Gary Lineker - he really had to go and a warning t against virtue signalling

Then why his need to constantly delete his posts and to apologise etc?

How odd, if he truly believed what he posted.

I personally had no knowledge that rats were antisemitic. Is this common knowledge? Like many people my family lost loved ones and was forever changed by WW2. So I don’t think it’s unlikely that you could post such a thing in error.
I think what Israel is doing in Gaza is unspeakable evil and that they should be stopped from continuing their barbaric treatment of the Palestinians. There is nothing that could justify this and anyone who tries to is complicit in the death and misery. So my feeling is that Lineker was right to speak out. I think it’s important we all do.

No - not unless you identify as him, of course?

It's not a protest if you just re-post memes or slogans with no understanding.

He’s 100% anti-Semitic, using the rat trope & then pleading ignorance. Fortunately that’s the end of his career. Good riddance.

As I said, the more people with a public profile
who protest against this appalling genocide the better.

For someone who made a very good living being skilful with his feet, they do tend to end up in his mouth a lot. I prefer Ian wright, he doesn't seem so preachy.

Hadley Freeman wrote an excellent column on ‘centrist dad’ Linekar in the Sunday Times (18 May) - I don’t have a link but highly recommend!

@confusedaboutetiquette - now I’m confused! You said you’d be disappointed if he wasn’t on the side of ‘excellent women like Sharon Davies’. He isn’t - hence my comment!

Careful, you'll be accused of being a Gary sock puppet!

Sadly, you'll be disappointed. I'd have more respect for him without these views as well. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/05/16/gary-lineker-views-on-transgender-row-navratilova/?msockid=25bbee08e51e6a511d2afe62e47d6b6d

Edit: Sorry I thought I could share the link but I can't

So no one should listen to an ‘aged’ woman? Got it

Are you saying I'm Gary Lineker? ⚽️

I would agree with this. It's easy to post something in this simplistic way. A meme, a slogan, a line from a chant. It's just to position himself, without debate or nuance. A rat is particularly vile, but he went there.

What?

See ya’ Gary, ciao.

Now you can really take off the gloves. Perhaps do some humanitarian work in Gaza? Get a Guardian column? Join Al Jazeera.

The possibilities are endless...

@LlynTegidi think I made that point. Centuries old. Security at synagogues (and schools) even before Oct 7. I know my history and have doubled down on the history of antisemitism since my son got married. Forgive me if I miss some aspects. I know full well it’s exhausting. And depressing

If nobody cares, why does it matter? You're contradicting yourself.

By using a post with a rat?

Anti-semitism was not something that resumed on October 7 2023, don't forget those in the Labour Party who were appeased when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.

Virtue signalling?

Lineker is just a man who is horrified by the slaughter of civilians in Gaza.

You don't have to support Hamas or be antisemitic to object to that. You just have to be a human being with basic compassion.

Good on him for having the courage to speak out.

I think what Hamas did was horrific and I have nothing against jewish people but I also think that everyone being quiet about what the state of Israel is doing in Gaza is unacceptable.

I don't know why it is so hard for people not to comment on social media if it will effect your job.

@confusedaboutetiquette indeed it's not even his first go at it you'd think he'd learn from his mistakes.

Criticism of the Israeli government is obviously fine, posting links to caricatures of Jewish people is not (I think this has been so normalised during, history it's accepted by many) antisemitic tropes are well bedded in society and so normalised.

Calling out a genocide whilst calling the slaughter of over 1000 Jewish people "that Hamas thing" is more than tone deaf imo. It may well be a genocide but what happened on 7 October one of the worst terror attacks ever is not a "thing" it's a tragedy.

@Hermiaxxhe can’t be that stupid; he founded Goalhanger, and is exec producer on many of its highly lucrative podcasts. That shows he ought to have his finger on the pulse. And you have to be quick witted at the very least to host live TV. Lack of exams doesn’t equate with lack of intelligence.

my conclusion is that I’m even more disappointed that a man who is above averagely intelligent should promote any form of anti semitism.