[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".

 

[Wozza]

My favourite Tweet of the night...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I’m sure most companies have social media policies and other HR policies and if you break them, you expect consequences.
Mine does and forms part of your annual recertification of contract.

So if the BBC have this policy for employment, then why does he expect no sanctions for breaking the rules ?

He isn’t employed by the BBC. He is freelance.

 

[clapham_gull]

It would also be unprofessional, we the public shouldn’t suffer although Micah Richards striking in solidarity weakens this argument

Nothing unprofessional about withdrawing your labour.

 

[sparkie]

The Bungling Broadcasting Corporation couldn't have handled this any worse.

The tiny molehill has become a mountain and they've shone the spotlight on Lineker's tweet words.

If they'd just done nothing nobody would be thinking about this tonight or over the weekend.

OwnGoal-tastic !

 

[Eric the meek]

Why does he stay there and the club should be doing there upmost to ban every single fan

I can't answer that. It's his career, his decision. I heard this from a lifelong Everton fan, who was disgusted and sickened by it. She didn't go into detail, but from what little she did impart, it was obviously happening. Inexplicable. I just hope that Neal Maupay is OK.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The whole point is that if they were seeking asylum they could already have done so. Ergo they must be illegal economic migrants

Where can they claim asylum?

 

[BrightonLoyal]

Why?

Err because I don’t like him and think MOTD would be better with someone else as the main presenter

 

[KZNSeagull]

It says a lot about the BBC that the coverage of this story on the BBC website is excellent.

 

[drew]

It would also be unprofessional, we the public shouldn’t suffer although Micah Richards striking in solidarity weakens this argument

Why would it be unprofessional? It's not like they are doctors and lives are at stake? In 2013 I believe BBC journalists went on strike so it isn't without precedent.

 

[Icy Gull]

Possibly no commentary either!

Even less to ruin your enjoyment!

As long as the crowds don’t join in by staying silent, yeah that would be fine too.

Next you’ll post that the camera crews are also joining in, now that would bugger things up.

 

[ROBS BROTHER]

The alternatives are set out in the UN refugee and human rights policy. Followed by many other countries around the world but sadly ignored by conservative policy.

Your right wing press has got its foot on the throat of this issue though and is unlikely to allow much movement back to a reasonable solutio

You can't help yourself can you. First we are friends despite never having met.Then you ascribe ownership of the right wing press to me without having a clue which papers or periodicals I actually read if any.
To remind you the question I posed is what is the answer to the immigration problem put forward by the other UK political parties, not what the UN or other countries might say

 

[Wozza]

As long as the crowds don’t join in by staying silent, yeah that would be fine too.

Next you’ll post that the camera crews are also joining in, now that would bugger things up.

Can't rule that out. Lineker has a lot of friends in high places.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Where can they claim asylum?

First country they come to (that is ‘safe’)?

 

[Acker79]

Possibly no commentary either!

Even less to ruin your enjoyment!

I saw that tweet and wondered: if they don't have the TV commentators, would they be able to use local radio commentary - first thinking Cantor and Aspinall on MotD would be quite a highlight for them (as much as the circumstances allow), then wondering if they would also refuse to commentate if this was going to happen, and what that would mean for those of us (hoping to be) listening to the game instead of travelling.

Then wondering if the crowds could do anything. Chanting for Lineker, chanting "F the tories" for 90mins etc. But I suspect they would just use production to remove it.

 

[Weststander]

Thing is. Sue Ellen has now made it illegal to seek asylum. Asylum seeking (unless done via an embassy (in Iraq) via the appropriate channels (with the appropriate fees paid))) is now illegal.

That's a Big Thing.

That would have required Jews to stay in Germany in the 30s.

Which is Lineker's point.

I thought all this furore was in essence over the Channel boat crossings? The folk in France are safe.

In the year 30 June 2022 1.1m folk long-term migrated to the UK, 240,000 were EU nationals, 138,000 from Ukraine/HK/Afghanistan, 722,000 from the rest of the world. One way or another vast numbers of folk are entering the UK and staying here.

 

[GT49er]

He didn't say Nazi so why do you keep saying he did?

Hmmm ............ I can read the room as well as anyone, and I realise that the Government is the devil incarnate on NSC (actually it's just fairly shit) and any criticism of it has to be defended to the last defiant breath. It's a hill that many on here would choose as a hill to die on, no doubt.

.....but ............ "compared to Germany in the 1930s" ......................... how can anyone who is not naive or very stupid or so blinded by their prejuduce can't see that is referencing Nazi Germany?

Sorry - hill to die on? Nah - choose a better one! If Wrighty and Shearer have chosen to die on it, well that's a shame. I liked them too, as well as Lineker. But things change - what was acceptable once is now appalling (we are so frequently informed) - so I guess we'll all soon get used to a new, refreshed MOTD. Well, apart frorm those who feel compelled to stick needles in their eyes so they can't see it, of course - not watching MOTD could soon be a bit like virtue signalling about not reading the Daily Mail when the revamped version comes on line, eh?
C'est la vie.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You can't help yourself can you. First we are friends despite never having met.Then you ascribe ownership of the right wing press to me without having a clue which papers or periodicals I actually read if any.
To remind you the question I posed is what is the answer to the immigration problem put forward by the other UK political parties, not what the UN or other countries might say

Why did Theresa May turn down President Macron’s offer of an asylum processing centre in France?
Why did the boats increase from 43 in 2018, to thousands last year?
Why did Britain throw out the Dublin Agreement, which enabled us to return migrants to Europe, when we left the EU?

 

[LamieRobertson]

I saw that tweet and wondered: if they don't have the TV commentators, would they be able to use local radio commentary - first thinking Cantor and Aspinall on MotD would be quite a highlight for them (as much as the circumstances allow), then wondering if they would also refuse to commentate if this was going to happen, and what that would mean for those of us (hoping to be) listening to the game instead of travelling.

Then wondering if the crowds could do anything. Chanting for Lineker, chanting "F the tories" for 90mins etc. But I suspect they would just use production to remove it.

Or chant F Lineker?

 

[Randy McNob]

I tell you what, let's check the ratings / viewers for tomorrows show, compare them to what they usually get, then we can judge if Lineker's views are out of step with public opinion

 

[ROBS BROTHER]

Where can they claim asylum?

Can I suggest in any of the countries they travelled through to reach the Channel coast