The row was dying down, the BBC could have it blow over and if Lineker was getting too much for them, they could have dropped him in two years when his contract runs out. Or let him be poached by whoever gets live PL rights in the next round.
I was thinking that myself. The weird thing is that Lineker - a decent enough presenter, but ridiculously overpaid - could have easily been retired at the end of his contract, whereas now they've made him in an unsackable icon.
Guys, given this is an explicitly football related subject, we've been giving it a bit of leeway on the discussion of the political aspects, rather than just closing it and pointing everyone over to this thread on the HoC. However, one or two posters are getting a wee bit over-excitable in their use of language, so we'd be grateful if you could cut out the ad hominems and tone down the hyperbole.
What’s ‘crass’ is this government trying to use a tiny amount of legal immigrants to distract you from the shit show they’ve created because they’ve got nothing left and can’t campaign on their own record, so stir up hate instead. Yet idiots will still vote for them next year.
Exactly. The policy itself is so illegal and infeasible, they know it will never happen. The purpose is to cause division, they want to fight the election as a culture war as they can’t fight it on their record, policies or their people. Unfortunately a lot of idiots will fall for it hook, line and sinker and give them their vote to ‘stop the boats’ even though the tories never do anything about immigration as they know they can use it exactly like this
This could be the best thing to happen to BBC football coverage for years. No Lineker preening, no Shearer whining, no Danny Murphy slurring, no Micah Richards cackling, no Alex Scott missing her cues, no Guy Mowbray being...well, Guy Mowbray.
I think ive found the solution....'Keep politics out of sport'.
When has Lineker ever kicked off an episode on Saturday with a political monologue?
IMO it’s the BBC are the ones who chose to mix the two in this instance. Again, would anyone at the BBC or those saying “keep politics out of sport” have had a problem if Lineker praised the Tories on their policy?
As much as the BBC are in the 💩 for tonight’s programme, they are due to broadcast a live FA Cup game next weekend. It’s going to be an interesting week.
This will probably get deleted by the mods but I am absolutely fuming and not because I care about Gary Linkear
1) He is a sports presenter so as I understand it hasn't broken impartiality rules as they don't apply in his case.
2) What he said was 100% on the money. We are approaching Enoch Powell territory but no one seems to give a shit
3) The BBC are actively caving to right wing populism. Combine this with the the shit that gets printed by Murdoch press and all the social media fake news, what chance do we have.
Seems tolerance, compassion and general decency are truly a thing of the past.
Maybe a different and perhaps more accurate perspective...? I just read this elsewhere:
"Could somebody please explain to Mr L the difference between a refugee, (Absolutely terrified, wearing only the clothes they stand up in and often starving, having escaped a warzone), and an economic migrant (Of fighting age, wearing Nike clothes and trainers, sporting the latest haircut, and carrying an Apple phone, mainly from Albania, where there is currently no war being fought).
It's been so sad to see how the culture war stuff has caused such division in the UK in the last few years and made so many people so permanently angry all the time. I moved out of the UK in the summer of 2012, just after the amazing London Olympics that brought everyone together and made everyone feel so proud of the country. It's horrible to see how this has all been torn apart in the last few years by the constant stoking of hate and division. Hopefully there will be some kind of return to normality at some point.
World’s gone mad. No comment whatsoever on the substance of the issue but for once I’m looking forward to MoTd. No Lineker licking his own crisps, Richards laughing himself silly, Cowen destroying buildings with her screeching, Sparkes lithping and chewing her esses, Murphy boring us to tears etc. Only one I’ll miss is Chapman. The Beeb may inadvertently have found the ideal way to show footy highlights and save a fortune at the same time. Whodathunkit!
The UK granted asylum to 13,000 people in 2021, a fraction of the 60,000 taken in by Germany and much less than half of those admitted by France. Spain, Italy and Greece all took in more than we did. In other words, this is not some unique challenge faced by Britain. Far from it. Asylum claims went up across the entire EU last year, and globally we are scarcely doing the bare minimum. The biggest refugee populations are in Turkey and Colombia; Germany is home to 2.2 million refugees. In Britain, there are 232,000….
