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Croaky host tells MoTD viewers: It’s great to be here

By Mark Hookham

GARY Lineker and fellow Match Of The Day pundits maintained a defiant stance last night as they appeared on screen for the first time since an explosive row with BBC bosses.

Lineker declared: ‘It’s great to be here’ as he returned to BBC1 to present coverage of Manchester City’s FA Cup match against Burnley.

BBC bosses dramatically took the former England striker off air last weekend after he posted a tweet that compared language used to launch the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill with 1930s Germany.

The move sparked a mass revolt by other presenters, pundits and commentators and a humiliated Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, was forced to back down. With a noticeably croaky voice, Lineker last night allowed his co-host Alan Shearer to describe how their BBC Sport colleagues had been unfairly put in an ‘impossible situation’.

‘I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were that all the audiences who missed out on last weekend,’ Shearer said.

‘It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned and, through no fault of their own, some really great people in TV and in radio were put in an impossible situation and that wasn’t fair so it’s good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again.’ Lineker, 62, replied: ‘I absolutely echo those sentiments.’

Ahead of the broadcast, Lineker posted a selfie picture from Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and wrote: ‘Ah the joys of being allowed to stick to football.’

He was also pictured speaking to former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell – one of his most ardent supporters – as he arrived at the stadium. Campbell’s podcast, The Rest Is Politics, which he hosts with ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart, is produced by Goalhanger Podcasts, a company co-owned by Mr Lineker.

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2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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