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On Wednesday 3 April 2025, BBC One broadcasts Match of the Day: Top 10!

Captains Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Match of the Day: Top 10,” titled “Captains,” promises to be an engaging look at some of the most memorable moments in Premier League history. Airing on BBC One, this episode features Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards as they share stories and insights about the role of team captains in the league.

In “Captains,” the trio will reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly moments involving Premier League captains. Viewers can expect a mix of heartfelt anecdotes and humorous tales, showcasing the leadership qualities that made certain players stand out. The episode aims to highlight the impact these captains have had on their teams and the league as a whole.

As always, Lineker, Shearer, and Richards bring their unique perspectives and camaraderie to the discussion. Their chemistry and...

“Match of the Day: Top 10” is back with an exciting episode titled “Captains,” airing at 12:10 Am on Wednesday, April 3, 2025, on BBC One. In this episode, football legends Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards come together to share their thoughts on the most memorable captains in Premier League history.

Viewers can expect a lively discussion as these three experts reflect on their own experiences and the impact that great leaders have had on the game. From inspirational moments to tough decisions, they will dive into the stories that highlight both the triumphs and challenges faced by captains on and off the pitch.

The episode promises to showcase a mix of nostalgia and insight, as each host brings their unique perspective to the table. Fans of the Premier League will surely enjoy hearing about the good, the bad, and even the ugly moments that shaped the careers of these influential players.

Gary Lineker has shared his relief at the prospect of having the weekend to himself for the first time in his career, first as a professional footballer for England and, for the last 25 years, the host of the BBC’s flagship football highlights show Match of the Day.

Lineker will be leaving the host’s chair in a few months at the end of this football season and he told The Times of London newspaper:

“It’s the right time. I need to slow down a little bit and enjoy life. I mean, I still watch football all the time, I love it, but now I’ll have a weekend.

“I’ve never in my adult life had weekends. Ever. So I’m quite enjoying the thought of going out and having a bite on a Saturday night. And I might even go home and watch Match of the Day...

Today, Goalhanger, the largest independent podcast company outside the US, unveiled its first-ever multichannel advertising campaign in partnership with Spotify. The campaign invites audiences to explore Goalhanger's shows on Spotify and coincides with a brand refresh, featuring the debut of a new logo.

The campaign presents nine unique scenes, each featuring diverse individuals immersed in their favourite Goalhanger shows. Hosts appear alongside them, blending into everyday settings—whether someone is making tea, relaxing on a sofa, or sitting on a park bench. This visual storytelling brings the podcast-listening experience to life, emphasising Spotify as the place to enjoy these shows.

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Examples include The Rest Is Politics, with hosts Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart discussing foreign policy, The Rest Is History, with Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland debating the importance of the crossing of the Rubicon; or The Rest Is Football, featuring Gary Lineker,...

Exclusive: Goalhanger, the influential UK podcast company co-founded by Gary Lineker, is closing its TV production arm to focus on audio content.

Lineker and business partner Tony Pastor are voluntarily liquidating Goalhanger Films Ltd, which was the outfit’s original incarnation, founded in 2014.

Goalhanger Films produced documentaries including Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health for the BBC and Keane & Vieira – Best of Enemies for ITV.

Pastor told Deadline that the success of podcasts including The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Entertainment meant the company had switched its focus to Goalhanger Podcasts.

“We effectively mothballed Films and set up a bespoke company concentrating on podcasts,” he said. “There was a period in which I ran them in tandem, but the growth of podcasts was so explosive and television is challenged, so we’ve now done some housekeeping.”

He added: “We’ve gone from a production company being entirely...

Gary Lineker’s departure from Match of the Day has been one of the worst kept secrets in British television, but confirmation of the news today brings the curtain down on a 25-year era for the iconic Premier League highlights show.

Match of the Day is a television institution in the UK and, having averaged 2M viewers for BBC1 on Saturday nights this season, it remains an important part of the soccer schedule at time when highlights and goal clips are readily available online.

Lineker has been central to show’s continued relevance. That rare combination of accomplished former pro and world-class broadcaster, he has a loyal fanbase and the ability to generate headlines with an arch flick of his eyebrow or a knowing gag at the expense of his co-hosts.

For the most part, this has been good for the BBC and for Lineker, even if the relationship has...

Former soccer star Gary Lineker is to step down from hosting BBC Sport‘s flagship Match of the Day program after 26 years at the helm.

