World of sport rocked as Lineker’s grand stand takes focus off football

Coverage cancelled as presenters and pundits show solidarity with Match of the Day host

THE BBC suffered a crushing defeat yesterday that was as spectacular as it was humiliating.

Sports fans tuning into BBC One’s Football Focus were treated to rival red and blue teams – but they were dashing breathlessly around antique shops and car boot sales in Bargain Hunt.

Those hoping to find out how their beloved football teams had fared on Final Score instead saw skilled craftsmen restore faulty furniture and broken family heirlooms in The Repair Shop.

The corporation’s sports coverage had gone into a complete meltdown as star presenters, pundits and journalists staged a walkout that plunged the broadcaster into a scheduling crisis like no other in its 100 year history.

In what became a strike in all but name, staff and freelancers stood in solidarity with Gary Lineker, 62, claiming BBC executives had not “supported” him after he criticised the Government’s handling of the asylum crisis last week.

Even last night’s Match Of The Day was set to go ahead without a presenter or pundits after Lineker, the BBC’s highest paid presenter, was told to step back until an agreement was reached on how he used social media.

On Radio 5 Live, pre-recorded sports podcasts replaced what should have been an afternoon of live football coverage. Even the BBC World Service pulled its four-hour Sportsworld programme.

This de facto industrial action began on Friday when the BBC suspended the former England footballer following three days of talks with Tim Davie, the BBC director-general. Within hours, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, two other MOTD regulars, announced they would boycott presenting the show.

Any hopes BBC executives had that the weekend would offer some respite were scuppered yesterday morning. At 10.25am, Alex Scott, the former England player, used social media to state that she would not be presenting that day’s Football Focus.

She tweeted: “I made a decision last night that even though I love my show and we have had an incredible week winning an SJA [Sports Journalism Award] for Football Focus that it doesn’t feel right for me to go ahead with the show today. Hopefully I will be back in the chair next week….”

Rumours that Kelly Somers, the TV sports presenter, could be her replacement were soon scotched when she too took to Twitter. “Just to confirm I won’t be on BBC television today,” she wrote.

Glenn Murray, a key pundit on the BBC sports team, then ruled himself out of appearing on both Football Focus and Final Score. The former Brighton striker tweeted: “Was meant to be up in Media City today but reflecting last night I felt it was the right thing to do to step away from Focus & Score today.”

Jason Mohammad, Final Score’s host, then declared he would not be presenting it. Marc Webber, the show’s sports reporter, revealed that journalists, many of them freelance and paid for each game they cover, were also out in “solidarity with Gary Lineker”.

He said it was an “absolute honour” to report on the beautiful game, adding: “But I can’t stand by and see a colleague unsupported like this for a personal opinion which did not break BBC editorial guidelines. Please also be kind to other BBC Sport colleagues who will still be working because they will not have the luxury of choice we have.”

Dion Dublin, a former player and sports pundit, was almost militant in his tweet: “In Solidarity with my BBC Sport colleagues NO 5live for me today!”

Frantic emergency meetings were being held at BBC Television Centre in London and Media City in Salford. Producers across BBC Sport were ringing around “talent” in a desperate search for anyone prepared to break what had become an invisible picket line.

Even those not booked to appear on TV or radio took to Twitter to say they would not appear if asked

Bectu said the BBC’s handling of the crisis will likely prove disastrous for its reputation

In stark contrast, Lineker appeared unfazed as he emerged from his southwest London home on an unplanned day off. He was silent as journalists repeatedly asked him if his BBC career was over. He simply smiled as he got into a chauffeur-driven car to travel to see Leicester City play.

Jermain Defoe, the former England striker, who appears on Match of the Day, was next to announce he had decided “to stand down from my punditry duties” while the Lineker crisis continued. Then, Leon Osman, the former Everton player who normally appears as a pundit on Radio 5 Live, pulled out of a 5 Live show. The clamour to join “Team Lineker” was so intense, even those not booked to appear on TV or radio took to Twitter to say they would not appear if asked.

Pundit Micah Richards tweeted: “I was not due to be working on MOTD tomorrow, but if I was, I would find myself taking the same decision that Ian Wright and Alan Shearer have.”

Jermaine Jenas, the former England star, said: “I wasn’t down to be doing match of the day tomorrow, but if I was I would of [sic] said no and stood with my fellow pundits and Gary Lineker.”

Colin Murray, presenter of 5 Live’s Fighting Talk sports show, was at pains to point out that the programme had been pulled owing to a unanimous decision by staff. “This was a decision taken by the entire Fighting Talk team and myself,” he tweeted.

Then, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the union for professional players in England and Wales, waded in to offer members support if they wanted to refuse post-match BBC interviews.

A spokesman said: “The PFA has been speaking to members who wanted to take a collective position and to be able to show their support for those who have chosen not to be part of tonight’s programme.”

Shortly after lunchtime, the BBC issued an apology to viewers, adding that it was “working hard to resolve the situation” – a statement more commonly used in the event of a technical error than in a row about impartiality. “The BBC will only be able to bring limited sport programming this weekend and our schedules will be updated to reflect that,” it said.

“We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans.”

An online petition calling for Lineker to be reinstated on MOTD edged towards 200,000 signatures. Many who signed it simply wrote: “Own goal by the BBC!”

Match Of The Day was rebranded as “Premier League Highlights” during its broadcast last night. A continuity announcer said: “Now on BBC One, we’re sorry that we’re unable to show our normal Match Of The Day including commentary tonight. But here now is the best action from today’s Premier League matches.”

Between each clip, a graphic appeared displaying which teams were playing, while the usual match commentary was replaced with the sound of the crowd inside each stadium.

The programme was limited to 20 minutes and did not include any postmatch analysis or interviews.

♦ A new YouGov snap poll last night revealed a majority (53pc) of the British public think the BBC was wrong to suspend Lineker. Just over a quarter (27pc) think the broadcaster was right and a fifth (20pc) don’t know.