Thanks to all those who have sent complaints into the BBC about Gary Lineker's classless mocking of Arsene Wenger, the blog piece I wrote mushroomed into quite a story and was even covered in the Daily Mail. Great credit to the Mail for covering Lineker's woeful behaviour in the manner it deserves, it is telling that a massive majority of reader comments on the Mail website are very much anti-Lineker.
I shall wait and see what the BBC do before casting further judgement on the BBC, I think the minimum Arsene Wenger deserves is a formal apology from Lineker, in fact I have written to Arsenal to encourage them to make a formal complaint about Lineker's behaviour. The general tone of the program was quite pathetic in the way in made fun of a manager who was being abused, especially given that he had to endure large quantities of racist abuse from the Stoke fans throughout the game.
The fact that Pulis defended the behaviour of Stoke fans on MOTD, including the sick abuse of Aaron Ramsey, and that the BBC allowed him to do this says a lot about both Pulis and the BBC. Pulis deliberately incites hatred in his own support in order to create a cauldron of hate at the Britannia and this is the key behind Stoke not being relegated, referees are afraid to penalise them at home. Stoke City Football Club are a nasty stain on the Premier League in my opinion for this and many other reasons.
Finally many thanks to all our regular readers, we have recently surpassed the one million hit mark and I certainly think that is some kind of achievement. We may not please everyone with what we write, but frankly we do not try to, we simply want to express our opinion on all matters Arsenal related. Thanks for reading. Big game tonight, just can't decided who I want to win, maybe I will just have to enjoy watching someone lose, that's unless it's a draw of course.......
21 comments:
Dear XXXXXXXXXXX
Thank you for contacting us about the edition of ‘Match of the Day’ broadcast on Saturday 28 April.
Gary Lineker's closing line was a light-hearted reference to shots of Stoke fans behind the dugouts imitating Arsene Wenger's mannerisms. A clear differentiation was made between this and the booing of Aaron Ramsey which Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen strongly condemned.
In addition, Gary was not being xenophobic nor was he unfairly singling out a manager who has the admiration and respect of the whole ‘Match of the Day’ team and who has been the subject of praise on the show on many occasions.
Shots of football managers and their behaviour on the touchline have long been a source of good-natured humour across our output and elsewhere. However, we are sorry if we have inadvertently offended you.
I’d like to assure you I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily and is available for viewing by all our staff. This includes all programme makers and presenters, along with our senior management. It ensures that your points, along with all other comments we receive, are considered across the BBC.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Complaints
I got the same reply from the BBC, its a shame they cant be boycotted and even worse that I HAVE to pay their licence fee.
In my complaint I also added the fact that they have Northern bias presenters which imo doesnt help the Arsenal as we have been the main challengers to their Northern darlings.
Great news about Podolski, lets hope he sets the Euros alight and buys a property in London before coming over to play for us.
A settled player and his family will be a big help in settling him in.
Funnily enough that's exactly what my email said. Just goes to show the BBC condone Lineker's behaviour whole heartedly & as long as its only Arsenal they are taking the mick out of it will be ok. Be interesting to see what would happen if he (Lineker) did the same on SAF.
Lineker is only a jealous Spud that hates Venger fore his record.
How many managers have Tottenham had in Vengers Time and how many titles ???
Hjorvar.
No surprise whatsoever to see BBC supporting this big eared prick. Of course that he is surrounded in Salford not just on he sofa but now in the production and camera teams by a cast of other Small Town Johnnies must make them feel they have carte blanche to insult the big city boys. It's to be expected now the BBC has moved that all these provincial types will seek to exercise the ghosts of northern chips on shoulders past by siding with talentless, odious little oiks like Pulis and Stoke against those who they perceive have had the whip hand for so long.
Expect to we football luminaries like Pulis and Savage on MOTD more regularly than anyone of any quality. And watch the quality disappear at an ever increasing speed.
The BBC wouldn't show fans mocking Dalglish - we all know the bias there.
Hi
Thanks for that feedback, strangely the BBC haven't responded to me yet, hmmmm
I expected this kind of response and frankly it just proves exactly how low they have sunk in my/our eyes.
Their defense of their line is expected but extremely weak. Somehow praising him in the past makes it acceptable to mock him now?
They made light of the generally nasty treatment that Arsene has to take from Stoke fans, including the regular racist abuse, and mocked up in rather unpleasant playground bully kind of way.
Pathetic BBC, they should be hanging your heads in shame, instead they defend the indefensible.
Still the great thing about all this coverage is that it has made the BBC and Lineker look like complete and utter idiots.
