Motd

[Billyni]

Some good news.
Lineaker Shearer and Wright won’t be on it.

[alfinyalcabo]

Even better news,there will be no pundits whatsoever..

[UbiqueLUFC33]

Maybe people will realise how much better it is without them and the BBC will save a few million license fees worth of funds by not re-employing the overpaid, opinionated, smug dullards.

[WTF11]

Maybe people will realise how much better it is without them and the BBC will save a few million license fees worth of funds by not re-employing the overpaid, opinionated, smug dullards.

Careful what you wish for. Not saying they are prefect, but all those mentioned are at least ex-players and they can string a few words together to make a sentence (whether you agree with what they say, or not). There are those who present footballing programmes (highlights or others), who have no such experience and spout "stuff" based on not much of anything at all.

There was a whole load of heart-wrenching blurb here and elsewhere when Dickie Davies passed, and more recently when John Motson passed, why? They were good at their jobs, for sure, but neither had any first hand experience of what it is to be a football player in the highest order of the UK divisions, so why the contrast in treatment, one lambasted for their views expressed as ex-players, the other lauded having had no experience whatsoever of such experiences. Yes, one is commentating live(ish), the other passing judgement of performances delivered, but both depend on a knowledge of the game and how its played.

Not sure why Lineker, Shearer, Wright, or any of the others (Murphy, Richards etc) are "worthy" of any more criticism than any other commentator or "pundit". So what are we suggesting, football shown on TV without commentary of analysis? Yeah, good luck with getting the footballing authorities and the broadcasters to sign up to that

[Rev72]

Lineker is typical left hypocrite - disagree with him and he puts you in the far right box - absolute w@nker!

[Billyni]

I’m not complaining about football punditry, although it is quite biased and shyte, it’s using that platform to express political views, which if I want to hear, I’ll watch a political based program.

[WTF11]

I’m not complaining about football punditry, although it is quite biased and shyte, it’s using that platform to express political views, which if I want to hear, I’ll watch a political based program.

That's the point Billy, he was "using that platform" of Twitter (which is the most monumental pile of shyte no matter what subject), nothing to do with his work for the BBC, and just like anyone else on Twitter with a large following, if he expresses an opinion it gets noticed. You could say the same as he did, and not much would happen (sorry, but I suspect that's true! ).

If he was still presenting MOTD, and kept his comments to footballing matters, I don't see the issue. Same applies to all those who present, do your job, whilst presenting you keep to the subject you're paid to discuss. He and everyone else are entitled to their opinions and to express them wherever they will, agree with them or not is your/our choice, yes?

Fact is, if the BBC had ignored his comment, as its a non-footballing matter and expressed using a publicly-available social media platform, it would have gone flat in about 24 hours and equally likely that Linekers language would have been the subject of legitimate criticism. As it is, the man and the BBC become the news item, not the issue he commented about (which is arguably much more important to the man/woman in the street). The BBC fed the issue with the oxygen of publicity, they should have kept schtum (that's a real word, I thought spell check would call it out, but it didn't! ).

[CalverleyBoy]

Lineker is typical left hypocrite - disagree with him and he puts you in the far right box - absolute w@nker!

Some big tax issues too!

[alfinyalcabo]

Gets better,no commentary either,just pure football to watch without any w@nkers to listen to.

[BelfastAndy]

Football Focus binned too ffs