…more than half of the asylum claims lodged by Albanians are upheld: it turns out they are refugees after all. Most of those are women and children, often the victims of trafficking and exploitation. But young Albanian men, those most easily demonised, are often victims too, whether fleeing violence and blood feuds back home or abducted into a modern form of slavery once here.
- Guardian ^
Some facts below rather than right wing scaremongering:
I don’t think platforms like twatter help in any way shape or form, have a browse at any time on there and it’s full of frothing lefties or frothing righties airing their bile without facing any consequences
As for this Lineker stuff it goes to show how out of touch I am as always thought the beeb were on the left side of the fence but Boris’s mate has I assumed changed the landscape, I guess it gains more momentum as the left side are more vocal in their outrage, particularly on twatter.
The only thing that will win is the MOTD figures tonight as people tune in out of curiosity. I’m quite happy to see Palace get stuffed without any commentary.
People defending the BBC decision on Linekar but will ignore Alan Sugar or Andrew Neil preaching right wing doctrine shows how partisan the BBC has become.
I didn’t think Andrew Neil was on the BBC any more.
I don’t think platforms like twatter help in any way shape or form, have a browse at any time on there and it’s full of frothing lefties or frothing righties airing their bile without facing any consequences
As for this Lineker stuff it goes to show how out of touch I am as always thought the beeb were on the left side of the fence but Boris’s mate has I assumed changed the landscape, I guess it gains more momentum as the left side are more vocal in their outrage, particularly on twatter.
The only thing that will win is the MOTD figures tonight as people tune in out of curiosity. I’m quite happy to see Palace get stuffed without any commentary.
Except it’s the faux-outrage from a right-wing government and its supporters that has led to Lineker and Attenborough being censored. The ‘snowflake’ insult from the right is more and more hypocritical every day.
Campbell has been ripping them apart all week. Love it.
To be fair it was a perfectly legitimate point to make. I'm sure Campbell would support Lineker anyway, but he also has a direct commercial relationship with him, so it wouldn't have been correct to not mention it.
The presenter on Five Live Drive made sure to add to the comments after Campbell's rant was finally over that he is employed by GL's company.....
A very pertinent point to make IMO which many will be unaware of.
Can you imagine if they did this every time the conducted an interview? How many times do they interview people from secretly funded lobby groups pretending to be 'think tanks' without questioning their motives for being there. Perhaps you're on to something Fanny, and they should do it more often. 👍
This will backfire on the BBC and the Tories, and hopefully the majority right wing press. They sanction GL, yet the Chair and DG of the organisation, are people who have stood for parliament for the Tories or have donated to them and organised an £800k loan for the then Tory PM! I remember when the Ukraine war was starting how the Government and the BEEB were indignant about Russia closing down a TV station that didn't comply to the Kremlins line on the war, talking about free speech being shut down. Now this government and the BEEB have just done the same thing! We are slowly, as far as free speech is concerned, becoming like Russia, China and North Korea, GL silenced and DA episode taken off air, disgusting!
Be of interest to see what happens with MOTD2 and live broadcasts as others have said.
How long will the pundits and others remain in solidarity?
Always tickles me how the BBC report on these matters in their news programmes in their attempts to be seen as impartial and discuss the BBC as if they aren’t part of it. I know they argue they are being professional and unbiased etc but it always comes across as odd.
I don’t think platforms like twatter help in any way shape or form, have a browse at any time on there and it’s full of frothing lefties or frothing righties airing their bile without facing any consequences
As for this Lineker stuff it goes to show how out of touch I am as always thought the beeb were on the left side of the fence but Boris’s mate has I assumed changed the landscape, I guess it gains more momentum as the left side are more vocal in their outrage, particularly on twatter.
The only thing that will win is the MOTD figures tonight as people tune in out of curiosity. I’m quite happy to see Palace get stuffed without any commentary.
Not half, mate. But it has been happening a while.
This will probably get deleted by the mods but I am absolutely fuming and not because I care about Gary Linkear
1) He is a sports presenter so as I understand it hasn't broken impartiality rules as they don't apply in his case.