The Daily Mail coverage showed that a vast majority of people are on Arsene's side on this.
An interesting idea is to complain to OFCOM, maybe something to think about......
I got the same run of the mill reply from the BBC would you believe! Glad you brought it to our attention though 1979Gooner, sometimes in life you have to do what is right. I applaud you for contacting the club and agree that an apology from Lineker is the least they and us should be seeking. In my complaint I was half tempted to ask the great Walkers Crips salesman how his brother was getting on and whether he is still in the clink, but then I reasoned, I would be stooping to their level, and us Gooners have too much class for that! Keep us up to date on club's response to your request/suggestion. Victory Through Harmony! Flashman71
I got the same run of the mill reply from the BBC would you believe! Glad you brought it to our attention though 1979Gooner, sometimes in life you have to do what is right. I applaud you for contacting the club and agree that an apology from Lineker is the least they and us should be seeking. In my complaint I was half tempted to ask the great Walkers Crips salesman how his brother was getting on and whether he is still in the clink, but then I reasoned, I would be stooping to their level, and us Gooners have too much class for that! Keep us up to date on club's response to your request/suggestion. Victory Through Harmony! Flashman71
RE: ClockEndRider - top comment spot on. Forgot that they now reside in that faux Canary Wharf (and I hate this place but at least it's London) the great Salford Quays, I ponder if the Lineker et al take a stroll round the Lowery Gallery at lunch time discussing the pictures and their similarity to the greatest game the universe has ever seen tonight's Manc derby. Top post ClockEndRider, cheered me up and made me realise I am not alone with my thoughts on that City and region! Cheers Flashman71
Same reply back to me too!
Flashman - spot on
Clock end rider - too tight also, Robbie Savage is such a brainless tool
1979gooner
Hi,
I also complained and received the same response. My reply to their reply follows....
Thank you for your reply, which appears to be a 'boilerplate' cut and paste response, since it answers points that I never raised in my original complaint.
I did not accuse Mr Lineker of being 'xenophophic', I made the comment that his apparent mocking of Mr Wenger's behaviour was in poor taste and totally unprofessional. You may think that I considered it unacceptable based on Mr Wenger's nationality but this would be an incorrect analysis. I considered it unacceptable because it is not MOTD's remit (in my view) to be a comedy show, it's role is to accurately present what is happening in the Premier League.
I also did not comment on the booing of Aaron Ramsey. This was mentioned in the 'after-match' analysis and Messrs Hansen and Lawrenson summed up the situation perfectly in my view. Why you have decided to reply to me on that issue is a mystery ?
I insist that Mr Lineker's behaviour on Saturday was unacceptable, and his attempts to become a comedian failed spectacularly. He should be made to apologise for his behaviour on the next edition of the programme.
I expect better from the BBC. I have yet to see your commercial competitors (SKY and ESPN) portray one of the most successful and respected managers over the past 20 years treated with such distain.
This may explain why your Sports coverage is rapidly withering away. I suggest that your budget may be better spent by paying sports presenters such as Mr Lineker a little less and bidding for live sports a little more !
Got exactly the same emailed response back. Disappointed that Linekar's hateful slur was dismissed as a 'light hearted reference' and disappointed even more by the fact that the reply is just a cut and paste job. Like others, several counter points are made to points I never initially made. Time for them to brush out the old wood and bring in more of the likes of Dixon and Keown. Not just saying that because they're gooners but because they actually talk sense. As for Stoke and their '12th man' the less said about them the better. Embarrassing manager. embarrassing fans. Embarrassing football.
Hi
The 'cut and paste' shows they have had a lot of complaints and can't even be bothered to respond to them properly, not impressive at all.
We could always consider writing a joint complaint to OFCOM?
I have had the same response from the BBC s0 I have now complained to OFCOM
https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/specific-programme-epg
The BBC with its stock reply didn't even bother to ask Lineker what he meant. A complaint OFCOM means that the BBC and Lineker will have to provide written responses
I have had the same response from the BBC s0 I have now complained to OFCOM
https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/specific-programme-epg
The BBC with its stock reply didn't even bother to ask Lineker what he meant. A complaint OFCOM means that the BBC and Lineker will have to provide written responses
Keep resent the same email over and over again!
Isn't the BBC studio close to us .... gooners should go up there @ 10-25 p.m. On Saturday and get justice served....
Good signing podolski...
Got the same response.
I don't understand why they have a crisps salesman as their figurehead for football coverage.
And Arsenal fans fall to new lows
Our football is shit never be as good as yours,and yet i`m still happy to be Stoke.
you bunch of precious little wankers
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