The BBC Sports Northern Ireland twitter account is joining in on the Gary Lineker drama 👀📱
, have defended the former player’s right to free speech and condemned the BBC’s response.
The Line of Duty broadcaster asked Lineker to step back from his presenting duties on Match Of The Day, with fellow pundits, including Alan Shearer, refusing to feature on the programme in solidarity with him. Amid the saga, the BBC Sports NI official Twitter liked two tweets from DUP MLA Edwin Poots and ex-Labour MP Kate Hoey.While they have since been unliked,Hoey wrote: ‘Gary Lineker is entitled to his views – he is not entitled to use his privileged position as a BBC commentator to preach when he is paid by the licence fee to comment on football.
‘It is a publicly owned broadcaster. If he doesn’t like that he can go to a privately run TV station.’Poots said: ‘I seldom watch BBC, but will tun in for Match of the Day tonight. It used to be my favourite programme.’‘It was remedied quickly and an investigation into what happened is now underway.’to sports programming following Gary Lineker stepping back from Match Of The Day.
He did add that it had been a ‘difficult day’, saying: ‘I’m sorry audiences have been affected and they haven’t got the programming.’
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