Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker will take a step back from presenting "Match of the Day," the iconic British football show, following controversy about a tweet he wrote ...

Meanwhile, Dan Walker, a former BBC Breakfast and Football Focus presenter, tweeted: “I used to sit in for Gary Lineker on MOTD… “When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”

Former England striker Gary Lineker has faced criticism from members of the Conservative party after comparing the language used to launch a new Government ...

A lot of people feel very strongly about this, and they feel that if Lineker is being taken off air, they want nothing to do with Match of the Day on Saturday either." Why are sections of the media and the press just focussing on Lineker? "What about another member of the BBC board, Sir Robbie Gibb. "Now, the rules are a little bit different depending on what area of the BBC you work in. He is somebody who has helped to arrange an £800,000 loan for the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "The question is will he ever present Match of the Day again? "But of course, Lineker doesn't work in news of current affairs. A Labour source said: "The BBC's cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure. "It will now be interesting to see what happens with other presenters, pundits, analysts and commentators. We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters." The statement continued: "When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. "Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting @BBCMOTD on Saturday.

The BBC presenter's sidelining will delight ministers eager for a distraction. The last thing they want is for us to see refugees as real people, ...

It can’t be beyond the wit of even this government to see the connection – and come up with a scheme that would open up a regular route for people who could help fill some of the 1.2m UK jobs that remain stubbornly vacant. Above all, to reflect that, but for the lottery of fate, it would not be them on those boats – it would be us. Of course, some of those coming here will be acting on the eternal and universal human impulse to move in search of a brighter future. The UK granted asylum to 13,000 people in 2021, a fraction of the 60,000 taken in by Germany and much less than half of those admitted by France. Most of those are women and children, often the victims of trafficking and exploitation. [Germany in the 30s](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/09/gary-lineker-says-he-stands-by-remarks-about-immigration-policy-bbc)”, as he tweeted. [on the face of the bill](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0262/220262.pdf) is Braverman’s admission that the new law may be incompatible with the European convention on human rights. [turning out in force](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/17/asylum-seekers-living-in-fear-far-right-uk-anti-migrant-protests-planned) outside places where new arrivals are housed – it’s also wholly false. Some might read that sentence and think the obvious solution is for genuine refugees to arrive “regularly”. But besides being grotesque and inhuman language – a dog-whistle that’s been heard by the far right, It’s also the second time this government has asked the Commons to pass legislation that it admits [ is at odds with international law](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/08/government-admits-new-brexit-bill-will-break-international-law). Even to talk about it is a distraction, but let’s be clear: Gary Lineker is not the villain here.

Broadcaster pulls ex-footballer from sports programme after he compares government rhetoric over immigration to Nazi Germany.

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,

The BBC have confirmed that presenter Gary Lineker will step back from his role at Match of the Day amid discussions over his use of social media.

Ian Wright has also confirmed he will not be appearing on Match of the Day on Saturday in "solidarity" with Lineker. [said he expected](https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1633835628898160642) to be presenting Match of the Day as normal on Saturday. "The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting the programme until an agreement is reached on his use of social media, the BBC sai.

We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. Lineker tweeted on Thursday that he was “very much looking forward” to presenting Match Of The Day on Saturday. Pundit and former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has said he will not be appearing on Match of the Day on Saturday in “solidarity” with Gary Lineker. “The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match Of The Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media. Gary Lineker will “step back” from presenting Match Of The Day until he and the BBC have reached an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media. “We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.”

Explained: Why Gary Lineker is stepping back from presenting Match of the Day, and why his tweeting is a problem for the BBC.

[Alex Scott](https://theathletic.com/football/player/alex-scott-a2HhDc77LHS5EFEo/) and Alan Shearer stated that they would not be appearing on the show, in solidarity with Lineker. Will they take note of the significant backlash and reinstate Lineker? We have had a conversation and I think he understands the guidelines.” In 2016 The Sun newspaper — owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp — called for Lineker to be sacked after he called another immigration policy “racist”. And this isn’t the first time he has fallen foul of those regulations. “The BBC is committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output. The country needs centre forwards, people who are prepared to put the hard work in and create opportunities. But, while it is technically independent of the state, officially BBC employees are supposed to be politically neutral — which is where Lineker has encountered some problems. And it needs a team captain with a plan. And it needs a team captain with a plan.” An elite sportsman who wasn’t quite the greatest of his generation, and also a much-loved broadcaster. So I find it a lazy and unhelpful comparison to make.”

The former footballer commented on the U.K.'s new migration policy, calling it an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in ...

