Match of the Day in major doubt as it emerges episode could be entirely SILENT because of BBC rights issue

THE BBC has reportedly insisted that Match of the Day will go ahead tonight.

However, the show will be a shorter program with no commentary, as per reports.

BBC

Match of the Day could be in silence tonight[/caption]

PA

The MoTD commentators have stepped down in support of Gary Lineker[/caption]

The football highlights programme has lost its commentators for the show as they have refused to work in support of show host Gary Lineker.

The show was at risk of being scrapped due to the BBC not being able to get any commentary for the highlights.

This means that when highlights of the games are being shown that there will be no commentators describing the action, according to The Athletic.

The BBC have no rights to the commentaries supplied by Premier League Productions.

Last night Match of the Day commentators released a statement saying they would be standing down from duty this weekend in support of Lineker after the BBC yanked him off air over a Nazi tweet row.

Gary compared the Government’s language around its small boats crackdown to that of 1930s Germany – causing him to be suspended by the Beeb.

They suggested that the BBC would still be able to use the commentary from the tournaments world feed so viewers would still have some description of the games.

However, it is believed that the BBC’s contract is only for video highlights and therefore will have to supply its own commentary.

It is not yet known if the BBC have requested the Premier League provide commentary, but an insider told The Times that the BBC are sorry for the “limited sport programming this weekend”.

The insider added that it was “working hard to resolve the situation and hopes to do so soon”.

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Football Focus was axed just hours before it was scheduled to go on air today as pundits also refused to work.

Fans earlier put the boot into the BBC – with some claiming they will boycott Match of the Day after Lineker was taken off air.

The former England striker has taken time today to go up to Leicester and watch his side face Chelsea at the King Power Stadium.