Gary Lineker was the clear winner in his battle against the BBC for the public body’s attempt to censor the popular ex-footballer and social media presenter’s opinions. But both parties wanted to redirect and rebuild a conflict that had challenged the entity’s credibility and independence and provoked a national debate of unprecedented proportions.
Managing Director Tim Davie, who was ultimately responsible for the decision to suspend Lineker from his role at the helm of Match of the Day, has announced that there is an independent expert review of the chain’s editorial rules in relation to the will use social media by its employees, with a particular focus on the gray area represented by non-employees like Lineker, who has nearly nine million followers on Twitter.
The BBC and Lineker himself have announced the immediate reinstatement of the presenter after a turbulent weekend during which the vast majority of the channel’s sports journalists and staff resigned from their posts in solidarity with the former footballer, provoking a cut in program being reduced to the minimum or cancelled .
“After a surreal few days, I am pleased to report that we have found a way to resolve this conflict. I would like to thank everyone for the incredible support, especially my colleagues at BBC Deportes for their extraordinary show of solidarity. Football is a team sport but their support has been tremendous,” Lineker wrote on his Twitter account. “Despite the difficult days, these days cannot be compared to having to flee your homeland due to persecution or war and seek refuge in a distant country. It’s encouraging to see the empathy you show towards them,” he concluded.
The ex-soccer player, moderator and media star once again angered the Conservative Party MPs and many opinion leaders from the right-wing press with a tweet against the Rishi Sunak government’s new immigration policy. He compared the language of Home Secretary Suella Braverman to that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Braverman had described the increasing arrival of irregular migrants on British shores as an “invasion”.
It rained on wet. Gary Lineker had already confronted the Tory universe on social media about Brexit – he opposed it – or donations from Russian oligarchs to the political formation. This time, Davie thought, a little lesson was in order. The presenter was suspended from his position at the helm of the show “while his use of social media was discussed”. Although his employment status is that of an employee – on a €1.5 million annual contract – in the entertainment sector and is therefore not subject to the rules imposed on the station’s journalists, Davie invented what he called the “Lineker Clause” at the time, which aware of the predicament that the moderator might be in. The clause imposed an obligation on collaborators “not to take sides in partisan matters or political controversies.”
However, booking Lineker wasn’t that easy. The former footballer did not retract his statements. And it unleashed a wave of solidarity that caught the BBC leadership off guard. One by one, the company’s sports presenters and employees announced that they would not go on the air to show their solidarity with their partner. Match of the Day, a perfect formula that has for years combined the round-up of each match of the day with analyst commentary, has been reduced to a short 20-minute broadcast of the best plays. Football Focus or Final Score, two other popular sports sites in the chain, had to be replaced with ready-made programs from the company’s archives.
The wave of sympathy from many fans who brought posters of support into stadiums – “I’m with Gary. Immigrants are welcome” – put on alert the Conservative government, which had initially allowed its MPs to increase pressure on the BBC to censure Lineker and even hailed the campaign. Prime Minister Sunak distanced himself through a spokesman, praising Lineker as “a great footballer and a talented presenter” and assuring that it was an internal matter which the executive would not get involved in, although “he was confident that it would.” It will be resolved as soon as possible.” Business Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who had demanded a public apology from Lineker for his comments, stopped demanding this Sunday morning under pressure from journalists and also referred the matter to the BBC’s discretion.
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