His appointment, made on the recommendation of the government, is now being reviewed by Britain's public appointments watchdog. The BBC, funded by what is in effect a 159 pounds ($192)annual “license fee” tax on all television-watching households, has a central presence in British cultural life. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the BBC's move "indefensible". The BBC said after talks with Lineker and his team that it had decided he would step back from presenting its flagship Match of the Day (MOTD) football highlights programme "until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media". "Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure," the opposition Labour party said, calling for the BBC to re-think its decision. Lineker was told there has to be an agreed position on his use of social media before he can return, the BBC said on Friday.

Support pours in for former England captain Gary Lineker, removed by BBC over tweets on UK government's refugee policy.

It’s the BBC that needs Lineker to restore its credibility.” Well done Ian Wright for showing the meaning of solidarity.” “I think he’s become one of the really important cultural figures for the country. “As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. But the decision to take But the decision to take Gary Lineker off air is indefensible.

Former England soccer captain Gary Lineker has been taken off air by the BBC after his comments on Britain's migration policy sparked a furious row between ...

His appointment, made on the recommendation of the government, is now being reviewed by Britain's public appointments watchdog. The BBC, funded by what is in effect a 159 pounds ($192)annual “license fee” tax on all television-watching households, has a central presence in British cultural life. The BBC said after talks with Lineker and his team that it had decided he would step back from presenting its flagship Match of the Day (MOTD) soccer highlights programme "until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media". "Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure," the opposition Labour party said, calling for the BBC to re-think its decision. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story Lineker was told there has to be an agreed position on his use of social media before he can return, the BBC said on Friday, with Director General Tim Davie saying it had taken a "proportionate action".

Ian Wright and Piers Morgan support BBC presenter's right to express views while Suella Braverman and Lee Anderson are critical.

Mike Graham Another TalkTV host, Graham called Lineker’s tweet “disgusting” and said he should apologise to people of Jewish heritage who had found it offensive. “The people who are paying Gary Lineker’s salary are licence fee payers and they do not all agree with Gary Lineker,” she said. “To kind of throw out those kind of flippant analogies diminishes the unspeakable tragedy that millions of people went through and I don’t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust.” Lee Anderson The Conservative party vice-chair called Lineker’s invocation of Nazi-era Germany “disgusting and vile”. “The perception out there is that the BBC has bowed to government pressure. Ian Wright After it was announced on Friday that Lineker would not be hosting Saturday’s Match of the Day (MOTD), his co-host Wright said he wouldn’t be appearing either.

Alex Scott, the host of the BBC's "Football Focus" TV programme, pulled out of the show after Gary Lineker was taken off air.

This is a common sense decision that ensures players won't now be in that position." In the interest of transparency, this was a decision taken by the entire FT team and myself." "The PFA have been speaking to members who wanted to take a collective position and to be able to show their support for those who have chosen not to be part of tonight's programme," the PFA said in a statement.

Alex Scott, the host of the BBC's "Football Focus" TV programme, pulled out of the show after Gary Lineker was taken off air.

This is a common sense decision that ensures players won't now be in that position." In the interest of transparency, this was a decision taken by the entire FT team and myself." "The PFA have been speaking to members who wanted to take a collective position and to be able to show their support for those who have chosen not to be part of tonight's programme," the PFA said in a statement.

The broadcaster axed much of its soccer coverage on Saturday after presenters refused to work.

Speaking to BBC radio, Greg Dyke, a former director general of the BBC, said he thought the BBC had made a mistake by suspending Lineker and he did not expect the footballer to be silenced. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story Lineker, 62, had earlier in the week taken to Twitter to describe new government legislation on migrants as a "cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."

Pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer and regular commentators say they will not appear on Saturday.

He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis. "The BBC is not acting impartially by caving in to Tory MPs who are complaining about Gary Lineker," he told broadcasters at Welsh Labour's conference in Llandudno. He said the government should focus on fixing the asylum system rather than "whingeing on" about Lineker and accused BBC bosses of bowing to pressure from ministers. Lineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s". Mr Dyke warned the move could create the impression that the "BBC has bowed to government pressure". "The real problem today is that the BBC has undermined its own credibility by doing this," he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The BBC is facing a boycott of its flagship soccer show "Match of the Day," as well as other soccer coverage, following its announcement that presenter Gary ...

But the decision to take Gary Lineker off air is indefensible. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?” Lots of non Public Service Broadcasters can accommodate him and his views and he would be better paid.” “I honestly do not believe, despite a lot of the commentary, that this is about left or right,” Davie said. [tweeted](https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/1634258493954727949): “As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. “It’s always such a privilege to work with BBC MOTD. But tomorrow I have taken the decision to stand down from my punditry duties. In an interview with BBC News on Saturday, the broadcaster’s Director General Tim Davie was asked if he should resign over the crisis. “The PFA have been speaking to members who wanted to take a collective position and to be able to show their support for those who have chosen not to be part of tonight’s programme,” the statement added. [announced](https://twitter.com/PFA/status/1634490666276323328/photo/1) on Saturday “players involved in today’s games will not be asked to participate in interviews with Match of the Day.” He added: “There is no huge influx. “The BBC will only be able to bring limited sport programming this weekend and our schedules will be updated to reflect that,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.

