COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Gary Lineker has been told to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the BBC has said.

It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.

The BBC said it considered Lineker's "recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines".

It added he should "keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies".

The BBC asked Lineker to step back after "extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days".

It "decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media", the statement said.

It continued: "When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.

"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies."

Fellow pundit Ian Wright said he will not appear in "solidarity", tweeting: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I've told the BBC I won't be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."

Alan Shearer, who also presents on the show, said he had "informed the BBC that I won't be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night".

Lineker has not yet publicly commented but while presenting 5News earlier, former BBC presenter Dan Walker read out a text live on air from the 62-year-old.

Walker said he had messaged Lineker asking: "What is happening. Are you stepping back?"

He said he had received a reply saying: "No, they've [the BBC] told me I have to step back."

Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the BBC, who also served as a member of Ofcom's content board, said the corporation had "no choice" but to take action against Lineker after his tweets criticising the government's asylum policy.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said: "I think it was inevitable. He [Lineker] has the letters BBC written across his forehead and yet he's plunged right into the most controversial story of the day."

He said BBC Director General Tim Davie had "clearly tried" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: "It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest."

dutchman wrote:He should be charged with "hate speech" and jailed for five and a half years, unless it's one law for Alex Belfield and another for Gary Lineker?

Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC bosses back down



The BBC will climb down in its row with Gary Lineker and allow him to return as Match of the Day host next weekend, The Telegraph understands.

The corporation is expected to announce that it is reviewing its guidelines on the use of social media in the wake of the controversy.

In return, it is believed that Lineker will agree to be more careful about the content of his tweets. He may also make some form of apology.

An announcement that the matter has been resolved is expected to be made as early as Monday, with the BBC conceding that its guidance on social media restrictions was unclear.

Lineker is expected to return to our screens for Saturday’s Match of the Day Live: FA Cup coverage. He was never due to host the Match of the Day highlights programme because of his commitment to covering the cup.

Tim Davie, the director-general, will now face criticism over the BBC’s commitment to impartiality and whether it can justify being funded by the licence fee. David Jones, a former Cabinet minister, said: “Davie knows Lineker behaved badly. He simply hasn’t the authority to deal with him robustly.”

On Sunday night, both sides were said to be “close to a resolution”.

An insider said: “Both sides have been working on something that will satisfy the BBC’s concerns and allow Gary back on air. Things are going in the right direction.”

The decision to review the social media guidelines is particularly embarrassing for Mr Davie because they were written in 2020 at his request to include what came to be known as the “Lineker Clause”. It stated that presenters with a particularly high profile had an additional responsibility to avoid taking sides on party political issues.

A review is expected to look again at whether sports and entertainment presenters should be held to the same standards as journalists working in BBC News.

However, the corporation is being forced to row back after its sports coverage collapsed over the weekend, with presenters and commentators refusing to go on air in solidarity with Lineker.

The scale of the mutiny took BBC management by surprise and left licence fee payers without their regular coverage.

Bosses were left with no choice but to give ground if they were to avoid the unofficial strike running into a second week. BBC Sport is to hold staff sessions on Monday to address concerns.

Mr Davie spent the weekend in what sources described as “intensive negotiations”, flying back from Washington DC to strike a deal with Lineker and his representatives.

It was notable that Lineker, a prolific tweeter, stayed silent on social media over the weekend.

He spent Sunday having lunch with his sons and walking his dog. Asked outside his home if he had “come to an agreement with the BBC”, he replied: “I can’t say anything at the moment, I’m sorry.”