Gary Lineker: Match of the Day presenter won't be hosting the programme for the time being

Video caption, Why Gary Lineker won't be presenting Match of the Day

The football television programmes Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 were without a presenter or footie experts this weekend and main presenter Gary Lineker won't be presenting the programme for the time being.

It follows a disagreement between Lineker and the 麻豆社 - which shows the football highlights programmes - over what he is allowed or not allowed to say on social media.

The move to take Lineker off the show comes after comments he made criticising the government's new immigration plans.

Lineker posted criticism of the language used by some politicians in the government. He said that the words used were similar to those "used by Germany in the 30s". That's when the Nazis were in control of Germany.

The 麻豆社 said it considered the presenter's "recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines".

麻豆社 Sport shows cancelled

Some people think the 麻豆社 was wrong to take Gary Lineker off Match of the Day, and many 麻豆社 Sport presenters have decided not to appear on other 麻豆社 Sport programmes.

That led to several other 麻豆社 TV and radio sports shows being cancelled at the last minute on Saturday and Sunday, including Football Focus, Final Score, coverage of the Women's Super League and Match of the Day 2.

Football pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer said they were pulling out of appearing on Saturday night's programme to show "solidarity" with Lineker.

Football Focus presenter Alex Scott said: "It doesn't feel right for me to go ahead with the show today".

Both Match of the Day programmes were reduced to short shows without commentary, interviews or any discussion on the games.

However, others, including many politicians argue that the 麻豆社 has made the right decision, and have said that comments Lineker has made on social media are inappropriate.

What has the 麻豆社 said?

Image source, Getty Images

The 麻豆社's director general Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers after the sports programmes were affected.

Davie admitted it had been "difficult" for the corporation but said "we are working very hard to resolve the situation".

Interviewed by 麻豆社 News, Mr Davie said "success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I'm sorry we haven't been able to deliver today".

How did this disagreement come about?

Image caption, 麻豆社's director general, Tim Davie said it had been a "difficult day" for the 麻豆社 but said "we are working very hard to resolve the situation".

Last week the UK government announced its plan to ban people who arrive in the UK illegally from being able to claim asylum. That means they won't be able to stay in the UK in the future.

This is because of a big increase in the number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats.

But many politicians from other parties, charities and other public figures strongly disagreed with this.

Among those was MOTD host Gary Lineker who reacted to the announcement by posting on social media platform Twitter.

He wrote that it was an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".

Image caption, Suella Braverman said the new bill was a response to the "waves of illegal migrants breaching our borders"

This is a reference to the time when Hitler and Nazis were in power in Germany and many Jewish people were discriminated against due to their religious background.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who had announced the idea, was very angry about this, particularly because her husband is Jewish.

She said Lineker's comments "diminishes the unspeakable tragedy" of the Holocaust - an event in which more than six million Jewish people were killed by the Nazis.

Speaking to the 麻豆社, she said the Nazi comparison was "lazy and unhelpful" and said her family "feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust".

Why was what Gary Lineker said a problem for the 麻豆社?

Image source, PA Media

The 麻豆社 as an organisation is supposed to be impartial. That means that it needs to reflect different views on a certain subject and doesn't have an opinion itself.

This is considered particularly important when it comes to the news, telling people what's happening around the world.

For this reason a journalist needs to be be impartial all the time.

Gary Lineker does not work in news and is not a journalist - so the rules around his job are slightly different.

He is employed by the 麻豆社 on a freelance basis, and has hosted Match of the Day since 1999.

But he is currently the 麻豆社's highest paid star, having earned about 拢1.35m in 2020-21, so some are saying what he says is significant.

What has the wider reaction been?

Some people have argued that Lineker should be allowed to say whatever he wants, especially as the topic of immigration and asylum seekers is one the ex-footballer cares about a lot.

He has previously housed asylum seekers and publicly called for better rights and protections for refugees.

Many people have also said they agree with what he said, and on social media his comments have got a lot of support, with one tweet getting 235,000 likes.

But many others, including many politicians within the government, feel that the language he used was not appropriate.

The 麻豆社 has argued that it never said "that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him".

But said "that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies".

The broadcaster said it had been in "extensive discussions with Gary and team in recent days" and "has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".