Gary Lineker: The Politician
So, Gary Lineker has become a politician. The renowned Match of The Day presenter has come under fire from several MPs including Suella Braverman, who delivered a harrowing speech on Britain’s new illegal immigration policy on Tuesday. As a result, Lineker is stepping back from his duties as Match of The Day presenter, the BBC confirmed in a statement today.
Lineker described the language used by Braverman, which was eerily similar to the Germans in the 30s, as being “not too dissimilar to that used by the Germans in the 30s.” That was not a typo by the way. The Home Secretary’s words were stained with cruelty and Lineker was singled out as the sole perpetrator of criticism.
There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 7, 2023
The United Nations, Amnesty International, The Board of Deputies of British Jews, and The Human Rights Act itself disagree with Britain’s new stance on asylum seekers but it is a retired ex-footballer on Twitter that seems to have garnered the most attention. As a result, it may have just cost him his job.
Sports and politics are eternally connected, and it is often politics that infects sports and their respective organizations. This feels like sports poking its nose into politics, which apparently is not allowed.
Six months ago, Lineker took to Twitter to criticise Britain’s decision to start dumping sewage into the sea. The backlash came from the then select committee for digital culture, media and sport Steve Brian, who was quoted as saying in a conversation with the chairman of the BBC Tim Davy that “Gary had screwed up again”.
How then is it acceptable for Brian to tweet about football, which he often does, but Lineker cannot share the same views as some of the biggest human rights organisations in the world? The irony of it is truly astonishing. Through this bizarre process of osmosis, Lineker’s tweets have infiltrated the seat of government itself. Why are they so bothered? There was not that much intervention when certain British figures took the Qatari’s money to watch the football.
It is often an argument amongst journalists that athletes should act as ambassadors for change in the world, but if a retired footballer turned sports broadcaster cannot issue a harmful tweet, then we are a world miles away from that becoming a reality.
It is positive to see the rebellious nature of sporting figures taking some strides in recent days. Just look at Lewis Hamilton.
The Formula One icon wore a rainbow-coloured helmet in the opening race of the new F1 season in Bahrain, just days after the silk-stocking executives in F1 introduced a ban on drivers displaying any political or religious statements without approval. It was nice to see that Hamilton did not care, but could the same obscene restrictions be sanctioned upon the footballing world?
The censorship political entities are applying to sporting individuals is concerning and illuminates a major factor as to why athletes, current and retired, are afraid to share their views on current affairs.
And even though many have defended Lineker by pointing out that he has every right to say whatever he wants on Twitter, this is not the case. BBC’s defence for Linker has been questioned but they do have legitimate reasons for being annoyed with his actions.
Lineker signed a five-year deal with the BBC in 2020, under which he agreed to adhere to their updated impartiality rules. Because he works in the sports department, he had more freedom to express his opinion, but under the BBC’s guidelines he must still “avoid bringing the BBC into disrepute”. Their subsequent announcement that Lineker would be stepping back from his role shows the pressure that public bodies have put on the broadcasters to make a decision on Lineker.
Every sporting individual is controlled by the powers that line their pockets and worryingly, with stories like this coming out, these restrictions may be tightened because of Lineker’s insurgency.
Sport can be such an influential driver for change in this world but with every passing example of an individual revolts, the censorship seems to be pushing the cause backwards. Politics is driving sports away from their business, but you best believe they will continue to stick their noses in sports.
