Gary Lineker

[EdinMike]

I guess this why none of our BBC reporters address the Sectarianism up here… 🤷

[ElginHibbie]

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The BBC let all this long list go... https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...versies-quotes

He was only finally binned for assaulting a colleague. The difference with Lineker is he has the right wing press against him.

They also hired Andrew Neil who never shied away from giving his opinion and that was never an issue for folk

If Lineker's views were more right wing, The Sun and Daily Mail wouldn't have been running front pages slagging him off either

[Broxburn Greens]

Don't actually mind Gary Lineker, at least he has some sort of clue what he's talking about unlike the utter trumpets we get up here (Mikey Stewart anyone?).

Always loved that during Euro 2016 when Lennon was a pundit and halfway through the competition appointed Hibs Manager that Lineker asked him about it and how he was looking forward to managing Hibs live on air.

[jacomo]

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They also hired Andrew Neil who never shied away from giving his opinion and that was never an issue for folk

If Lineker's views were more right wing, The Sun and Daily Mail wouldn't have been running front pages slagging him off either

100% correct.

The Murdoch media, the Daily Hate and the Torygraph have an agenda against the BBC, they absolutely detest it.

Amplifying outrage against a presenter for having opinions is just a convenient line of attack. If Lineker liked that prick Farage they'd praise him but find a way to attack 'lefty' BBC bosses for curtailing his freedom of speech.

[SHODAN]

The biggest fans of freedom of speech ever, who love freedom of speech, honest, get another person sacked for saying something they don't like. Funny, that.

[He's here!]

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They also hired Andrew Neil who never shied away from giving his opinion and that was never an issue for folk

If Lineker's views were more right wing, The Sun and Daily Mail wouldn't have been running front pages slagging him off either

I'm not sure that was the case with Neil at the BBC. The only really significant time I recall him going 'off script' was after the Bataclan terrorist massacre, for which he got a lot of plaudits.

Otherwise he was a ferocious interviewer for sure, but equally capable of putting the boot into politicians from the left or right. And that's the bigger point, he was a political journalist not a sports presenter.

[He's here!]

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I guess this why none of our BBC reporters address the Sectarianism up here… 🤷

The paltry coverage of that Rangers banner at the last old firm game was pathetic.

[Baader]

Daily Mail types will be delighted. Funny how the same rules never applied to Clarkson? Huw Edwards had his pay increased after getting arrested.

[Smartie]

I like Lineker and would largely align with his opinions.

The thing is though - he ruffled feathers, he was controversial and definitely had folk gunning for him. Under such circumstances the tiniest of errors of judgment was always going to be seized upon.

The BBC prefer people to keep quiet and stick to safe subjects. Ultimately they couldn’t wait to get rid of him and I don’t think he can really have many complaints.

[Gatecrasher]

I think it's a bit different when public money pays your wages. The man himself admitted he shouldn't have shared it and shown himself up.

[hibsbollah]

I for one am delighted that this woke loudmouth, who had a right cheek to criticise mass genocide and the execution of 10s of thousands of illegal innocent defenseless kids and healthcare workers, is finally off our airwaves.

[jacomo]

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I'm not sure that was the case with Neil at the BBC. The only really significant time I recall him going 'off script' was after the Bataclan terrorist massacre, for which he got a lot of plaudits.

Otherwise he was a ferocious interviewer for sure, but equally capable of putting the boot into politicians from the left or right. And that's the bigger point, he was a political journalist not a sports presenter.

Tough interviewer or not, he was a senior political journalist who made no secret of his own political affiliations.

The BBC is now run by a bunch of Tories and the double standards are shocking.

[Bostonhibby]

Seems to me Jeremy Clarkson could be the best man for the gig, popular establishment figure, popular with a fair slice of the demographic and unlikely to be called out for his non "woke" views.

I'm off to the Holy Ground........

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[Thatdayinmay16]

It's a shame Lineker wasn't a convicted sex offender.

The BBC have always been nothing but kind to them.

Huw Edwards, Saville & most recently an appearance on the Romanov story podcast/docuseries for Graham Rix.

That company should have been put to the sword a long time ago.

[Hibspur]

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He's been too big for his boots for years that melt.

As someone with Jewish heritage in the family, I felt that he crossed a line last week. Anti-Semitism is the oldest form of racism, all too often swept under a cloak of being 'anti-Israel'. He betrayed a (sadly common) lack of historical awareness.

However, as I've mentioned on another thread my bugbear with him was that while he seemed fine with pontificating on the more 'centrist dad' issues of the day like Brexit, he refused to engage when questioned about his silence on biological men undermining women's sport, an issue you'd think as a high-profile sports presenter he might have a opinion worth hearing. Yet when challenged about it on a Q&A on The Rest is Football podcast by Martina Navratilova and others he just said it was 'too nuanced'.

Tweet about the Arab-Israeli conflict, one of the world's longest running and most divisive issues, no problem. But men in women's sport? Way too complex.

[James70]

I couldn't stand the man I'm afraid, too full of his own importance. Said that he wasn't political but always voicing his opinion on matters nothing to do with football. I always thought that Alan Hanson was a better and more knowledgeable pundit. Grossly overpaid and only got the job because his face fitted at the time and was an establishment figure.

