Gary Lineker is off then, much to the BBC’s relief. It is moot as to whether it was his resoundingly stupid views on Israel and Gaza that did the trick, or his criticism of the direction in which Match of the Day seems to be heading (and about which I think he is right).
Lineker brings an easy lightness of touch to a sport which is full of pomposity
Lineker may have the depth of geopolitical knowledge of a plastic tea tray, but he has been a superlative presenter, bringing an easy lightness of touch to a sport which is full of too much pomposity, hubris and faux expertise to be bearable. I also think he should be allowed to say whatever he thinks, no matter how dim-witted: the more transparent the bias of all BBC presenters, correspondents and producers, the stronger the case for abolishing the whole caboodle. The BBC sticks to its neutrality façade and bans staff from offering an opinion because it knows damn well what would happen if we heard the monocultural whining that would be emitted were the rules to be relaxed.
And Match of the Day. Please God, not more analysis. They don’t know much more than we do and it is boring. Just listen to the earnest drivel we get from Mark “Chappers” Chapman on a Sunday. Football isn’t a science – more often than not it’s luck. A programme which showed longer highlights of games would suit me, instead of the glistening array of goals, stripped of context, which we get at the moment.
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