[Football] Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

Titanic · Mar 10, 2023

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting Match of the Day until agreement reached on social media use - BBC statement

www.bbc.co.uk

Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use - BBC statement.
It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.
In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government to set out its plan to "that used by Germany in the 30s".

Originunknown · Mar 12, 2023

Seagull27 said:
He wasn't paid for political commentary. Posting on his personal Twitter account is something he does in his personal time, outside of work.

He's using his platform and reach afforded by football, and in part the BBC. Maybe he should actually get stuck into politics if it's more important to him.

One Teddy Maybank · Mar 12, 2023

Seagull27 said:
He wasn't paid for political commentary. Posting on his personal Twitter account is something he does in his personal time, outside of work.

He’s working for an ‘impartial’ organisation. I am in a similar position with my own role, there is plenty of inaccurate nonsense I see on social media (and here) relating to things I’ve witnessed, but I don’t get involved, as I would potentially be subject to disciplinary measures. (Freelance argument doesn’t work for me either all the time he’s taking a salary).

What I would say is that the BBC do need to be consistent though and Sugar particularly seems not to have been subjected to the same scrutiny.

Must admit I don’t have 8.7m followers

Anyway, said the same on the other thread….. not getting involved in the same discussion. Others disagree which is fine. All opinions.

southstandandy · Mar 12, 2023

I really enjoyed the programme this way. Removing all the inane chatter and commentary felt more real.

Sometimes when a change is forced like this you realise that this is the way forward. A vast improvement.

Keep this format up please, let Gary retire (saving the TV licence payers a fortune), and let us just enjoy the highlights. Win Win.

pastafarian · Mar 12, 2023

Simster said:
What Lineker didn't do is compare Tory government policy with that of the Nazis, only the language used in the early days of the Nazi party compared to the language used now.

He is right of course.

Righto............at least you are saying its a refernce to the early days of the Nazis
I have seen deniers on social media saying he never said the word Nazi so he didnt mean Nazi

Thunder Bolt · Mar 12, 2023

Originunknown said:
He's using his platform and reach afforded by football, and in part the BBC. Maybe he should actually get stuck into politics if it's more important to him.

So if somebody gets paid for their work, outside of the local council or Westminster, they can’t comment on politics?
Righty ho.

rogersix · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
I have noticed a few people across social media say Lineker never actually said the word Nazi so stop saying he meant Nazis.
Its a bit of a confusing comical defense though and sort of begs the question if Lineker wasnt referring to Nazis with the reference to Germany in the 1930s who in 1930s Germany is he referring to?

yeah, that's the point, and no mistake :thumbsup:

Stat Brother · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
No i havnt read the thread and have no intention of reading it all or scanning it, whatever the frack that is.
All i asked is if it isnt the Nazis being referrenced to Germany in the 1930s who was having a bit of a carry on in Germany in the 1930s to warrant a reference to that period that presumably everyone will recognise.............because its the 1930s and its Germany.
Was it Lederhosen flat earthers?

And @Simster gave you a very brief and exact reply a few minutes later.

Begging the questions:-

Why are you now still asking?

Why ask questions if you aren't prepared to acknowledge the answer?

Editted in a third question

If you have an issue elsewhere on social media why don't you take that up directly there, instead of projecting that onto this thread?

MattBackHome · Mar 12, 2023

Reminds me of people who claim they prefer dry toast with no butter on it cause you can taste the bread more.

Twats

DJ NOBO · Mar 12, 2023

Wozza said:
I don't think he did. He wasn't, for example, campaigning for a specific party, unlike the BBC's Lord Sugar...

The BBC changed its impartiality rules applied to in 2020, effectively to cover high profile freelancers like Lineker.
Lineker’s tweet falls foul of this.
Although the BBC’s pick and choose application of its own rules (see your Alan Sugar tweet) would undermine them if this went further.

keaton · Mar 12, 2023

The BBC has trashed its football coverage over the Gary Lineker tweets

Over the course of just a couple of days, the BBC has managed to put its entire football at risk over a draconian interpretation of 'impartiality' rules.

www.football365.com

Simster · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
Righto............at least you are saying its a refernce to the early days of the Nazis
I have seen deniers on social media saying he never said the word Nazi so he didnt mean Nazi

Of course he was referring to the Nazis.

