Right or wrong, Lineker has proved the opinions of a footballer DO matter
RACK your brains, readers of a certain age, and try to recall anything controversial uttered by Gary Lineker when he was a player.
He might well have been the least controversial player of all time.
He didn’t even say anything controversial to a referee during his 16 years on the professional field.
He was that polite, he ended up in Japan.
Now, apparently, Lineker and controversy go together like cheese and onion.
Maybe it’s just a Twitter compunction. Plenty of people have them.
Maybe, though, it is just that Lineker feels far enough removed from the football bubble to be comfortable expressing his views on a variety of social, political – though still mostly sporting – issues.
Imagine if Lineker was the manager of England – or, as many would like him to be, the chairman or chief executive of the Football Association – and he tweeted this:
“The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What’s happening to our country?”
This might also be the view of the current England manager. But would he dare express it?
Or the current England manager’s view might well be the complete opposite. And would he dare express that?
He probably might not want to, but even if he did, would he feel allowed to? Absolutely not.
Whether or not you agree with Lineker, it’s how he feels, on a subject that clearly concerns him.
You can rage against his feelings, as some have done, or you can understand his feelings, as others have done.
One thing is indisputable, though. Lineker has broadened the debate and @GaryLineker “Getting a bit of a spanking today, but things could be worse. Imagine being a refugee having to flee from your home.” broadened the demographic and numbers taking part in it, because, essentially, he is still a famous footballer. Yes, he’s been a broadcaster for an age but he’s still all about football – and famous football folk do not typically get involved in stuff like this. A friend of mine’s son at journalism college was at a lecture when the young gathering was asked whose opinions and comments on the refugee issue would resonate more, whether they agreed with them or not. Lineker’s? Or any MP’s? It was a unanimous ‘Lineker’. That’s because there is no political interest, no personal agenda, no career gain to be had. It’s just how he genuinely feels. Lineker is a famous footballer who does not play anymore. Just imagine if he was still England’s top striker – still playing.
A new era of footballers speaking out on sensitive subjects should have been triggered by Greg Clarke’s assertion that a gay Premier League player would still be too scared to come out.
That should have started a public debate involving players at the very top of the game – players whose words would make people sit up and take notice.
But it hasn’t and it won’t. Maybe they don’t have an opinion on it. Maybe they want that opinion to remain private. Fine. On both counts. But maybe they feel football clubs and authorities don’t want them to express their opinions. It would take a brave leading footballer to come out and discuss homophobia in the game – never mind ‘come out’.
That’s a shame. Lineker has showed that footballers’ words can matter.
And after Clarke (above) – the FA chairman – suggested a gay Premier League star would get ‘significant abuse’, those words would matter a lot.