The ex-Barcelona player and England captain, regarded as one of the country’s best-ever soccer players, will leave his post at the end of the current Premier League season having first taken on the role in 1999, but has extended his BBC Sport contract until 2026 when he will lead the public broadcaster’s World Cup coverage. He will continue with Motd‘s Top Ten podcast and host The Rest is Football podcast.

Match of the Day is one of the world’s most famous soccer shows, airing on the BBC since 1964. It shows the highlights from Saturday’s Premier League matches during a late-evening BBC One slot and features regular expert insight from guests such as Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard, Micah Richards, Martin Keown, Danny Murphy and Theo Walcott.

Today Goalhanger, the UK's largest independent podcast company, announced a record level of downloads and views over a hugely busy May to July period, led by a worldwide boost in interest across shows such as "The Rest Is Politics" and "The Rest Is Football”.

The Rest Is Politics and Leading have together achieved over 21.6 million total downloads and full episode YouTube views across the General Election campaign period During the Euros, The Rest Is Football garnered a combined total of 19.6 million downloads and full episode YouTube views

From May 22nd to July 5th, “The Rest Is Politics' and its companion show, “Leading”, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, achieved an impressive milestone: 21.6 million combined downloads and full episode YouTube views. Additionally, Channel 4 broadcast the show across part of their General Election coverage, concluding with Alastair and Rory joining the channel for its election night analysis to a peak...

Huw Edwards took home his biggest pay packet since 2019 during his final year at the BBC, despite the newsreader being off-air for eight months amid a misconduct scandal.

The BBC’s annual report revealed that Edwards was paid as much as £480,000 in the 12 months to the end of March 2024, his highest salary since 2019, when he pocketed up to £495,000.

Edwards signed a new BBC deal early last year and presented coverage of King Charles III’s Coronation, which will explain why his pay rose around £40,000 compared with the £440,000 he took home in 2023.

At the peak of his powers, however, he was embroiled in a misconduct storm after allegedly paying a young person for indecent images and sending colleagues inappropriate messages. Edwards was signed off work in July 2023 with mental health issues and resigned from the BBC in April citing medical reasons. He has not commented on the allegations against him.

Speaking to media on Tuesday,...

When the staffers who create the BBC’s soccer captions woke up Monday morning, they probably couldn’t have imagined that they would have attracted the ire of Cristiano Ronaldo fans by bedtime.

But in the past hour, the BBC has posted on its complaints website stating that the corporation received “some complaints” about a caption, which amusingly read “Misstiano Penaldo.” The caption was overlaid over clips of the superstar missing a crucial penalty against Slovenia that could have led to Portugal’s elimination from the Euros against the underdog nation. Ronaldo was visibly emotional after missing the penalty and could be seen being comforted by teammates.

The BBC said it “appreciates some viewers were unhappy with the graphic and the feedback has been passed on to the production team to help inform their work going forward,” adding that the caption was “simply intended as a play on words” and...

England’s Euro 2024 tournament kicks off with a Group C match against Serbia, broadcast live on BBC One on Sunday 16 June. The game takes place at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, with Gary Lineker presenting and commentary by Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer. England enters the tournament as one of the favorites to lift […]

Match of the Day: Motd Live: UEFA Euro 2024 – Serbia v England...

Soccer Aid for Unicef 2024 will take place on June 9 at Stamford Bridge.

The live show on ITV1, Stv and Itvx will be hosted by Unicef UK Ambassador Dermot O’Leary, who will be joined once again by Unicef UK High Profile Supporter, Alex Scott. Sam Matterface returns as Commentator, with Iain Stirling on Co-Comms duty. A half-time entertainment show will also be announced in due course. Previous performers include Rita Ora, Robbie Williams and Tom Grennan.

England have won five times since the game began in 2006 – but their last victory came in 2018. They trail the Soccer Aid World XI Fc who have won the fixture seven times – and are on a record five-year winning streak.

England will take to the pitch in a specially commissioned Euro ’96 kit. This is ahead of Euro 2024 – the first game of which is just five days after Soccer Aid. The Soccer Aid World XI Fc will...

Beckham focuses on David Beckham's personal relationships and on-field achievements, showcasing his marriage with Victoria but leaving out key figures like his sisters and some teammates. The documentary doesn't feature Beckham's sporting rivals, missing an opportunity to provide a fuller picture of his career. The documentary briefly touches on Beckham's involvement with Inter Miami's tough beginnings and his controversial support for the Qatar World Cup, but it doesn't delve into these topics in depth.

