The disturbances with BBC programming spilled into Day 2 with Match Day 2 and live coverage of the Women’s Premier League set to continue without presenters.
The BBC’s decision to sack Gary Lineker from presenting Match of the Day on Friday has sent chaos within the company with pundits and commentators’ strike severely disrupting the Saturday schedule.
The BBC’s managing director, Tim Davie, was forced to apologize after causing the likes of Ian Wright, Alex Scott and Mark Chapman to run Match of the Day without showing or commentary, and to completely stop broadcasts of Football Focus and Final Score and Radio Five Live. to significantly reduce planned coverage.
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe was one of those due to feature in Sunday night’s second game but will not appear with the show now expected in a similar, intense, comment-free format as the main program on Saturday.
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BBC Two’s coverage of the Women’s Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United will continue, but without a presentation.
Commentary will be transmitted via global feed.
On Radio Five Live, the usual announcer-led setup of the afternoon Premier League match has been cancelled.
Lineker, who first presented Match of the Day in 1999, criticized the UK government’s new asylum policy in a tweet on 7 March.
He wrote on Twitter: “No massive influx. We take in far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably harsh policy directed at the most vulnerable people with language not unlike that used by Germany in the 1930s, and am I off duty?”
It remains to be seen if he has a future with the broadcaster with son George indicating he would like to return to Match of the Day but has no plans to apologize for his messages on social media.
“My father is a good man, a good human being and I’m proud of him for standing up to his word. That’s why he was pulled from the show – because he won’t apologize. But he will always speak up for people who don’t have a voice,” he told the Sunday Mirror.
“Will he come back for today’s game? I think so – he loves today’s game. But he will never go back on his word.”
Davey says he is eager to find a solution.
“I would say Gary Lineker is a fantastic broadcaster. He’s the best in the field, and that’s not up for debate.
“To be clear, the success for me is this: Gary is back on the air and together we bring audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I’m sorry we couldn’t deliver today.”
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(photo: MEGA/GC Images)
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