2) What he said was 100% on the money. We are approaching Enoch Powell territory but no one seems to give a shit
3) The BBC are actively caving to right wing populism. Combine this with the the shit that gets printed by Murdoch press and all the social media fake news, what chance do we have.
Seems tolerance, compassion and general decency are truly a thing of the past.
Maybe a different and perhaps more accurate perspective...? I just read this elsewhere:
"Could somebody please explain to Mr L the difference between a refugee, (Absolutely terrified, wearing only the clothes they stand up in and often starving, having escaped a warzone), and an economic migrant (Of fighting age, wearing Nike clothes and trainers, sporting the latest haircut, and carrying an Apple phone, mainly from Albania, where there is currently no war being fought).
Bit of a myth. Of the people that arrive on boats 75% of initial decisions made in 2022 resulted in a grant of asylum or other form of protection. Even with our anti asylum seeker government it's deemed that 75% are genuine. And the Albanians aren't interested in being in the asylum system. The vast majority want to disappear, earn a decent wage for six months (in Albania jobs are scarce, and wages very low), and return home where the foreign currency they've earned which will be worth much more in Tirana than it is here. (This from an Albanian friend who knows the community). They know they won't be granted leave to settle here, because, (as you quite rightly say) there is currently no war being fought there.
What I will say on Lineker is was happy enough to go to Qatar where we shouldn’t have been as a footballing nation while thing was a farce and ridiculous.
If you have opinions stick to them not pick and choose
Comments
Indeed, the Premier League might have something to say about tomorrow night's reduced coverage.
That shouldn’t really be the point though I guess….
Just glad I don’t pay for a tv license.
…more than half of the asylum claims lodged by Albanians are upheld: it turns out they are refugees after all. Most of those are women and children, often the victims of trafficking and exploitation. But young Albanian men, those most easily demonised, are often victims too, whether fleeing violence and blood feuds back home or abducted into a modern form of slavery once here.
- Guardian ^
Some facts below rather than right wing scaremongering:
I know human rights may be seen as ‘political’ but it’s relevant to this thread.
I don’t think platforms like twatter help in any way shape or form, have a browse at any time on there and it’s full of frothing lefties or frothing righties airing their bile without facing any consequences
As for this Lineker stuff it goes to show how out of touch I am as always thought the beeb were on the left side of the fence but Boris’s mate has I assumed changed the landscape, I guess it gains more momentum as the left side are more vocal in their outrage, particularly on twatter.
The only thing that will win is the MOTD figures tonight as people tune in out of curiosity. I’m quite happy to see Palace get stuffed without any commentary.
They sanction GL, yet the Chair and DG of the organisation, are people who have stood for parliament for the Tories or have donated to them and organised an £800k loan for the then Tory PM!
I remember when the Ukraine war was starting how the Government and the BEEB were indignant about Russia closing down a TV station that didn't comply to the Kremlins line on the war, talking about free speech being shut down. Now this government and the BEEB have just done the same thing! We are slowly, as far as free speech is concerned, becoming like Russia, China and North Korea, GL silenced and DA episode taken off air, disgusting!
Always tickles me how the BBC report on these matters in their news programmes in their attempts to be seen as impartial and discuss the BBC as if they aren’t part of it. I know they argue they are being professional and unbiased etc but it always comes across as odd.
https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/an-open-letter-to-the-bbc/?fbclid=IwAR05DyxngkmPtf2tQFodybqeiEawbAb2f1wHAW3303M8SY-10jJlU9pArmQ
Of the people that arrive on boats 75% of initial decisions made in 2022 resulted in a grant of asylum or other form of protection. Even with our anti asylum seeker government it's deemed that 75% are genuine.
And the Albanians aren't interested in being in the asylum system. The vast majority want to disappear, earn a decent wage for six months (in Albania jobs are scarce, and wages very low), and return home where the foreign currency they've earned which will be worth much more in Tirana than it is here. (This from an Albanian friend who knows the community). They know they won't be granted leave to settle here, because, (as you quite rightly say) there is currently no war being fought there.