The Netflix documentary Beckham explores the private life of the international superstar in detail, but it leaves out some major details from the true story. The miniseries chronicles David Beckham's journey from a talented child to one of the greatest and most popular soccer players in the history of the game. Beckham grew up in a media storm, with paparazzi following him everywhere and newspapers reporting his latest hairstyles on the front page. Throughout the whole experience,...

On Thursday September 14, Spotify hosted its annual Spotify Supper in London, which saw Mercury Music Prize nominated artist and Spotify Equal ambassador for UK & Ireland Olivia Dean perform.

Guests were treated to a multisensory experience with theatrical cocktails inspired by Spotify’s Blend feature and mood-boosting desserts from Soft Serve Society.

Soundtracked expertly by DJ Tiffany Calver, the evening kicked off with a panel session featuring Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer discussing their new The Rest is Football podcast with broadcaster Robert Peston during networking drinks ahead of dinner.

In a discussion with Ed Couchman, Head of Ad Sales for Northern Europe at Spotify, the trio revealed the genesis of their new podcasts and how the medium allows them to be more free.

Gary Lineker spoke about how their podcast was born from being sat in the green room while watching matches before Match of the Day “Podcasting is an...

Munich (Germany), Aug 12 (Ians) England captain Harry Kane on Saturday joined German champions Bayern Munich on a four-year deal, ending his record-breaking career at Tottenham Hotspur.

Kane has agreed terms with the German record champions until 30 June 2027 and will wear the number 9 shirt for the Munich club. He has signed a deal worth more than 110m euros (£95m) and could make his debut in Saturday’s German Super Cup game against Rb Leipzig.

The 30-year old leaves Premier League side Spurs as their all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances.

“I’m very happy to be a part of Fc Bayern now. Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I’ve always said that I want to compete and prove myself at the highest level during my career. This club is defined by its winning mentality – it feels very good to be here,” said Kane in a statement,...

London, Aug 11 (Ians) England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with the German champions Bayern Munich and will travel to Germany for a medical on Friday.

After weeks of protracted talks, Bayern and Spurs agreed a deal worth more than €100 million (£86.4m) for the star striker.

Kane was reportedly leaning towards staying in north London but now has agreed to join Bayern Munich in a deal worth more than £86m and will pen a four-year contract at the Allianz Arena, Eurosport reported.

The 30-year-old wanted his future to be settled before Spur’s season-opening Premier League game at Brentford on Sunday.

Kane has been the German champions’ leading target all summer and they had several bids rejected before reaching an agreement on Thursday.

It is expected that the striker will wear the No.9 shirt, vacated by Robert Lewandowski after his move to Barcelona a year ago.

London, Aug 10 (Ians) German football giants Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign England captain Harry Kane from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal is expected to be worth more than 100m euros (£86.4m), the BBC reported.

Kane has been the German champions’ leading target and they had several bids rejected before reaching an agreement.

The 30-year-old, who has one year left on his contract with Spurs, is eager for his future to be settled before Tottenham’s season-opening Premier League game at Brentford on Sunday.

The forward is Tottenham’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances. With 213 goals in 320 Premier League games, he is currently 48 goals off breaking Alan Shearer’s record as the highest-scorer in Premier League history.

Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times — in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21 — since making his debut for the club in 2012.

Yet England’s all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals,...

Three of the most recognisable names in English football; Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards are teaming up to co-host a brand-new football podcast.

The Rest is Football will see the three top pundits release new episodes at least twice a week to review the week’s matches, debate the biggest topics in the game and answer listeners’ questions.

The new show, which launches on Monday August 7th ahead of the new Premier League season, will give the trio the opportunity to voice their opinions in addition to their work for mainstream broadcasters.

The series is being produced by the UK’s biggest independent podcast production company, Goalhanger Podcasts, which was launched by Gary Lineker in January 2022.

Goalhanger Podcasts already makes two of the UK’s most popular podcasts, The Rest is Politics (hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart) and The Rest is History (hosted by Tom Holland...

Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards are three of the most recognisable names in football and now they’re teaming up to launch a new podcast. The Rest is Football will release new episodes at least twice a week to review the week’s matches, debate the biggest topics in the game and answer listeners’ questions. The new show, which launches on Monday 7 August ahead of the new Premier League season, will give the trio the opportunity to voice their opinions in addition to their work for mainstream broadcasters.

The BBC has revealed that the amount paid to its biggest stars has surged to a six-year high, as Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker topped the talent pay table once again.

The BBC’s annual report revealed that salaries for presenters earning more than £150,000 totaled £23.4M in the 12 months to the end of March 2023.

This was a 15% increase compared with last year’s pay of £20.2M and was at its highest level since 2017, when the BBC spent £28.6M on its best-known presenters.

Lineker topped the ranking for the sixth consecutive year, with his salary remaining stable at £1.35M. Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball was the best-paid female presenter, pocketing as much as £985,000.

In a year in which he anchored coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Huw Edwards had a pay rise of at least £25,000. He took home a minimum of £435,000 in the year to March.

Total talent pay,...

Istanbul, June 11 (Ians) Star striker Erling Haaland believes Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League triumph cemented Pep Guardiolas reputation as one of the great managers and he described City boss as the ‘best coach in world football’.

With a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan, thanks to Rodrigo’s strike midway through the second half, City were crowned European champions for the first time on Saturday night and they also secured the Treble, with Guardiola becoming the first men’s manager in history to achieve the feat on more than one occasion.

Guardiola has won 14 major trophies since joining the club in 2016. A collection comprising five Premier League titles, two Fa Cups, four League Cups, one Champions League and two Community Shields.

“It’s such a big game, the pressure is unbelievable, you all know that. To work with Pep is really special. We have a good relationship and he’s helped me a lot.

London, May 27 (Ians) Erling Haaland was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season on Saturday, after a record-breaking debut campaign in which he helped Manchester City claim their third straight league title.

The 22-year-old scored 36 goals in 35 games this season, breaking the previous record of 34 for a single Premier League season set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer in 42-match Premier League campaigns.

Only Dixie Dean, for Everton in 1927/28, has scored more goals across all competitions (63) in a top-flight English season than Haaland’s 52.

The Norwegian is also the first player in the Premier League to score hat-tricks in three successive home matches, and the first Man City player to score a Manchester derby hat-trick since 1970.

Haaland becomes the third successive Man City player, and fourth overall, to claim the accolade, after Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20 and 2021-22, while Ruben Dias took the honour in 2020-21. Vincent Kompany was the first,...

London, May 4 (Ians) Manchester City striker Erling Haaland broke the Premier League scoring record in a single season on Wednesday in his side’s 3-0 win at home to West Ham United, which takes them back to the top of the Premier League.

Haaland scored his 35th league goal of the campaign to beat the record, jointly held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, after a pass from Jack Grealish put his side 2-0 ahead in the 70th minute of the game. City needed to win to go back to the top after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night.

West Ham offered stern resistance in a close first half, but coach David Moyes will have been disappointed at the defenders that allowed a fit-again Nathan Ake to nod City ahead in the 50th minute from a Riyad Mahrez cross, reports Xinhua.

Phil Foden added a third goal...

London, May 1 (Ians) Erling Haaland has hit yet another incredible landmark after scoring a goal for Manchester City in a 2-1 win against Fulham as he equalling the record for the most goals (34) in a single Premier League season.

His 34th goal of the campaign moved Haaland to level with the record of Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole set in 1993/94 and 1994/95 respectively.

Impressively, Haaland reached the 34-goal mark in only his 30th appearance, while Cole needed 40 matches and Shearer 42.

The City striker’s penalty against Fulham saw him become the first Premier League player ever to score a half-century of goals in all competitions.

Haaland has reached the milestone in 44 games scoring 34 in the Premier League, 12 in the Champions League, three in the Fa Cup and one in the Carabao Cup.

It also extends his record as the Premier League player to have scored the most goals in a single season,...

Manchester (England), April 27 (Ians) Erling Haaland’s late goal in Manchester City’s 4-1 victory over Arsenal took him to 33 goals in the Premier League and extended his lead in the race for the Golden Boot.

With a goal in Wednesday’s game the Norwegian surpassed Mohammad Salah’s 38-game record, the Egyptian hit 32 in 2017/18.

Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer currently share the record across the entire Premier League era, scoring 34 in 1993/94 and 1994/95 respectively when the season comprised 42 matches.

