BBC ditch iconic MOTD theme tune in 20-minute episode after Gary Lineker row

An unprecedented 20-minute episode of Match of the Day began without its iconic theme tune following the Gary Lineker row.

The programme included highlights from Saturday’s Premier League games without any commentary or analysis.

At the start of the programme, a voiceover announced: ‘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.’

With no presenter or pundits, viewers were taken straight to Dean Court where Bournemouth beat Liverpool 1-0 in the biggest upset of the day.

No manager or player interviews were shown after the highlights package from each match. The Premier League table was shown at the end of the 20-minute episode.

The BBC decided to drastically shorten Saturday’s Match of the Day following the backlash to their decision to suspend Lineker for his criticism of the government’s controversial asylum policy.

After suspending Lineker – who scored 48 goals in 80 games for England – Ian Wright and Alan Shearer said they would boycott Match of the Day in ‘solidarity’.

Several other broadcasters and pundits followed suit, forcing the BBC to pull a number of shows at the last minute, including Final Score and Football Focus.

There are major questions surrounding Sunday’s planned coverage and whether the BBC will show Match of the Day 2, with its host Mark Chapman refusing to take to the airwaves on Saturday.

The saga began when Lineker described the so-called Stop the Boats Bill 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 has received widespread support on social media following the BBC’s decision.

The former England striker is yet to comment on developments but attended Leicester City’s Premier League match against Chelsea at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak called Lineker a ‘talented presenter’ but added the row was not a matter for the government.

‘As prime minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree,’ he said. ‘That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.

‘Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government.’

Lineker, who is employed by the BBC on a freelance basic, has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is one of the company’s highest-paid stars.

MORE : BBC Sport account likes tweets slamming Gary Lineker amid row

MORE : Gary Lineker ‘pursued by BT Sport’ amid Match of the Day fall out

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.