Alan Shearer's apology that said it all about his relationship with Gary Lineker
Alan Shearer's apology that said it all about his relationship with Gary Lineker
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was suspended by the BBC in 2023 after breaking impartiality guidelines, leading to widespread repercussions
Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have worked together for years
(Image: Ryan Hiscott, Getty Images )
Alan Shearer's apology to Match of the Day viewers after Gary Lineker's suspension was telling of their long-standing on-screen partnership.
In March 2023, Lineker was taken off the air by the BBC due to an impartiality dispute sparked by his comments on the then-UK Government's asylum policy at the time. Lineker had posted on X, criticising the Government's announcement and likening their language to that of 1930s Nazi Germany.
He wrote: "Good heavens, this is beyond awful," and added: "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?"
Following this, the BBC temporarily removed Lineker from his Match of the Day hosting duties until a clear stance on his social media use was established. In response, Shearer, Ian Wright, and other pundits also stepped away from the show, resulting in a significantly shortened 20-minute episode without analysis on March 11, 2023.
Reflecting on the solidarity shown by his co-hosts, Lineker told The Rest Is Politics: "I must admit, I had a tear in my eye. It just moved me, it was beautiful. When it first happened...it's one thing saying that in a moment, but then actually to carry that through, they didn't need to do that," reports the Mirror.
However, he was back on the air for Manchester City's FA Cup quarter-final match against Burnley, presented alongside Shearer and Micah Richards. At the beginning of the broadcast, Shearer apologised to viewers who missed the previous week's MOTD episode due to the controversy.
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He said: "I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were for the audience that missed out last weekend. It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned and through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and radio were put in an impossible situation and that wasn't fair, so it's good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again."
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Lineker then added: "Absolutely, I echo those sentiments." It comes as the working partnership between Lineker and Shearer at the BBC is nearing its conclusion.
Since becoming the face of MOTD in 1999, Lineker announced late last year that he would be presenting the show for the last time during the 2024/25 Premier League season. A new trio of hosts - Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates, and Gabby Logan - will replace the 64-year-old for 2025/26, as the show undergoes significant revamping.
However, Lineker will continue to work for the BBC on their FA Cup coverage, as well as the 2026 World Cup. In addition, Lineker will also continue to run his The Rest Is Football podcast with Shearer and Richards.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer will be back together again for coverage of the FA Cup final
(Image: Getty Images )
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Lineker and Shearer are set to lead the BBC's coverage of this weekend's FA Cup final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley. The Cityzens are keen to make amends for last year's final, where they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 by local rivals, Manchester United.
A win for City would mark the third FA Cup that Pep Guardiola has won for the Etihad side, as well as the club's seventh overall. It's a stark contrast for the Eagles, however, who have yet to savour victory in an FA Cup final.
Palace have reached two finals in 1990 and 2016, but were defeated by the Red Devils on both occasions. Many supporters will be hoping that it's third time lucky for Palace under Oliver Glasner.
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