Gary Lineker - foot in mouth again

[onegrumpyoldwoman]

I wish this guy would stick to football or selling crisps

Most recently, he gave an interview to Medhi Hassan (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/12/lineker-appears-to-call-oct-7-attacks-the-hamas-thing/ ) where he appeared to minimise the October 7th Hamas attacks as “the Hamas thing”, whilst falsely stating of the war in Gaza “I can’t think of anything that I’ve seen worse in my lifetime”. This statement is absurd hyperbole given that Mr Lineker was born in 1960 and has hence lived through major wars such as Vietnam, Iraq, Iran-Iraq, the Soviet and Western interventions in Afghanistan, and the Syrian Civil War, all of which have cost hundreds of thousands, in some cases millions, of lives.

I do not believe that it is compatible with Mr Lineker’s role as a presenter on Match of the Day, and hence an employee of our national public broadcaster, which is supposed to be politically impartial, for him to take such outspoken stances.

I've just read it and it seems pretty clear to me that he is referring to them separately. 'The Hamas thing' is his way of acknowledging all of the 'but Hamas' rhetoric.

He also said he can't think of anything worse he has seen in his lifetime and refers to the constant images of kids. He doesn't say nothing worse has happened in his lifetime. I have never seen anything worse in my lifetime than the images coming out of Gaza, one particular young boy will haunt me forever, I've never seen and hope to never see anything like that again in my life. I'm not saying nothing worse has happened but I have never seen so many children in sheer terror and pain like I have seen in the past 7 months.

but the minute you raise your voice against what they’re now doing there, you get accused of being a supporter of Hamas.

And this is spot on, a quick scan of mumsnet will tell you that. Post after post accusing people who dare speak out of being Hamas supporters. It all boils down to the same thing some people don't like when you speak out for Palestinians so they pick and pick.

I think it's great that GL can say what he actually thinks without censorship, good for him. At the end of the day if he gets fired by the woke brigade, he has more than enough money to be fine. If only everyone was able to do the same and say what they really think.

Quite difficult for those not earring GL sums of money as they need their jobs

I would have a lot more time for him if he hadn’t responded to the butchery of October 7 with silence and also if he could highlight the plight of the hostages.

He’s the highest paid employee of the State broadcaster and it’s disingenuous to not at least acknowledge the religious sensitivities around this war rather than blatantly coming down on one side.

He is most certainly not very bright - remember when he made a public fuss about Charterhouse ? Complaining that he’d paid all those fees and his son still got terrible A level results. Embarrassing.

Did you mean the 10,000 Palestinian hostages, yes, it's a shame he didn't mention them.

"To behave like that shows complete disrespect to other footballers (including his own team-mates) who have to play on the same pitch.

He admits he was unwell with diarrhoea the night before but still went ahead and played because he wanted to. No respect for others it seems."

Just gross.

You seem to know as much about football as you do about BBC contracts.

Gary lineker is paid what he is partly because he was one of the best strikers of his generation. His team mates would obviously know of his condition and undoubtedly wanted him on the pitch for the biggest game of their lives, and the biggest game for England for 20 years. Any England fan of the time would have wanted him on the pitch also. People talk about years of hurt for a reason and he took a risk for the benefit of his teammates. England lost the game on penalties but he was instrumental in that he scored the equaliser to get there. My guess is that not one of his team mates if asked would say he's a dirty gross bastard who should have missed the game.

As for the contract with the BBC it is very unlikely that's he's breached it. You are not in a position to set those terms or enforce them . Ask for a copy since you are paying him and see how far you get...

We don't get to control someone's life or opinions because we pay what pennies towards his contract.

@youngones1 no I meant the 250 innocent men, women and children captured by a terrorist group and held in horrendous conditions for more than 6 months with many killed. But perhaps your empathy only goes one way.

"horrendous conditions for more than 6 months with many killed"

As contemptible as it is to be held hostage by a terrorist organisation, let's remember some of those killed were unarmed, naked from the waist up waving a white flag when they were shot....

@Teddleshon "He is most certainly not very bright - remember when he made a public fuss about Charterhouse ? "

That's not exactly what happened but why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

He is paid to be a football pundit and he does what he is paid for. That does not mean he has no right to express an opinion on anything else in the world and must forever talk about football only.

Why should he “stick to football “? Such a derogatory statement, as if he can’t have an opinion on the ongoing slaughter in Gaza because he played professional football. Who is entitled to have or voice an opinion then? Who gets to decide that because I also “pay his salary “ and I think he’s great value for the money.
Im the same age as GL and it is without a doubt one of the most horrific things I’ve seen.
The October 7th attack was horrific and no one can say otherwise but to not recognise the murder of tens of thousands innocents as horrific is hypocrisy at its highest.

He says he ‘can’t think of anything that I’ve seen worse’ which means he is giving his opinion, and it is the worst thing he can think of. As some have said this may be due to social media and media coverage.

Perhaps he doesn’t know much about politics but it really doesn’t take much brain work to understand that killing innocent men, women, and children, while decimating their homeland is wrong.

It takes a lot more twists and turns to justify it.

But the alternative isn’t necessarily justifying it. The alternative is to acknowledge the pain, horror and futility on both sides.

His wording is clumbsy and I can see why that could cause offence.

It’s interesting because on another thread there was a poster who was annoyed at the vitriol Timothy Chamalet was receiving for his Hamas joke. And this poster plus others was accusing people of being in a purity spiral because they perceived they were expecting Jewish people to repeatedly condemn what is being done to Gaza. Oh and also they were the ‘morality police’.

Not naming the poster here in case they don’t want to join in this conversation.

Then at the same time some people are expecting anyone who speaks out about what’s happening in Gaza to repeatedly condemn Hamas.

I suppose we all view these events through a different lens. Either way I don’t think it’s OK to insult his intelligence or call him names because we don’t like what he said.

He isn’t responsible for October 7th or for the destruction of Gaza. I think the focus should be on these people. Maybe there is a lot of misplaced anger.

People like Mr Lineker shouldn’t throw stones in glass houses. That’s all I’m saying.

I don't understand your point. Has Gary Lineker started a secret war or secretly invaded a small country that we don't know about.

I'd assume Gary Lineker has enough money and sense to employ a competent lawyer.

No but he is hardly the good boy he makes out to be (nothing to do with his views) and I inwardly scream when he comes over all righteous.

Having said that I’m sure Lineker spearheaded a campaign against antisemitism on football a few years ago so I do like to think he’s a Jewish ally on a regular day?

Not naming the poster here in case they don’t want to join in this conversation.

More like in case they point out you’re talking shit.

I’m not interested in joining this conversation. I’m also not interested in derailing this thread with a bunfight. Please don’t reply or bring up misrepresentations of what I’ve said again.

@YaMuvva "No but he is hardly the good boy he makes out to be (nothing to do with his views) and I inwardly scream when he comes over all righteous."

Righteous. AKA compassionate.

Does he make out he's a "good boy"?

He does seem to be making a habit of moralising in public, I suppose. But we don’t have to pay attention. He’s hardly the first person to be competent in some areas but a bit of a tit in others. Why not just ignore him

@Marjoriefrobisher "He does seem to be making a habit of moralising in public"

AKA expressing compassionate views.

😂😂

I don’t agree, but you’re entitled to your opinion. The sensible majority are free to ignore him, and if they do, he’ll have no currency at all outside the world of crazy twitter people and football fans.
im not on twitter and have no interest in football and I’m pleased to say that he impinges on my life not one jot.