A COMMENTATOR has said he wished the BBC had not used his commentary over their Women’s Super League coverage as the Gary Lineker row rolls on.
talkSPORT‘s Nigel Adderley was working for the FA world feed as the Beeb scrambled for replacements to work on Chelsea v Manchester United.
Presenters, pundits and commentators have withdrawn their services in solidarity after Lineker was suspended for controversial criticism of the Government’s migration policy.
It left BBC Radio 5 Live stripped of its usual Saturday coverage, Football Focus and Final Score pulled off the air and a strange, shortened Match of the Day with no studio presentation.
The BBC narrowly avoided a live 90 minute game without commentary as they were able to get world feed commentary for the match at Kingsmeadow.
But Adderley revealed he agreed with his colleagues’ protests.
He said on Twitter: “To be clear, I was commentating on Chelsea v Man U for the FA’s World Feed coverage.
“I wasn’t booked by the BBC and I won’t be paid by them. In all honesty, I would rather they hadn’t taken it but they were entitled to.
“I entirely support the stance of other colleagues from MOTD.”
The game finished 1-0 to Chelsea after Sam Kerr’s winner, putting the Blues three points clear at the top in the WSL’s fascinating four-way title tussle.
And the game began on an awkward note as a technical glitch left viewers with no commentary at the beginning of the match.
Adderley’s stance reflects the broadcasting community’s continuing backing of Lineker, with Match of the Day 2 also to have a reduced format on Sunday night.
The extraordinary standoff could come to an end sooner rather than later with Lineker reportedly in talks with BBC boss Tim Davie over getting him back on air for Saturday’s live FA Cup coverage.
Meanwhile, Lineker allies and MOTD pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer were back on the telly today for Premier League TV.