Jump directly to the content
AL BE BACK

Alan Shearer and Ian Wright return to TV for Premier League football after boycotting MOTD to support Gary Lineker

ALAN SHEARER and Ian Wright have appeared on Premier League TV a day after boycotting Match of the Day.

The pundits both sat out of MOTD after Gary Lineker was pulled off air in the wake of his inflammatory comments about the Government's Illegal Migration Bill.

Alan Shearer and Ian Wright provided punditry on Premier League TV
3
Alan Shearer and Ian Wright provided punditry on Premier League TV
Wright has threatened to quit MOTD over their treatment of pal Gary Lineker
3
Wright has threatened to quit MOTD over their treatment of pal Gary LinekerCredit: PA
Lineker was pulled from the show over his inflammatory tweets
3
Lineker was pulled from the show over his inflammatory tweetsCredit: Reuters

He has since remained tight-lipped about the incident while BBC bosses try to get him to agree to stop posting political messages online.

Lineker's likening of Tory immigration rhetoric and Nazi Germany sparked outrage in some quarters - with Home Secretary Suella Braverman claiming his comments diminished the tragedy of the Holocaust.

His tweets were said to break the BBC's impartiality rules which state staff must "avoid taking sides on political controversies" and "take care when addressing public policy matters".

Wright was the first of the BBC's pundits and commentators who refused to work in support of Lineker following the backlash.

READ MORE ON GARY LINEKER

The ex-Arsenal star informed the BBC of his decision not to take part in Match of the Day on Friday.

The likes of Shearer, Micah Richards and Alex Scott followed suit, with presenters Mark Chapman and Colin Murray also refusing to fill in for Lineker.

It caused a football blackout, with several TV and radio programmes, including the Saturday edition of Match of the Day, Football Focus and Final Score, disrupted or forced off air.

But Shearer and Wright have got their Prem fix this weekend by providing analysis for Premier League TV for their coverage of three matches today, including Arsenal vs Fulham.

BETTING SPECIAL - BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK

Shearer shared a photo of himself in the studio alongside Wright and presenter Jules Breach.

He captioned the post: "Hellllooooo @IanWright0!! @premierleague tv today with @julesbreach and Wrighty!!!"

Wright even threatened to quit MOTD for good over the BBC's treatment of pal Lineker.

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."

Topics