Foul! Lineker and Shilton clash… over Brexit
oN the football pitch, they were all legends – but when it comes to politics, former players are more like an amateur team after one too many beers.
Football stars of yesteryear have taken to Twitter to score goals on Brexit.
Peter Shilton, England’s former World Cup goalkeeper, kicked it off with a tribute to Brexiteer Jacob rees-Mogg
Shilton tweeted: ‘Have been so impressed with @Jacob_rees_Mogg in the last few days. He really knows what he is talking about and puts it across in a calm and calculated manner!’ Match of the Day host Lineker retorted: ‘What’s that old saying? you should never see a tweet from our heroes?’
other stars from England’s 1980s and 1990s World Cup squad then pitched in. Former England midfielder Peter reid replied to Shilton’s tweet, saying: ‘I’ll agree to disagree on that one Goalie. He’s [Mr rees-Mogg] loopy, doesn’t know his a**e from his elbow’. He added sarcastically: ‘of course, if you’re talking about hedge funds moving to Dublin he’s excellent.’
Meanwhile, fellow World Cup hero Chris Waddle said: ‘Well done Theresa May, now let’s leave Brexit with no deal – we will be fine.’ To which his friend and former teammate Lineker kicked back: ‘ Stick to football.’
Some of Waddle’s supporters then told Lineker, who regularly preaches politics to his seven million Twitter followers: ‘That’s rich coming from you pal’. BBC cricket commentator Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew hit Lineker for six by tweeting: ‘Gary. you are the face of BBC Sport. Please observe BBC editorial guidelines and keep your political views, whatever they are and whatever the subject, to yourself. I’d be sacked if I followed your example. Thanks.’
The tweet was liked by thousands of his Twitter users.
And when Agnew was criticised by other users for attacking Lineker, he replied: ‘As I have repeatedly stated I voted remain. We lost.’
Lineker has rebuffed criticism of his political stance in the past by saying he is a freelancer and so does not have to abide by the BBC guidelines. Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan, who led England’s cricketers to their legendary Ashes victory against Australia in 2005, responded to yesterday’s events in Westminster with the subsequently deleted tweet: ‘Give me a Donald Trump-style leader over any of our leaders any day of the week #JustSaying’.