I just fail to see what relevance a handful of people on social media denying this (according to you) has to this thread. It's just an irrelevance.

pastafarian · Mar 12, 2023

rogersix said:
yeah, that's the point, and no mistake

yes it really is the point when taken in the context of what i wrote................surely even you are capable of that level of comprehension.

Originunknown · Mar 12, 2023

Thunder Bolt said:
So if somebody gets paid for their work, outside of the local council or Westminster, they can’t comment on politics?
Righty ho.

When your current employer has a social media policy which you flout then no, of course you shouldn't.

Seagull27 · Mar 12, 2023

One Teddy Maybank said:
He’s working for an ‘impartial’ organisation. I am in a similar position with my own role, there is plenty of inaccurate nonsense I see on social media (and here) relating to things I’ve witnessed, but I don’t get involved, as I would potentially be subject to disciplinary measures. (Freelance argument doesn’t work for me either all the time he’s taking a salary).

What I would say is that the BBC do need to be consistent though and Sugar particularly seems not to have been subjected to the same scrutiny.

Must admit I don’t have 8.7m followers

Anyway, said the same on the other thread….. not getting involved in the same discussion. Others disagree which is fine. All opinions.

The subject is completely unrelated to his job though. He should be impartial when it comes to sporting matters, e.g. he shouldn't take sides on whether VAR should be removed, or on whether a club should be penalised for FFP rule breaking. But government policy is nothing to do with his job.

Would your employer discipline you for posting an opinion on politics?

rogersix · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
No i havnt read the thread and have no intention of reading it all or scanning it, whatever the frack that is.
All i asked is if it isnt the Nazis being referrenced to Germany in the 1930s who was having a bit of a carry on in Germany in the 1930s to warrant a reference to that period that presumably everyone will recognise.............because its the 1930s and its Germany.
Was it Lederhosen flat earthers?

what do you make of the 36 conservative party members writing to the bbc demanding lineker be sacked for speeking his mind as several other colleagues have done, it's just like a fledgling nazi germany, isn't it?

rogersix · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
Righto............at least you are saying its a refernce to the early days of the Nazis
I have seen deniers on social media saying he never said the word Nazi so he didnt mean Nazi

so you missed the point and ran with it

Thunder Bolt · Mar 12, 2023

One Teddy Maybank said:
He’s working for an ‘impartial’ organisation. I am in a similar position with my own role, there is plenty of inaccurate nonsense I see on social media (and here) relating to things I’ve witnessed, but I don’t get involved, as I would potentially be subject to disciplinary measures. (Freelance argument doesn’t work for me either all the time he’s taking a salary).

What I would say is that the BBC do need to be consistent though and Sugar particularly seems not to have been subjected to the same scrutiny.

Must admit I don’t have 8.7m followers

Anyway, said the same on the other thread….. not getting involved in the same discussion. Others disagree which is fine. All opinions.

Being pedantic, being freelance means he isn’t paid a ‘salary’.

You have mentioned Lord Sugar, but there have been numerous other examples given in this thread alone. Patrick Moore, Chris Packham, Fiona Bruce, Laura Kuenssberg etc
Some of whom have had complaints against them dismissed because they are freelance, and entitled to personal views.

It is total hypocrisy from politicians to cry foul than some of them were comparing taking the knee, to Hitlers Nazi salute during the Euros.
Lineker is being targeted because the Tories want to target him (for distraction or to silence him) and it has backfired.

One Teddy Maybank · Mar 12, 2023

Seagull27 said:
The subject is completely unrelated to his job though. He should be impartial when it comes to sporting matters, e.g. he shouldn't take sides on whether VAR should be removed, or on whether a club should be penalised for FFP rule breaking. But government policy is nothing to do with his job.

Would your employer discipline you for posting an opinion on politics?

Yes.

I take your point but if the rule is impartiality (whether they are or not is a separate debate), then the rule applies for me.

Simster · Mar 12, 2023

pastafarian said:
yes it really is the point when taken in the context of what i wrote................surely even you are capable of that level of comprehension.

Noone is interested in the context of what you wrote. What matters is the content of your post in the context of this thread.

To clarify, if I wrote about the Oscars on a matchday thread, you'd wonder if I'd missed the point of thread. You seem to have done exactly that.

Thunder Bolt · Mar 12, 2023

Originunknown said:
When your current employer has a social media policy which you flout then no, of course you shouldn't.

The Chris Packham complaint letter posted previously shows that freelance and non news employees are not included in that policy.

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