With seven league games remaining, Haaland requires just two more goals to have the record outright.

Haaland’s form throughout his first campaign has been pivotal to the fortunes of Pep Guardiola’s side during the hunt for a fifth Premier League title in six seasons and third in a row.

He began the season with 18 goals in his first 13 Premier League appearances, including hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.

The English Premier League season is down to its final month. There are just a few matches left to play, and every game has more significance. That’s why getting a true top-of-the-table match at this stage is such a treat for fans, but that’s exactly what will happen Wednesday, April 26 at 3 p.m. Et when first-place Arsenal takes on second-place Manchester City on Peacock. There’s only one way to watch this clash of the titans: a Subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch Arsenal vs. Manchester City When: Starts Wednesday, April 26 at 3 p.m. Et TV: Peacock Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Peacock Sign Up $4.99+ / month peacocktv.com About Arsenal vs. Manchester City

There are title hopes on the line for both clubs as they prepare to meet Wednesday. Man City currently trails Arsenal by five points, but it has played two fewer games. Arsenal has drawn...

One week after the BBC’s schedule of sport was severely disrupted with a boycott by staff in support of anchorman Gary Lineker, both the host and fellow pundits were all back on screen this weekend.

Lineker didn’t take his usual position as host of Match of the Day on Saturday evening, but stand-in presenter Mark Chapman was quick to tell viewers this was an arrangement that had been scheduled “weeks ago.”

Meanwhile, Lineker was in action at lunchtime, introducing BBC coverage of the Fa Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley. His fellow pundit Alan Shearer addressed the issue that took them all off the previous weekend.

“I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were that all the audiences who missed out on last weekend,” Shearer said. “It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned and through no fault of their own,...

Few in the U.S. had likely heard of Gary Lineker when, over the weekend, he brought the BBC, one of the U.K.’s best-known and most-respected institutions worldwide, to what has been described in the media as a “crisis like no other.”

Over the course of five chaotic days and countless headlines, triggered by a tweet from Lineker — a former soccer star and, as host of the BBC’s flagship soccer show Match of the Day since 1999, one of the U.K.’s most recognizable and beloved television personalities — the British public service broadcaster became embroiled in a major public spat over its impartiality and the influence the government may or may not have on its operations, one that looks likely to reverberate for some time.

The situation erupted March 7, when the U.K.’s interior minister, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, unveiled the government’s hugely controversial new legislation...

An unprecedented Match of the Day without presenters, pundits or commentators was watched by 500,000 more people last night than the previous week.

An average 2.6M viewers tuned in for the somewhat-bizarre 20 minute-long highlights show that comes with the BBC mired in one of its biggest crises of the past generation. Match of the Day, which airs for most of the year, tends to average around 2M viewers. Last night’s show hit its highest audience for four months.

A peak audience of almost 3M and share of nearly a quarter (23.5%) of people watching TV at the time tuned in for last night’s Match of the Day, which aired without presenters, pundits or commentators after host Gary Lineker was stood down by the BBC due to a breach of impartiality rules.

His fellow pundits refused to join him in solidarity following the controversy surrouding a tweet comparing the government’s...

Gary Lineker’s army of supporters has grown to include a Nobel literature laureate and comedian amid his BBC impartiality row.

The former England striker is at the centre of a public debate about impartiality at the BBC, after he compared a video unveiling the government’s asylum policy to rhetoric used in Germany in the 1930s.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC said it had “decided” the former England star would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached.

Following this, the BBC’s sports scheduling descended into chaos on Saturday (11 March) with Match of the Day going ahead without presenters or pundits after both Ian Wright and Alan Shearer pulled out in “solidarity” with Lineker.

Football Focus and Final Score were both pulled from TV schedules at the last minute that day, along with Radio 5 Live’s sport coverage.

BBC director general Tim Davie has apologized over the ongoing fracas around star soccer player turned sports pundit Gary Lineker, but will not resign.

Last Tuesday, Lineker, commenting on the U.K. government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill, tweeted, describing it as an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”

Lineker is a star presenter on the BBC’s “Match of the Day” soccer program.

Lineker’s tweet raised government hackles and on Friday, the BBC suspended him, saying: “The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear...

BBC Director General Tim Davie has apologized to audiences for the disruption caused to the organization’s sports programming but said he won’t resign following the unprecedented talent walkout over the Gary Lineker row.

