, you learn that actually, yes it can.

Such a policy belongs in the middle of the last century, at a time when people didn't know any better.
Children being separated from their aboriginal parents in Australia, in the misguided belief they would have a better life in the Australian care system.
Indigenous children, some believed to be as young as three years old, who went through Canada’s state-sponsored “residential school” system, aimed at eradicating the culture and languages of the country’s Indigenous populations.

Today, in 2023, in first world, 21st century Britain, we are witnessing an arguably even worse scenario. In our version, the protagonists are not even pretending to mean well.

 

[JBizzle]

A thought on those who preferred the MotD coverage without the punditry and commentary: why are they watching MotD in the first place? And why are they waiting until 10.35pm on a Saturday to watch commentary and pundit free highlights when they're available for free much earlier via a myriad of other sources?

After a match there's highlights in the following places:
- 2-3 mins on Sky's YouTube or website (free);
- 20 mins on Sky later in the day (subscription needed);
- Full coverage if selected as game of the day (subscription needed);
- 5 minutes coverage on the day on the Albion website and YouTube page + reaction and interviews (free);
- Extended highlights the next day running between 10-20 mins (free).

If they prefer MotD without the pundits (fair enough if they do), why not just watch the highlights that don't have pundits?

 

[Jim in the West]

I wasn't aware of that. Just when you think a policy can't be any worse, you learn that actually, yes it can.

Such a policy belongs in the middle of the last century, at a time when people didn't know any better.
Children being separated from their aboriginal parents in Australia, in the misguided belief they would have a better life in the Australian care system.
Indigenous children, some believed to be as young as three years old, who went through Canada’s state-sponsored “residential school” system, aimed at eradicating the culture and languages of the country’s Indigenous populations.

Today, in 2023, in first world, 21st century Britain, we are witnessing an arguably even worse scenario. In our version, the protagonists are not even pretending to mean well.

By the way, it may actually be EVEN worse than the latest update from Thunder Bolt. The Bill proposes that Unaccompanied Minors (UMs) can be detained anywhere (the Home Sec would have complete discretion) until they reach the age of 18, at which time they would be deported. Currently UMs (and pregnant women) can only be held for a maximum of 7 days in a police cell or detention centre. Under the new legislation a child or pregnant woman can be held in a detention centre for as long as the Home Sec likes. So - say an 8 year old had both his parents murdered by the Taliban, and was trafficked here with some family friends. That child could (under the new legislation) be held in a place like Manston detention centre for ten years, and then deported to Rwanda.

If you doubted how evil Suella Braverman and her cohort are, then you need to get your head around this. And I'm pretty sure virtually every Tory MP will vote for this policy. There will be a few (eg: Caroline Noakes) who are "brave" enough to defy the whips. But the Daily Mail will champion the Bill. And a certain part of the UK population will support it too. Because to them, refugees and asylum-seekers from places like Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, etc are NOT like you and I. They are somehow lesser human beings. And this is where the similarities with the 1930s are fairly obvious (not just in Germany, but in France, the UK and elsewhere). And that's why the Tory right are so keen to shut down people like Gary Lineker....they know they are stoking hatred. They know many of the things they are doing are repressive. Of course they don't have a Holocaust plan. But they have sufficiently de-humanised refugees that they couldn't really care less what happens to them.

 

[Eric the meek]

A thought on those who preferred the MotD coverage without the punditry and commentary: why are they watching MotD in the first place? And why are they waiting until 10.35pm on a Saturday to watch commentary and pundit free highlights when they're available for free much earlier via a myriad of other sources?

After a match there's highlights in the following places:
- 2-3 mins on Sky's YouTube or website (free);
- 20 mins on Sky later in the day (subscription needed);
- Full coverage if selected as game of the day (subscription needed);
- 5 minutes coverage on the day on the Albion website and YouTube page + reaction and interviews (free);
- Extended highlights the next day running between 10-20 mins (free).

If they prefer MotD without the pundits (fair enough if they do), why not just watch the highlights that don't have pundits?

A very good question. Are you wondering if their MO is not about MOTD at all, but is actually about Lineker? Are they trying, subconsciously or otherwise, to argue that MOTD is as good without Lineker et al, so they want to prove to us that he and his pundits are superfluous and not worth listening to? A roundabout way, of shooting the messenger, when what they want to say is that Lineker was wrong?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I didn't bother, if you want to just watch limited highlights with no comment there's Youtube or Seagulls player

Some utter planks like Tory MP John Redwood on twitter saying it was better than usual. I wouldn't be surprised if he never watched MOTD in his life.

Every post by an MP proclaiming how much better MOTD was on Saturday just reminded me of this.

 

[rogersix]

Why wasn't this ' solidarity ' shown when three ex players, after many years of sterling and loyal service, were sacked by Sky. Namely...Phil Thomson...Charlie Nicholas and Matt Le Tissier.

desperation, that's quite sad actually

 

[Bakero]

Tofu is only tolerable in Pot Noodles. It’s basically inedible otherwise. And yes, I realise Pot Noodles are f***ing rank too.

Thank goodness things have come on a lot in recent years for vegetarians and vegans. Imagine having to subsist on tofu!

Tofu is a brilliant ingredient.

But then I would say that as a card-carrying member of the Tofu-eating Wokerati.