Arsenal legend Ian Wright threatens to quit Match of the Day for GOOD in passionate defence of Gary Lineker
IAN WRIGHT has threatened to quit Match of the Day for good over the BBC’s treatment of Gary Lineker.
The Arsenal legend was the first to pull out of this evening’s show over the Beeb’s decision to suspend their popular host.
Addressing the situation on his podcast Wrighty’s House, the 59-year-old claimed he would be “gone” if Lineker was not restored as MOTD’s host.
He said: “That is the distraction and let me tell you something, if the BBC do get rid of Gary Lineker I am out.
“I am gone, I am not staying there. On his own platform, he should be able to say what he wants to say.
“Gary Lineker he says stuff on everything and it’s almost like this one has missed everybody simply because he says so much but this is so right what he is saying. I have spoken to Gary, I am behind him.
“He wrote a tweet about everything that has been happening with the human rights issues and everything here and it’s the perfect distraction for this government.
“Gary’s tweet was the headline news, it’s like they need Gary Lineker to distract everybody. For me, it is a human issue it’s not political.
“They have got no empathy, the most vulnerable ones are always the ones that suffer. They are the ones that suffer and it starts with words.
“Gary Lineker I think retweeted from a German professor, because the Hitler thing is what they all jumped on and everything like that but he retweeted saying that it all starts with language.
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“It starts with words, they didn’t just start throwing people into concentration camps.
“It starts with words and language and what they are doing again is the culture war they want us to all have, left-versus-right: ‘Oh you’re woke, you’re woke’.”
Lineker, 62, was pulled from hosting duties this week following his tweet likening Suella Braverman’s language while unveiling the Government’s small boats plan to that of 1930s Germany.
Wright subsequently pulled out of the show in solidarity with his pal, and was quickly followed by fellow MOTD regular Alan Shearer.
Football Focus presenter Alex Scott, BBC Radio 5 Live’s Mark Chapman and pundits Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards were among those to then follow.
Match of the Day commentators then revealed that they would not be taking part in the programme either.
Fans may instead receive Premier League world feed commentary not usually heard in this country.
The PFA have confirmed that players in action today will not be asked to speak to Match of the Day.
While Football Focus and Final Score will not go ahead this afternoon after Scott and Jason Mohammad pulled out.