Lineker has been removed from his MOTD hosting duties
Ian Wright has announced he won’t be appearing on Match of the Day in an act of “solidarity” with host Gary Lineker.
On Friday, the BBC announced Lineker would be “stepping back” from his role on the football highlights programme following comments he made regarding the Home Office’s policy on small boat Channel crossings.
In a tweet following the news, former Crystal Palace and Arsenal striker Wright, who has become a hugely popular pundit on Match of the Day, wrote: “Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.”
In a statement announcing the decision to remove Lineker from Match of the Day, the BBC said it considered Lineker’s recent social media activity to be a “breach of our guidelines”.
The corporation added he should “keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies”.
Lineker has been at the centre of controversy in recent days after he compare the Home Office’s policy on small boat Channel crossings to “Germany in the 30s.”
The Match of the Day presenter, who has 8.6 million followers on Twitter, commented on a video put out by home secretary Suella Braverman in which she unveiled new controversial plans to stop migrant boats crossing the Channel.
Responding to the plans, Lineker tweeted: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
He then replied to a user who challenged him because it was “easy to pontificate when it doesn’t affect you”.
Lineker wrote: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
“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?”
In the statement released on Friday regarding his Match of the Day hosting duties, the BBC said it had been in “extensive discussions with Gary and team in recent days” and “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”.
It continued: “When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.
“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.”
Since the story broke though, Sky News has reported that the BBC statement is “incorrect” and that Lineker has not in fact “stepped back.”
They report that Lineker has actually been taken off air for refusing to apologise for his comments.
It is not yet clear who may replace Lineker on tomorrow’s edition of the show.
Related links:
Gary Lineker ‘to be spoken to’ after comparing Government’s migrant plan to Nazi Germany
Gary Lineker slams FIFA for making Lionel Messi wear ‘little robe’
Gary Lineker gives sarcastic response to Chelsea’s summer transfer plans