“I’m sorry audiences have been affected, and they haven’t got the programming,” Davie said in an interview with BBC News in Washington DC, where he is, somewhat ironically, speaking to journalists about impartial news.

“As a keen sports fan, I know to miss programming is a real blow, and I’m sorry about that. We are working very hard to resolve this situation and make sure we get output on air.”

When quizzed if he had considered resigning following the dispute, Davie confirmed that he would not be leaving the organization but said he is currently in “listening mode” with the aim of resolving issues on all sides.

“I want to make sure that going forward,...

Updated: The BBC has apologized after its Premier League output went into freefall as mutinous presenters and pundits staged a protest over the suspension of Gary Lineker.

The British broadcaster took the unprecedented step of standing down Lineker on Friday afternoon over a politically-charged tweet, but the decision has backfired spectacularly with coverage falling off air.

The BBC said: “The BBC will only be able to bring limited sport programming this weekend and our schedules will be updated to reflect that. We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans. We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon.”

Barbara Slater, the BBC’s director of sport for nearly 14 years, apologized to staff in an email. “We understand how unsettling this is,” she said.

In a breathless few hours on Saturday, the BBC’s television and radio output...

More than 10 of the BBC’s highest-profile sports stars have staged an unprecedented walkout over the British broadcaster’s decision to suspend Gary Lineker. Below is a list of those who have walked out, with links to tweets explaining their reasons for joining the protest.

Alan Shearer, BBC’s top football pundit and former Newcastle United striker

Ian Wright, former Arsenal player is a Match of the Day regular

Jermaine Jenas, ex-Spurs player is a presenter and pundit

Alex Scott, Football Focus host and former Arsenal player

Mark Chapman, anchors live sports coverage on 5 Live and presents Match of the Day 2

Colin Murray, presents Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live

Dion Dublin, former Manchester United player and 5 Live regular

Jason Mohammad, presents Final Score for BBC1

Micah Richards, former Manchester City defender and one of the BBC’s top football pundits

Glenn Murray, ex-pro is a Football Focus pundit and 5 Live regular

Kelly Somers,...

Piers Morgan has shared messages of support for Gary Lineker after the BBC announced that the presenter would be “stepping back” from hosting Match of the Day.

The former England striker is at the centre of a public debate about impartiality at the BBC, after he compared a video unveiling the government’s asylum policy to rhetoric used in Germany in the 1930s.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC said that Lineker would not continue presenting Motd until an “agreed and clear position” on his social media use had been reached.

This led to his co-hosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright pulling out of presenting the show on Saturday (11 March) in “solidarity”. Micah Richards, Jermaine Jenas and Alex Scott also ruled themselves out of appearing on the show, meaning it will go ahead without any presenters.

You can follow The Independent’s live blog for updates.

On Saturday (11 March), Morgan spoke...

Gary Lineker is currently at the centre of a BBC impartiality row that’s led to his Match of the Day co-hosts standing down from Saturday (11 March) night’s show.

The former England footballer – who is the highest paid presenter at the BBC – tweeted a comparison of the language used to launch the Conservative government’s new asylum policy with Germany in the 1930s

Shortly after, on Friday (10 March), the BBC announced that Lineker would take a break from presenting the football highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his social media use had been reached.

Lineker’s Motd co-hosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright then pulled out of presenting the show on Saturday in “solidarity”, while Micah Richards, Jermaine Jenas and Alex Scott also ruled themselves out of appearing on the show. Scott also said that she would not present Football Focus on Saturday.

You can follow...

Joe Lycett has joked that he is “very much available” to step in for Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker amid his “impartiality” row at the BBC.

The Match of the Day host became emroiled in controversy after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC announced it had decided Lineker would take a break from presenting the sports highlights programme. Later that day, his co-hosts Ian Wright and Alan Shearer pulled out of football show in “solidarity” with Lineker.

You can follow The Independent’s live blog for updates here.

Reacting to the news on Friday night, Lycett shared a tweet reading: “I have informed the BBC that I am very much available for tomorrow’s #Motd.”

He attached a screenshot from his viral BBC politics interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, in which he claimed to...

Fatboy Slim has showed his support for Match of the Day host Gary Lineker during a live performance.

The presenter has become embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy to 1930s Germany on Twitter.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC announced that Lineker would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached.

You can follow The Independent’s live blog here.

