This Saturday when fans tune in to Match Of The Day, which many have done since their childhood, Gary Lineker will not be one of the presenters.
He won’t be for the foreseeable future, at least it seems until he and the BBC reach ‘an agreed and clear position on social media.’
BBC feel that a tweet by Lineker breached company guidelines, when he described the Tory Party’s wish to send illegal immigrants to places like Rwanda as an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.
It’s believed that Lineker’s legal stance is he’s employed on a freelance basis so hasn’t breached any contract, and that he stated his opinion in his free time on his own platform not live on TV while being paid to talk about football.
Let me stress none of what I write is my own political view point but I do believe in free speech, and can notice when those in power are manipulating the system to silence opposition voices.
For example, Lineker’s employers (the BBC) position in March 2023 is that he should “keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies”.
Yet this is the same broadcaster who as recently as December asked the very same man to kick off their coverage of the World Cup with a monologue of why Qatar shouldn’t be hosting such an event.
A monologue I agree with by the way, but you can’t pick and choose. You can’t tell an audience all about a country’s human rights record, but then be opposed to the same employee posting his views on his own social media account on his day off.
If he had Tweeted something in favour of the UK government he would be working this weekend.
Funny how the BBC didn’t mind one of their own ‘taking sides on political issues’ when he supported Ukraine and condemned Russia?
So in other words, he can post whatever he wants as long as it suits the BBC agenda? That agenda being the BBC not wanting to upset number 10 Downing Street.
Because that’s what’s happening to free speech.
Having wrote for JustArsenal for years I have seen a change in how even an ‘opinion’ fan site operates.
It’s okay to be negative about Xhaka but not Nketiah.
I know the same readers who verbally abused me for defending Mr Wenger when ‘he only finished 4th’ who then called 8th and 5th progress.
This very week I clearly offended readers by claiming that Bernd Leno made too made errors for us.
‘Mean’ I was called, and yet when I asked for an example of what I wrote was mean …I was called names of course ….. but not one example, not one quote of what offended them so much….. I still wait!
What had I done to offend that person’s sensibilities?
I said I didn’t think we make the top 4 last season and had regressed since Mr Wenger left.
These people then said it’s rude that I expressed an opinion that Bernd Leno wasn’t very good!
The irony…
That sums up free speech does it? It’s okay as long as you’re saying it and everyone agrees with you.
That’s not the readers’ fault. It’s a reflection on society. You don’t like what you read or hear …. then cancel him or her and start the insults.
No longer can we have a healthy debate which once was crucial in educating people.
I remember earlier is the season, one of the comments essentially asked JustArsenal to only submit positive articles.
Say that out loud …
Before this campaign, Arsenal were having their lowest League finish in a quarter of a century, didn’t have European Football for the first time in decades, thousands were protesting against the owners ….. but this fan only wanted to read that everything was rainbows and unicorns.
He couldn’t handle a healthy debate with something as trivial as football.
Of course I’m not Gary Lineker …..I don’t have millions reading my content.
That’s why he’s a threat to those in power. Whether as a former footballer or pundit, he’s respected. Those in charge don’t like the idea of someone highly thought of able to share his thought process to millions around the world within seconds.
An established journalist might not have that many subscribers, so can be threatened with their job to stay in line.
The 62 year old is the exception to the rule in many ways; how many people in the public eye are there with seven figure subscribers brave enough to say what he has said?
Those who write in the Papers. No.
Those who debate on podcasts. No.
Most who agree with Mr Lineker don’t have the audience he has, or if they do, can be scared to be silent.
Mr Lineker could get a job elsewhere, not that he ever has to work a day in his life.
For our Prime Minister and MP’s it’s a nightmare that one of the faces of presenting the national game is openly critiquing plans.
Ian Wright and Alan Shearer have both now informed their bosses at the BBC that they won’t be at work this Saturday.
While their stance is ‘solidarity’ for their co-worker, it further promotes and shares Lineker’s opinion around the world.
The irony being; if the Government didn’t want Lineker using his position to influence followers they would have been better served by NOT making such a fuss about one tweet.
If it had been ignored it wouldn’t have made any headlines.
When Marcus Rashford challenged parliament on food poverty he got an MBE.
Because the narrative doesn’t suit, Mr Lineker is told to only talk about football.
I don’t know enough about immigration to discuss the topic in question. But I do believe in free speech though.
For that, I thank Mr Lineker for showing the BBC the red card.
Dan
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