Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Lineker won't present BBC soccer show after Twitter post

FILE- In this Tuesday, April 24, 2012 file photo, former British soccer player Gary Lineker speaks ahead of the draw for the London 2012 Olympic Soccer tournament, at Wembley Stadium in London. The city was the birthplace of Lineker and Peter Shilton, who are among the most celebrated England soccer internationals. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) FILE- In this Tuesday, April 24, 2012 file photo, former British soccer player Gary Lineker speaks ahead of the draw for the London 2012 Olympic Soccer tournament, at Wembley Stadium in London. The city was the birthplace of Lineker and Peter Shilton, who are among the most celebrated England soccer internationals. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Share

Former England captain Gary Lineker will not present a soccer highlights show on the BBC until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the network said on Friday.

Lineker criticized the British government's new asylum policy in a Twitter post, comparing lawmakers' language about migrants to that used in Nazi Germany.

The BBC considers Lineker posting such views on social media as a breach of its guidelines and has been in discussions with him over his involvement in the "Match of the Day" program that is broadcast on Saturday nights and shows highlights of English Premier League games that day.

Lineker will not present "Match of the Day," the BBC said, "until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media."

Lineker has yet to make an official comment.

Ian Wright, a former Arsenal and England player who works as a pundit on "Match of the Day," said on Twitter he would not be appearing on the program this weekend out of "solidarity" with Lineker.

Conservative lawmakers in Britain are calling on the BBC to discipline Lineker, the network's highest-paid star, for saying the government's plan to detain and deport migrants arriving by boat is "an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."

The government has called Lineker's Nazi comparison inappropriate and unacceptable, and some lawmakers said he should be fired.

The 62-year-old Lineker is a household name in Britain and one of the U.K.'s most influential media figures, with 8.7 million followers on Twitter. He was the leading scorer at the 1986 World Cup and finished his international career with 48 goals in 80 matches for England.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.