DJ Fatboy Slim – real name Norman Cook – was performing at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse later on Friday when he made his support for Lineker known.

During his set, the face of the BBC football pundit appeared on screen, with Cook turning to applaud Lineker, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Other faces including Prince and Greta Thunberg were included as part of the show.

View...

The BBC’s popular Premier League highlights show Match of the Day will air without a studio presenter or its regular roster of pundits after lead presenter Gary Lineker was asked to step back from coverage following his breach of the broadcaster’s impartiality rules on Twitter.

The BBC announced the decision to pull Lineker back from the popular highlights show on Friday afternoon after “extensive discussions” with Lineker, in which the sports presenter was told that his tweet comparing the language around UK government policy to Nazi Germany was unacceptable.

In response, a series of the show’s regular contributors, including former soccer players Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, and Alex Scott, announced that they would not appear on the show this weekend. With an effective presenters strike in motion, the BBC released a statement that said this week’s episode of Match of the Day would air without its regular studio segment.

Comedian Joe Lycett has said he is “very much available” to step in for Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC announced it had “decided” Lineker would take a break from presenting the sports highlights programme.

The move comes after the presenter became embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

That same day, Lineker’s co-hosts Ian Wright and Alan Shearer pulled out of the weekend show in “solidarity” with the former English striker.

Alex Scott, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas have also joined the list of pundits who have ruled out an appearance.

Follow along here for real-time updates about the Match of the Day controversy.

The BBC has since confirmed there will be no presenter or pundits for this weekend’s show, prompting Lycett to respond to the news on Twitter,...

Gary Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid TV presenter, has been pulled from presenting Match of the Day after taking to Twitter to criticize the U.K. government’s new refugee asylum policy earlier in the week.

Lineker will remain off air until he and the BBC negotiate how the high-profile TV soccer host can use his social media account without breaking the public broadcaster’s journalism impartiality code.

“The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days,” a spokesperson for the U.K. broadcaster said in a statement on Friday. “We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.”

The pubcaster added, “The BBC has decided that he [Lineker] will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.”

On Tuesday, after the U.

Piers Morgan has joined a chorus of criticism against the BBC’s decision to suspend Gary Lineker after he compared British government rhetoric to Nazi Germany.

Morgan said the BBC was “pathetically spineless” for demanding that Lineker step back from his Match Of The Day hosting duties for breaking impartiality rules on Twitter.

Voicing support for his friend, Morgan said:

Wtf? How pathetically spineless.. I now demand the BBC suspend every presenter who has made public comment about news or current affairs – starting with Sir David Attenborough and Lord Sugar. https://t.co/7DRtFEOAVa

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 10, 2023

Others also voiced solidarity. Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, the former England strikers and close colleagues of Lineker, said they were boycotting Match of the Day.

I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on Motd tomorrow night.

— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) March 10, 2023

Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me,...

Match of the Day presenters Ian Wright and Alan Shearer have said they will not appear on tomorrow’s edition of the BBC’s Premier League highlights show after lead presenter Gary Lineker was asked to step back from coverage after breaking the broadcaster’s impartiality rules on Twitter.

“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me,” wrote in a Tweet Friday evening, “but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.”

Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.

— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) March 10, 2023

Shortly after, Shearer followed suit tweeting: “I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on Motd tomorrow night.”

I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on Motd tomorrow night.

— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) March 10, 2023

Former Arsenal footballer...

Who would have thought that a Brazil-originated prank consisting of sex noises serenading a live broadcast would get noticed by millions? Well, it has.

A tweet from the UK’s BBC soccer broadcaster Gary Lineker has netted 18 million views thus far – and all it features is a phone discovered hidden in the studio during live TV coverage of the Fa Cup that was activated remotely by pranksters to provide the loud moaning sounds.

The interruption could be heard as Lineker broadcast the third-round replay between Wolves sand Liverpool.

BBC apologized for the interruption Tuesday to “viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening,” BBC said, adding through a spokesperson that the company was investigating the incident.

YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis appeared to be behind the stunt, according to a video posted to YouTube. He pulled a similar stunt on the BBC five years ago, which was also...

The BBC’s live coverage of an Fa Cup tie between Wolves and Liverpool was plagued by an apparent pornography prank on Tuesday evening in the UK.

In a bizarre incident, Gary Lineker was anchoring live build-up to the replay match at the Molineux Stadium when he was interrupted by what sounded like sex noises coming from the studio.

