Lineker dispute: BBC coverage also restricted on Sunday
Lineker dispute
BBC coverage also restricted on Sunday
Has been withdrawn from the BBC program for the time being: Gary Lineker. photo
© Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa
The dispute over a tweet by Gary Lineker also severely restricted the BBC’s football coverage on Sunday. The BBC chief executive wants to bring the ex-striker and pundit back quickly.
The BBC’s football coverage is in the wake of the dispute over the ex-striker and TV presenter’s suspension Gary Lineker also been severely restricted on Sunday.
A Women’s Super League game between Chelsea FC and Manchester United was played without their own BBC-Transfer comment. The program “Match of the Day 2” should, like the day before, do without moderation, TV experts or player interviews. Lineker was suspended from the BBC on Friday for a tweet critical of the government. Several football experts, including ex-football pros Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, as well as numerous BBC employees then expressed their solidarity with Lineker and boycotted the reporting.
Lineker had accused the British government on Twitter of using language in connection with refugees that resembled Nazi rhetoric from the 1930s. The BBC saw this as violating its policy on political neutrality. Lineker wanted to Sunday not comment on the matter. His son told the Daily Mirror his father was ready to host Match of the Day again, but he would “never give in.”
BBC boss Tim Davie had previously said he wanted Lineker back on the air. However, he had not indicated that he would give in to the dispute either.
