Match of the Day to go ahead without presenters, pundits or BBC commentators after Lineker removed

Match of the Day will go ahead tonight without a presenter, pundits or BBC commentators after Gary Lineker was removed from the programme.

The BBC said in a statement there would be no “studio presentation or punditry”, and the broadcast will instead focus on “match action”.

Leading match commentators at the corporation including Steve Wilson, Simon Brotherton, Conor McNamara and Robyn Cowen also said they would not be taking part in the show.

The programme could still use some form of commentary usually provided for broadcasts outside the UK.

Lineker was forced off his Match of the Day duties by the BBC in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

He is stepping back from Match of the Day (MOTD) until an “agreed and clear position” on his social media use is made, the corporation said on Friday.

Since the BBC’s announcement, several football pundits – including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer – have pulled out of appearing on the programme.

Shearer tweeted: “I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD (Saturday night)”, while Wright had posted: “Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it (Saturday). Solidarity.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of our pundits have said that they don’t wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary.

“We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry.”

Commentator Steve Wilson and others said: “As commentators on MOTD, we have decided to step down from (Saturday’s) broadcast.

“We are comforted that football fans who want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use World Feed commentary if they wish.

“However, in the circumstances, we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme.”

Former Arsenal player Alex Scott appeared to rule herself out of possibly presenting the programme by posting a GIF with the words “Nah! Not me”.

Meanwhile, football pundits Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas also made clear they would not be interested in being pundits on the show, with Jenas saying he would have “said no” if he was asked.

It sparked the hashtag #Solidarity and MOTD to trend on Twitter, with thousands sharing their thoughts and many joking about who would be left to appear on the show.

“I have informed the BBC that I am very much available for (Saturday’s) #MOTD,” comedian Joe Lycett tweeted, which received tens of thousands of likes.

A parody Twitter account for Larry, the Downing Street cat, joked that the feline had turned down a presenting offer from the BBC.

“I can confirm that I have refused the BBC’s offer to present Match of the Day (Saturday),” @Number10cat tweeted.

Journalist Alastair Campbell, whose podcast is produced by Gary Lineker’s firm, suggested BBC chairman Richard Sharp might need to step in, writing: “Can’t wait for MotD (Saturday). Presented by Richard Sharp with punditry by Robbie Gibb and Isabel Oakeshott.”

Sir Robbie Gibb is a member of the BBC board and Theresa May’s former director of communications, while journalist Oakeshott has been in the news recently for leaking former health secretary Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages to The Daily Telegraph.

Former Newsnight host Emily Maitlis, who was herself reprimanded by the BBC for sharing a tweet the corporation viewed as “controversial”, said the backlash was getting “unmanageably big” for the corporation.

Retweeting the Friday statement shared by the MOTD commentators about their boycott, she wrote: “This is getting unmanageably big for the BBC now.”

A Labour party source said: “Tory politicians lobbying to get people sacked for disagreeing with government policies should be laughed at, not pandered to. The BBC should rethink their decision.”

Philippa Childs, head of Bectu which represents thousands of BBC workers, said the decision was “deeply concerning” and “will give the appearance that they have bowed to political pressure from ministers”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that “individual cases” were a matter for the BBC.

Analysis: The disquiet goes far wider within the corporation

Rob Harris

Sports correspondent

@RobHarris

The BBC has had to rip up the format on this six-decade footballing institution. There will be no presenter. No pundits. And no studio aspect at all.

If the BBC hoped dropping Gary Lineker would defuse the situation, the reaction of his Match of the Day colleagues escalated the crisis.

With a mutiny by leading pundits – Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas all ruled themselves out of appearing in solidarity with Lineker.

And we are yet to hear if there will be any commentators willing to provide their voice to the games from the stadiums tonight.

We are hearing players are forming a collective position that might see them not provide BBC interviews.

This is turmoil far-reaching, involving its highest-paid presenter but with deeper ramifications.

Internal BBC staff messages seen by Sky News show the disquiet goes far wider within the corporation. There’s a feeling of double standards – a sense the BBC has caved into government pressure.

It also highlights how their ultimate boss – BBC Chairman Richard Sharp – was involved in facilitating a loan for Boris Johnson while he was prime minister.

Questioning if the BBC really cares about impartiality, why is Richard Sharp still our chairman.

And Sky News revealed earlier it was Lineker’s refusal to apologise for his tweets and admit he should not have posted them that led to him being taken off air.

More immediately a question of how and if Match of the Day will appear on Saturday night. Then there’s the bigger issue over Gary Lineker’s very future at the BBC and if either side backs down.

Earlier on Friday, the BBC said it had been in “extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days”.

“We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines,” the statement added.

An online petition calling for Lineker to be reinstated in his post on MOTD has reached 100,000 signatures.

Organised by The Daily Mirror on Friday, it reached its initial target in under 10 hours.

Speaking to reporters outside his London home on Thursday, Lineker insisted he stood by his criticism of the government and was not worried about being suspended from the BBC.

His initial controversial tweet saw him compare the language used to announce the government’s policy with 1930s Germany.

This article was originally published by Sky.com. Read the original article here.

Analysis: The disquiet goes far wider within the corporation

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