Despite Premier League football being played this weekend, the BBC are making headlines over the Match of the Day programme.
Friday evening saw regular presenter Gary Lineker pulled from Saturday’s edition of the programme. This is due to the response following a tweet from Lineker, where he criticised the Government’s immigration policy by saying their language was "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
Following the announcement, pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright confirmed that they would not be working for the programme as originally planned, in solidarity with Lineker. It left the BBC scrambling to find replacement presents and pundits for the show.
Other pundits such as Alex Scott, Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards also announced that, if asked, they would not work on tonight’s Match of the Day programme. BBC commentators have also taken a strong stance in support of Lineker.
Who is presenting Match of the Day?
As a result, the BBC announced that tonight’s edition of Match of the Day will not have any presenters or pundits.
Instead, the BBC will present highlights of the six Premier League matches that are being played on Saturday. There will be no analysis or comment as usual after the games.
A BBC spokesperson said: "Some of our pundits have said that they don't wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary.
"We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry."
What time is Match of the Day on tonight?
Match of the Day is due to begin at 10.20pm on BBC One.
It was also announced that the regular commentators for Match of the Day will not be working for tonight’s programme, as a show of solidarity with Lineker.
A statement released on Twitter by the various commentators who were set to cover the games for the programme reads: "As commentators on MOTD, we have decided to step down from tomorrow night's broadcast.
“We know that football fans want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use world feed commentary if they wish. However, in the circumstances we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme."
