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Match of the Day to go ahead without pundits as they boycott in solidarity with Gary Lineker

Lineker took aim at the government's new asylum policy and his peers are making it clear they do not condone him being punished for it.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 11th March 2023

In a controversial and watershed moment for the BBC, Match of the Day is set to go ahead without any presenters for the first time ever as pundits boycott the show in solidarity with Gary Lineker.

Gary Lineker was asked to take a step back from presenting the historic and hugely popular football analysis show after the BBC had a ‘frank’ discussion with him following a number of his tweets which criticised the Home Office’s new asylum plans on social media.

Having been part of the programme for more than 30 years either as a pundit or as lead anchor, a position which he has held since 1999, Lineker‘s suspension from the show has upset and troubled many, including the majority of his regular colleagues.

Reacting to the news that their friend and peer would not be presenting Saturday’s show, former footballer and regular co-host Ian Wright was the first to inform the BBC that he wouldn’t be appearing as a pundit either.

And he was by no means the last, as not long after, fellow Match of the Day veteran, not to mention part of the usual and iconic Saturday night trio, Alan Shearer also informed the corporation and his followers on social media that he would not be appearing either.

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Moreover, another MotD regular, Jermaine Jenas, reinforced the message of solidarity on Twitter: “Been on air with The One Show. I wasn’t down to be doing Match of the Day tomorrow, but if I was I would of said no and stood with my fellow pundits and Gary Lineker”.

The same goes for former Manchester City star turned pundit, Micah Richards, who insisted that were he scheduled to appear, he would have made the same decision to boycott.

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This comes after Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was “disappointed” by Lineker’s remarks after he stated that the government’s targeting of migrants and refugees is “immeasurably cruel” and that their continued choice of language was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.

As a result, BBC stressed their impartiality guidelines and while several took issue with Lineker sharing his political opinions on his Twitter profile, it seems plenty more have come out to defend him for speaking out against the Conservative government and say that his punishment is cause for concern.

With most of the regular punditry team having come out to assure that they would not be presenting after Lineker was stripped as host, the question then turned to who else could appear, and many quickly jumped to BBC’s Football Focus host, Alex Scott. She quickly put a stop to that talk.

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https://twitter.com/AlexScott/status/1634264832852500488?s=20

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Scott is now said to have pulled out of her Football Focus duties as well, with the bulk of the BBC’s sports personnel all making the message very clear: they stand with Gary Lineker.

The 62-year-old had already issued a statement saying he had “never known such love and support in [his] life” following the initial wave of people showing their solidarity with the ex-England international.

However, after learning that Wright, Shearer, Jenas; Scott and Richards had all bowed out of appearing too, Lineker is said to have been left ‘in tears’ as he broke down in overwhelming emotion following the unified response from media personnel and fans alike.

As for the BBC, they have said MotD will go ahead without presenters for the first time since 1964 and focus simply on video highlights of the action from this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures. Meanwhile, viewing figures are expected to plummet as the BBC and the government face revolt for trying to censor opposition, free speech and any form of criticism — even if the information is accurate.

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Featured Image — BBC

News

Greater Manchester’s heritage railway issues statement as it’s forced to cancel services this week

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Steam train

Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway has been forced to cancel its services this weekend due to the heatwave.

In case you hadn’t heard, Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.

Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.

It does seem, however, that northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions.

Current forecasts indicate that the peak temperatures for Greater Manchester this week will be tomorrow and Thursday, with highs of 33°C in the city centre.

Despite not reaching the heights of the south, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has still had to act in advance and has taken the decision to cancel its scheduled services for the next two days as the forecast is ‘too severe’.

Taking to social media to share its decision today, ELR wrote: “Due to the current weather warning for the UK, the decision has been taken to cancel all services on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026, including the afternoon tea and mid-week luncheon dining experiences.

“The welfare of both staff and customers is paramount to the ELR, and we believe that the risk in the extreme heat that has been forecast is too severe to allow for the running of our ordinary services.”

As things stand, ELR says its current plan is to have services resume with the evening dining train on Friday 26 June, but this will still be ‘subject to review’, and further updates on this will be issued later in the week.

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Visitors who have already pre-booked services over the two cancelled days will be contacted via email to have their options explained to them.

“We apologise for any inconvenience,” ELR closed out its statement.

Featured Image – ELR

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TfGM issues safety warning and advice for travelling on public transport during extreme heat wave – including ‘get off’ 

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson TfGM issues safety warning and advice for travelling on public transport during extreme heat wave - including ‘get off’ 

Transport for Greater Manchester has urged passengers to ‘stay safe’ when travelling as the city braces for an extreme heatwave this week.

As well as issuing some safety advice, TfGM has also warning that delays and disruption are possible across the network as temperatures climb as high as 36ºC on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Customers are being advised to carry water with them when travelling, and to wear light clothing.

Also included in the travel advice is to ‘get off’ public transport at the next stop if you feel unwell, to seek fresh air.

It’s also advised to allow more time for your journey and to check the latest information and advice before setting off.

And most importantly, passengers are asked to look out for each other, especially those who are vulnerable.

The Bee Network may experience disruption later this week as the overhead lines that power the trams and trains are often adversely affected by high temperatures.

TfGM’s Customer and Growth Director, Fran Wilkinson, said: “Very high temperatures are forecast this week that can affect both people and the transport network.

“We will have staff out to help those who need it, and I would encourage customers to take a few simple steps to stay safe and comfortable while travelling, such as by carrying water, travelling at cooler times of the day and looking out for others.

“Due to the heat, there may be some disruption to Bee Network or local train services and I would encourage people to check for the latest information and advice before making their journey.”

TfGM advice for travelling in heatwave

  • Carry water and drink plenty of fluids
  • Avoid travelling during the hottest part of the day where possible
  • Wear light clothing and stay in the shade
  • If you feel unwell while travelling, get off at the next stop and seek fresh air
  • Plan your journey, check for the latest information and advice before setting off and allow extra time to make your journey
  • Look out for other passengers who may need help, especially those who are more vulnerable
  • Bee Network staff will be out across the network to help passengers, who can get the latest travel information and advice by checking the website or app.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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