The solidarity Match of the Day staff showed towards Gary Lineker wasn't anticipated by the BBC's higher-ups, it has been claimed.
Lineker was accused of crossing a line with comments comparing government language with that used in "1930s Germany", prompting the BBC to speak with the presenter. Reports suggested the 62-year-old would step back from presenting duties amid discussions with the national broadcaster, though he would later claim this was not his decision.
A number of other pundits and commentators ruled themselves out, while Premier League clubs confirmed their players would not be giving interviews to Match of the Day in the light of the controversy. For some associated with the Saturday night show, though, there had long been a feeling that a moment like this was on the horizon.
As reported by The Athletic, there has been solidarity between production staff and the presenting team, even among those who don't agree whole-heartedly with Lineker's comments. While some associated with Match of the Day are said to have anticipated the clash between the broadcaster and the show's host, higher-ups at the Beeb are not believed to have been prepared for what was described as "carnage" in the lead-up to Saturday's show.
The same report makes reference to WhatsApp conversations in which the future of 'some of the BBC's most famous names' was the subject of speculation, with unconfirmed reports of further resignations. It wasn't just about sports presenters, either with some unconfirmed rumours suggesting those in other fields could walk away in solidarity.
The BBC is said to have explored the prospect of replacing those who refused to appear on TV in solidarity with Lineker, only to instead run a reduced sports programme over the weekend. Even those not in full agreement with the former England striker's words are still understood to have supported his right to free speech.
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Ian Wright and Alan Shearer were among the first pundits to publicly show solidarity with Lineker. Former Arsenal striker Wright, who was involved in separate duties with Premier League Productions over the weekend, had earlier explained his stance on the Wrighty's House podcast.
"I’ll tell you something. If they do – the BBC get rid of Gary Lineker – I’m out, I’m gone," the 59-year-old said. "I’m not staying there. On his own platform he should be able to say what he wants to say,
“He wrote a tweet criticising the Government about everything that’s happening, the human rights issues and everything here and it’s the perfect distraction for this Government, man.
“Gary’s tweet was the headline news. They need Gary Lineker to distract everybody because for me it is a human issue, it’s not political," Wright continued. "They’ve got no empathy. The most vulnerable ones are always the ones that suffer, they’re the ones that suffer and it starts with words.
“Gary Lineker, he retweeted from a German professor about – because the Hitler thing is what they all jumped on and everything like that. He retweeted saying that it all starts with language, it starts with words, they don’t just start throwing people into concentration camps, it starts with words and language.”
Match of the Day ultimately ran for just 20 minutes, with no commentary. There was also disruption to Match of the Day 2, with Mark Chapman pulling out of his BBC duties, while Football Focus' Alex Scott and Final Score's Jason Mohammad also issued statements.
"I made a decision last night that even though I love my show and we have had an incredible week winning an SJA for Football Focus that it doesn't feel right for me to go ahead with the show today," Scott wrote on Twitter. "Hopefully I will be back in the chair next week."
As of Sunday night, talks between Lineker and the BBC were said to be progressing "very positively" amid a potential return to the studio. At the time of writing, the BBC's schedule for March 18 lists Scott and Mohammad as hosts of Football Focus and Final Score respectively, while BBC One holds the rights to broadcast the FA Cup game between Manchester City and Burnley later that day.