Lineker criticised the British government's new asylum policy this week, comparing the rhetoric used to that of Nazi-era Germany.

One by one leading pundits and commentators have pulled out of Saturday’s Match of the Day in a show of solidarity, leaving one of the BBC’s landmark shows in disarray. Lineker has hosted refugees in his home and in 2016 criticised treatment of refugees in the UK as being “hideously racist and utterly heartless”. A rise to the top of the sports broadcasting then began with appearances as a pundit BBC radio and TV. In a statement on Friday, the BBC described Lineker’s sports presenting as “second to none”. On the field he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and Cup Winners’ Cup a year later, but the highlight of his time in Catalonia was a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in 1987. He scored over 100 goals in six years at the Foxes and was later honoured as a Freeman of the City of Leicester.

As a growing number of Premier League players and presenters rallied to Lineker's support, Britain's national broadcaster was forced to rip up its radio and ...

Last year, the BBC found Lineker had breached impartiality rules with a tweet about the Conservatives’ alleged Russian donations. Lunchtime TV program “Football Focus” was replaced on Saturday with a rerun episode of antiques show “Bargain Hunt,” while early evening “Final Score” was swapped for “The Repair Shop.” We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon.” He was greeted with cheers from bystanders as he arrived. There will not be any post-match player interviews, either. [was suspended](https://apnews.com/article/gary-lineker-bbc-migrants-comments-braverman-86e76bdcec9d9c6773a3a87d5943422b) from “Match of the Day,” a popular highlights show, over a [lawmakers’ language about migrants](https://apnews.com/article/uk-migrants-channel-asylum-human-rights-braverman-497fc05aa4056bc3fdb2b5ba381931c1) to that used in Nazi Germany.

Gestures of support for 'Match of the Day' host brings widespread disruption to network's weekend sports coverage.

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,

The BBC was forced to scrap much of its weekend sports programming as it scrambled to stem an escalating crisis over its suspension of host Gary Lineker.

Lineker has yet to comment publicly, and on Saturday went to his hometown of Leicester to watch Leicester City play Chelsea in the Premier League. On Friday, the BBC said Lineker would "step back" from "Match of the Day" until it had "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media." There will be no commentary on the matches and no studio punditry from some of the most high-profile stars in the British game who have chosen to support Lineker and not work. Instead of blanket coverage on Saturday of the most popular league in the world, the BBC had no preview shows on radio or TV and no early evening summary of the final scores of Premier League games. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first comments on the storm, saying: "Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. The broadcaster said it would air only "limited sport programming" this weekend after hosts of many of its popular sports shows declined to appear, in solidarity with Lineker.

The BBC was forced to scrap much of its weekend sports programming as it scrambled to stem a crisis over its suspension of Lineker for comments criticizing ...

Lineker has yet to comment publicly, and on Saturday went to his hometown of Leicester to watch Leicester City play Chelsea in the Premier League. On Friday, the BBC said Lineker would "step back" from "Match of the Day" until it had "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media." There will be no commentary on the matches and no studio punditry from some of the most high-profile stars in the British game who have chosen to support Lineker and not work. We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon." Lunchtime TV program "Football Focus" was replaced with a rerun episode of antiques show "Bargain Hunt," while early evening "Final Score" was swapped for "The Repair Shop." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first comments on the storm, saying: "Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter.

Rishi Sunak has tried to distance the government from the row consuming the BBC over its suspension of football presenter Gary Lineker for what it said was ...

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,

BBC director general Tim Davie has apologized over the fracas around star soccer player turned sports pundit Gary Lineker, but will not resign.

The BBC apologized for the disruption of sports programming on Saturday, saying, “The BBC will only be able to bring limited sport programming this weekend and our schedules will be updated to reflect that. Lineker stuck to his position and in solidarity his fellow “Match of the Day Presenters” Ian Wright and Alan Shearer refused to present the program. The committee found that Sharp had committed [“significant errors of judgement.”](https://variety.com/2023/global/news/bbc-chair-richard-sharp-boris-johnson-loan-parliamentary-inquiry-findings-1235520234/) We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.” The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media. Last Tuesday, Lineker, commenting on the U.K.

The BBC's Match of the Day, presented by Lineker for more than 20 years, aired at the usual time despite his absence but was slashed to just 20 minutes.

Sharp's appointment, made on the recommendation of the government, is being reviewed by Britain's public appointments watchdog. But critics of Lineker's suspension say he is entitled to his personal opinions because he is not a news presenter. The furore followed Sunak's announcement of the new law earlier in the week. "We in the BBC, and myself, are absolutely driven by a passion for impartiality, not left, right or pandering to a particular party," he said. Advertisement