The BBC has been forced to cancel their radio coverage of Saturday's football amid the ongoing row involving Gary Lineker - with Mark Chapman and Colin Murray pulling out.
Match of the Day host Lineker was controversially forced to "step back" from presenting Saturday night's edition of the BBC's flagship football show after daring to criticise the government's language towards migrants. The BBC's decision has been condemned.
Saturday night's edition of Match of the Day will take place without a studio presentation after pundits boycotted the show in solidarity with Lineker. The BBC has also been forced to shelve Football Focus and Final Score due to a lack of willing pundits.
Every Saturday during the football season, BBC Radio 5 Live provides updates and analysis on the day's events. Yet that will not happen in full this Saturday after Chapman and Murray - among others - refused to take part after the BBC's decision to axe Lineker.
Chapman has not commented on the matter, but Murray - who presents boxing show Fighting Talk - has. He tweeted, "No Fighting Talk today, for obvious reasons. In the interest of transparency, this was a decision taken by the entire FT team and myself."
Just a handful of BBC presenter or pundits are expected to appear on air on Saturday due to the row. The saga started when the government announced their controversial Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday, which led to a backlash from thousands of people.
What do you make of the saga? Let us know in the comments below!
Lineker described the bill - which aims to detain migrants who enter the country via illegal routes without bail or judicial review before being deported and blocked from returning - as "beyond awful". He also questioned the government's inflammatory language.
Many people have praised Lineker for taking a stance, but right-wing political commentators and Conservative MPs responded by calling for the BBC to axe him. The BBC cowered to that pressure on Friday evening, when Lineker was taken off air.
The BBC perhaps did not anticipate a backlash from that decision. More than 150,000 people have signed a petition - launched by The Mirror - to reinstate Lineker immediately, while the likes of Ian Wright and Alan Shearer are refusing to appear on the BBC.
Lineker is yet to break his silence on the matter. He was quizzed by reporters after leaving his home on Saturday morning but did not respond. The legendary footballer was on his way to watch his former club Leicester host Chelsea in the afternoon.
Wright has promised to permanently quit the BBC if Lineker is not reinstated. The Arsenal legend told the Wrighty's House podcast, "Let me tell you something if the BBC do get rid of Gary Lineker I am out. I am gone, I am not staying there.
"On his own platform, he should be able to say what he wants to say. Gary Lineker, he says stuff on everything and it's almost like this one has missed everybody simply because he says so much but this is so right what he is saying. I have spoken to Gary, I am behind him."
The Mirror has launched a petition to have Gary Lineker reinstated at the BBC and as the host of Match of the Day. Sign it here.
