Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright has decided not to appear on this Saturday's Match of the Day in "solidarity" with Gary Lineker after the BBC announced the latter will not be presenting the programme.
The decision has come as the broadcaster and their presenter try and reach "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media" following his recent tweet which criticised Government immigration policy. In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government over its plan to tackle Channel crossings to "that used by Germany in the 30s".
The BBC released a statement on Friday afternoon announcing the decision, stating it considered Lineker's recent social media activity to be a "breach of our guidelines", adding that he should "keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies".
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The decision brought about much debate as it remained to be seen exactly what will happen to the show ahead of this weekend.
Wright released his own statement on Twitter on the situation, saying: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."
Wright featured on Match of the Day in an increased capacity from 2017 onwards, often featuring with Lineker - who has hosted the show since 1999 - outlining the solidarity between the pair, despite the north London derby playing links from their footballing days.
Alan Shearer also joined in with a stance, saying: "I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night."
It comes as a huge shock to many, leaving some wondering who will be standing in for the presenter and pundit for the weekend's fixtures.
The Mirror has launched a petition calling for Gary Lineker to be reinstated to Match of the Day by the BBC - we urge anyone who values liberty and free speech to sign it. #GaryLinekerhttps://t.co/o3216ygZye
— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics)
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