“Gary is 100% right,” said lifelong Leicester City fan John Farrell as he stood in the queue for a match-day programme before Saturday’s kick-off at King Power Stadium.
While the 67-year-old, who was in the stands for Gary Lineker’s Leicester City debut against Oldham Athletic on New Year’s Day 1979, didn’t necessarily agree with the content of the star striker turned broadcaster’s tweets, he strongly supported his right to an opinion. “I agree with freedom of speech. This is not Russia.”
Farrell, who runs a cleaning business – and whose son, Lee, also used to play for the team – said Lineker was a talismanic figure for the city in which he grew up and, before he was representing them on the pitch, was a regular sight at the market on his father’s fruit and vegetable stall.
Not required for his usual Match of the Day duties, Lineker joined fans in the stands to see his team face Chelsea. Some supporters held blue signs that read: “I’m with Gary. Migrants Welcome”.
While the main subject of conversation as crowds flowed along the road in the grey and cold towards the ground, past the site of the old Filbert Street stadium, was the prospect of relegation – they started the day just two points clear of the bottom three – Lineker’s falling-out with the BBC was also on people’s minds.
From his booth, which he shares with a cuddly Filbert Fox mascot, programme seller Richard Watts said it had been a talking point among his colleagues. “It’s just a tweet on a forum. It shouldn’t be the furore it is … Where’s freedom of speech?”
“Gary Lineker is our guy,” said Leicester City fan Shafiq Khalifa. “He is standing up for people who don’t have a voice to speak.”
The council worker and photographer feared Lineker’s punishment for speaking against government policies was a worrying sign for society. “We’re coming to that point in the world where we’re not allowed to say the truth,” he said. “The BBC know what they’re doing.”
Lifelong Leicester City fan James Sankar, 75, who was attending the game with his Chelsea-supporting wife, Prem, 66, said the BBC’s reaction to Lineker’s tweets made him worried that people’s freedom was being reduced. “He has a right to do that, it’s a free country. That’s one of the things that we’re proud of, being able to say what we want.”
“He has freedom of speech and he has an opinion so he has a right,” Prem added. “It’s all about Lineker today.”
Walking down the street carrying Leicester City flags, the Hartshorne family from Leicestershire firmly stood by Lineker. “Freedom of speech. He should be allowed to say what he wants,” said Anne Marie Hartshorne, a student.
“He’s the most famous player for the club and he represents the club pretty well,” added her husband, Jim, a managing director.
“He’s speaking from a good place, isn’t he? He’s speaking for disadvantaged people.”
But not everybody agreed. “It’s a load of rubbish to be honest,” said Lee Smith. “Who’s bothered?” Although he described Lineker as “a Leicester lad through and through” he didn’t agree with him sharing his political views on social media.
Another fan, his hat full of pin badges, dismissed Lineker as “an idiot” and a “champagne socialist”. “The BBC are quite within their rights,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous. “They should sack him.”
On Lineker Road, by the site of the former Filbert Street stadium – now a wasteland littered with piles of rubble and discarded furniture – Imran Moledina paused on his way to the game to take a photo of the street sign for Instagram.
The project manager, who has been a season ticket holder for 22 years, was most concerned about his team getting the three points they needed. “We’re going down,” he said mournfully. But the action taken against Lineker was also a worry.
While Moledina didn’t like Lineker’s comments about Qatar during last year’s World Cup, when the presenter criticised James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, for suggesting that LGBTQ+ fans should be “respectful”, that didn’t mean the broadcaster should be silenced.
“He’s got a right,” he said, before joining Lineker in the stadium to watch City lose 3-1. “Everyone should get a right to say what they want.”
