Gary Lineker has challenged Twitter boss Elon Musk over a threatening message sent to his son George during the row over his suspension from the BBC.
The presenter shared a private message sent by a user to George which told him he should be “burned at the stake” for supporting his father and branded him “a mug”.
He asked Musk: “Is this acceptable @Twitter @elonmusk? And I don’t mean the grammar.”
George, who has been vocal online in support of his father over the last few days, said he had “never had so much abuse” on Twitter as in recent days.
Lineker Jr, who had 96,000 followers on the site, posted a picture of himself with his father on Sunday and said he was “proud of the old man after a busy few days”.
He added: “Shouldn’t need to apologise for being a good person and standing by his word. The reaction of the public has been overwhelming. Thanks for the support.”
Is this acceptable @Twitter @elonmusk? And I don’t mean the grammar. pic.twitter.com/fCVIIq3we2
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 14, 2023
The Match of the Day presenterwas taken off the air for a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new Government asylum seeker policy to that of 1930s Germany.
He was reinstated on Monday following a backlash against his suspension.
His eldest son has defended him throughout the controversy and said his father wouldn’t back down over his comments, adding: “That’s why he was pulled off the show — because he wouldn’t apologise. But he will always speak up for people who don’t have a voice.”
It came as BBC chairman Richard Sharp was accused being “missing in action” over the saga and “compromised” by accusations over his own impartiality. The former banker is under fresh pressure after Lineker was suspended by the BBC and then reinstated amid the row over his tweets.
Mr Sharp is currently facing an investigation into his appointment as BBC chairman after he was accused of helping ex-prime minister Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility. Sir Michael Lyons, who chaired the BBC from 2007 to 2011, said Mr Sharp was a “lame duck”.
Speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight, he said: “I suspect the reason he’s been missing in action is because actually he’s compromised by the ongoing inquiry and if that’s the case then I think that means he can’t do the job.”
Sir Michael, a former Labour politician on Birmingham city council, added: “I think that it’s surprising that neither he nor somebody in his stead was out and about supporting and contributing to this debate over the last couple of days. I think that’s a gap and if it’s due to Richard feeling that he just simply couldn’t contribute given the circumstances then he’s a lame duck but that’s for him to decide.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer previously described Mr Sharp’s position as “increasingly untenable” , while Lib-Dem leader Sir Ed Davey called upon Rishi Sunak to sack him and appoint “a new, properly independent chair”.
Lineker will return to screens this weekend after the corporation was forced into a humiliating u-turn over his suspension.
It had prompted a boycott of Match of the Day that spread across the BBC’s football coverage over the weekend and saw it reduced to a bare minimum as fellow pundits, presenters and reporters — including Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Alex Scott — walked out in “solidarity” with Lineker.
Match Of The Day aired for only 20 minutes on Saturday without accompanying commentary or analysis. The row was only resolved when director-general Tim Davie apologised for “the potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance” and announced Lineker would return while the BBC reviewed its social media policy.
The BBC chairman can only be sacked by the Governmnent or resign, he cannot be axed by the BBC.
Mr Sharp did not arrange the Boris Johnson loan himself but introduced a friend who wanted to help to the Cabinet Office.