[Hiber-nation]

Agree with his politics, can't be bothered with his smugness and arrogance on MotD.

[One Day Soon]

Talk about the football Gary, other than that just STFU.

We've plenty of other people better qualified and with big platforms who can publicise what's going on in Gaza so that we can then carry on ignoring Netanyahu's deranged pogrom.

[Baader]

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I couldn't stand the man I'm afraid, too full of his own importance. Said that he wasn't political but always voicing his opinion on matters nothing to do with football. I always thought that Alan Hanson was a better and more knowledgeable pundit. Grossly overpaid and only got the job because his face fitted at the time and was an establishment figure.

Footballers really aren't "establishment figures."

[Keith_M]

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Crazy to think this is what happens when you're in the spotlight and speak out against Israel.

In this country, that's a big no-no.

[Paul1642]

Regardless of personal political opinions, BBC are supposed to be an impartial broadcaster, therefore their employees should be. Lineker has failed to be that.

[Keith_M]

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As someone with Jewish heritage in the family, I felt that he crossed a line last week. Anti-Semitism is the oldest form of racism, all too often swept under a cloak of being 'anti-Israel'. He betrayed a (sadly common) lack of historical awareness.
.

What did Lineker say that was anti-semitic?

[jacomo]

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I couldn't stand the man I'm afraid, too full of his own importance. Said that he wasn't political but always voicing his opinion on matters nothing to do with football. I always thought that Alan Hanson was a better and more knowledgeable pundit. Grossly overpaid and only got the job because his face fitted at the time and was an establishment figure.

Lineker wasn't a pundit, he was the host. Very different role.

This is like criticising Boyle for not being the best centre back in our squad.

[JeMeSouviens]

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What did Lineker say that was anti-semitic?

He reposted something from a Palestinian activist about Zionism on instagram which had a rat emoji on it. He claims he didn't notice the rat and even if he had he wouldn't have realised it was an antisemitic trope used by the Nazis. However, when made aware he deleted the post and apologised.

[Keith_M]

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He reposted something from a Palestinian activist about Zionism on instagram which had a rat emoji on it. He claims he didn't notice the rat and even if he had he wouldn't have realised it was an antisemitic trope used by the Nazis. However, when made aware he deleted the post and apologised.

Thanks, I must have missed that.

[hibsbollah]

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Thanks, I must have missed that.

But noone with a functioning brain genuinely, truly believes Lineker is ACTUALLY anti-Semitic. Thats ludicrous. Its a debate based on distraction and falsehoods, smear and diversion. Looking at and learning about whats genuinely happening and tolerated in that part of the world is so distressing and enough to make you lose your grip on reality, so its hardly surprising distraction and disinformation works.

[Greenbeard]

The rights or wrongs of retweets aside I don't mind him and respect the fact that he can laugh at himself literally crapping himself on the pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fw088iGTlM

[ekhibee]

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I'm not sure that was the case with Neil at the BBC. The only really significant time I recall him going 'off script' was after the Bataclan terrorist massacre, for which he got a lot of plaudits.

Otherwise he was a ferocious interviewer for sure, but equally capable of putting the boot into politicians from the left or right. And that's the bigger point, he was a political journalist not a sports presenter.

Andrew Neil was, and still is, a right wing zealot and has never disguised it, particularly when he was interviewing anybody left of centre. It's a disgrace that somebody with the very obvious right wing views he had was allowed to host any kind of political programme. As a union official for over 35 years I've never had any respect for the man, he was given a platform to promote his views by the BBC and is now on that right wing garbage otherwise known as GB News, but you're quite right he was never a sports presenter. Apologies by the way, I'm not having a dig at you personally at all and we're all entitled to different points of view obviously, I just hope to God he's not a Hibs fan!

[Bostonhibby]

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Regardless of personal political opinions, BBC are supposed to be an impartial broadcaster, therefore their employees should be. Lineker has failed to be that.

You're right but I think the reaction of the BBC and parts of its audience are a bit selective in that regard.

I give you openly tory supporting and everyone's favourite DJ, who did a bit more than DJ'ing Sir Jimmy Saville for example. Never pulled up for his political views, or anything else.

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[Weststandwanab]

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I think you're getting a bit carried away with yourself here CM.

In the early days the BBC was so good at propaganda that Joseph Goebbels used it as a model for Hitler's Nazi propaganda machine.

You might expect the Corporation to produce some good programming in the near 100 years they've been in existence, particularly so, given that they had a monopoly on the TV screen for so long but I think it's fair to say that they've also produced some amount of guff and, as an aside, the budget they 'give' to Scottish Football is an absolute joke.

With regard to Gary Lineker he is massively overpaid for what he does, whether he does it well or not is not relevant. I don't see people turning off MOTD when it's presented by Dan Walker or anyone else half decent for that matter.

For what it's worth, I don't subscribe to Sky TV but at least I can opt in or out as I please. I have no option with the BBC and genuinely grudge seeing my TV licence fee wasted on former footballers and worse still failed reporters and politicians like Andrew Neil and Micheal Portillo.

Spot on in ever point. In my opinion