The former England player looked perplexed by the noise in the studio, joking to fellow presenter Alan Shearer: “I don’t know who’s making that noise … It’s toasty in this studio, it’s a bit noisy as well. I don’t know if somebody is sending something on someone’s phone, if it’s a joke. I don’t know whether you heard it at home.”

Surely no-one’s that excited about an Fa Cup Third Round Replay?...

Leeds, Dec 29 (Ians) Erling Haaland scored a brace of goals as Manchester City produced another fine display to beat Leeds United 3-1 at Elland Road and inched closer to table-toppers Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Rodri had put the Citizens ahead in the first half added time while Haaland struck in the 51st and 64th minute to pocket three points for Manchester City. Pascal Struijk (73rd) scored the lone consolation for Leeds.

With this away win, City moved to 35 points from 15 games and are five behind leaders Arsenal, who too made a winning start after the FIFA World Cup break.

The brace of goals meant Haaland notched up his 20th Premier League goal in record time, reaching the milestone in just 14 matches. He improved on the record held by Kevin Phillips, who needed 21 matches to get to the milestone. Others in the list are Fernando Torres (27) and Alan Shearer...

Piers Morgan has called out the BBC’s coverage of the Qatar World Cup opening ceremony.

Those tuning into watch the event on Sunday (20 November) instead found Gary Lineker delivering an opening monologue, in which he criticised the host country’s treatment of migrant workers as well as its record on human rights.

Ahead of the first match, which was between Qatar and Ecuador, Lineker explained why the World Cup had become “the most controversial in history”.

Instead of showing events from the opening ceremony, which included a divisive cameo from Morgan Freeman, Lineker presented a segment that highlighted the allegations of corruption behind Fifa’s decision to let the country host the tournament.

He then led his fellow pundits Alex Scott, Ashley Williams and Alan Shearer in a discussion regarding workers rights and the country’s discriminatory laws against the LGBTQ+ community.

Morgan said the BBC’s decision to...

The BBC has debunked Piers Morgan ‘s criticism of its Qatar World Cup opening ceremony coverage.

Morgan took issue with the channel’s decision to not show the event, which included a divisive cameo from Morgan Freeman, in favour of reports on the controversy surrounding Qatar’s selection as host country.

Those tuning into watch the event on Sunday (20 November) instead found Gary Lineker delivering an opening monologue, in which he criticised the host country’s record on human rights.

Ahead of the first match, which was between Qatar and Ecuador, Lineker explained why the World Cup had become “the most controversial in history”.

He then led his fellow pundits Alex Scott, Ashley Williams and Alan Shearer in a discussion regarding workers’ rights and the country’s discriminatory laws against the LGBTQ+ community.

Morgan claimed that the BBC’s decision to lead on the controversy as opposed to the opening...

After being overshadowed by the BBC’s focus on the human rights issues that have been surrounding the World Cup 2022, yesterday’s opener between hosts Qatar and Ecuador kicked off with a hefty peak of 8M viewers.

The game, which ended 2-0 to Ecuador, was watched by an average of 6.2M across its 195-minute run time – 2M ahead of the opener four years ago between Russia and Saudi Arabia on ITV.

Ratings for big sporting matches are often deceptively low as the UK’s ratings agency Barb doesn’t take into account viewing in pubs, although this will have mattered less for a Qatar vs Ecuador game on a Sunday afternoon in late November.

The match was a hugely disappointing one for a Qatari side who have been preparing for this tournament ever since it was awarded in 2010, and by the end spectators could be seen leaving the Al Bayt Stadium in droves.

Opening ceremonies to major sporting events are, in the robust opinion of a committed sports fan, a sop to the people who love the drama and spectacle of international commingling, but have little interest in the games being played.

At the Olympics, they have become an enormous, gaudy art form in their own right – from the jaw-dropping show at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest to the cringe-inducing fantasia of London 2012 – but they’ve never been such a big part of World Cups. Perhaps the only lasting memory of an opening ceremony is Diana Ross missing, with the goal at her mercy, during the 1994 curtain-raising bonanza. On Saturday, Gianni Infantino, the polyglot head of FIFA, set the tone for this tournament’s opening.

Sat at a press conference, an array of sponsored items laid out before him like The Generation Game conveyor belt, Infantino gave an impassioned defence of the tournament.