It's been another day of last-minute programming changes for sport coverage on the BBC
Presenters have refused to appear on BBC sport shows in solidarity with Gary Lineker
Coverage of the WSL match between Chelsea and Manchester United was provided by "world feed" commentator Nigel Adderley
However it's business as usual for Scotland v Ireland in the Six Nations Championship, with commentary and pundits
Later on Sunday, Match of the Day 2 is expected to be "much-reduced" with no presenter, pundits, or commentary
The disruption follows the BBC's decision to suspend Gary Lineker for his tweets about UK asylum policy
Speaking to reporters outside his house, Lineker says he is unable to say anything on the impartiality row
It has been quite a day, again, and we are going to be pausing our coverage for the moment.
All that is left to say is thank you for joining us.
The page today has been written by Thomas Mackintosh, Antoinette Radford, Jennifer Meierhans and Michael Sheils McNamee.
It has been edited by Tiffany Wertheimer and Alex Binley.
Michaela Howard
reporting from Old Trafford, Manchester
Linda Becker raises the question of Gary Lineker being allowed to present the show in his underpants - after his beloved Leicester City won the Premier League in 2016.
"What he said on Twitter, he’s got a right to say whether he’s right or wrong," she says.
"I think the others are right to stand by him. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s a Twitter page.
"You do not need to read a Twitter page. I would like to see him back because it’s a waste of time without him.
"He was allowed to present in his underpants, but he’s not allowed to have an opinion on Twitter?"
Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent reporting from Hollywood
Image source, ReutersThe Gary Lineker situation is even the talk of Hollywood ahead of the Oscars tonight.
I went to the British Consul’s party for all the UK’s nominees the other night where I met Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro.
The author of the Booker Prize winning The Remains of the Day did not hold back when it came to Gary Lineker.
“I think he’s become one of the really important cultural figures for the country," he told me.
"I think he stands for good things. I’m fully behind Gary Lineker on this," he added.
"Just purely at the freedom of speech level, never mind whether you agree with him or not.
"I don’t think the government should be imposing restrictions like this on what broadcasters say.”
Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter
The BBC’s remit says it is “committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output” and that “this commitment is fundamental to our reputation, our values and the trust of audiences”.
As for Twitter use, it says: “The external activities and public comments, for example on social media, of staff, presenters and others who contribute to our output can also affect perceptions of the BBC’s impartiality.”
The BBC also has specific rules over the use of social media for all employees, including freelancers.
These are:
Gary Lineker has previously argued that he is a freelance sports presenter and added the BBC rules "only apply to people in news and current affairs".
Michaela Howard
Reporting from Old Trafford, Manchester
Fans are here at Old Trafford to watch the Manchester United vs Southampton game, and their opinions of last night's Match of the Day has been varied.
Some tuned in just to see what the difference was, while others boycotted the programme in support of Gary Lineker.
One person told me that he thought it was much better without the pundits’ opinions.
The people I spoke to were forthcoming about what they thought about Lineker; some thought it was easy to tell the difference between his comments on Twitter and him presenting on Match of the Day.
But, others felt that as one of the BBC’s most well-known presenters, he shouldn’t have been voicing his opinion at all.
Michael O’Toole told me he is not Lineker's biggest fan but would like to see him back for the sake of the BBC.
"I think its interesting the way everyone else has stepped away.
Quote MessageIt's a bit of a grey area about what he can and cannot say. Also I think it’s a big decision for the BBC - the way they go now in the next 24 hours."
David Sillito
Media and Arts correspondent
Image source, bbcThis issue is more than an argument about the opinions of a highly paid sports presenter - it is a test of the BBC's fundamental values and the current director general's core mission.
Lineker has become a lightning rod for a much bigger debate and the BBC would like to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to stop a very public row turning into a monumental crisis.
However, with the corporation saying it wants Lineker, with his 8.7 million Twitter followers, to stop the political tweets while he shows no sign of agreeing to be silenced, it's hard to see quite how this will resolve itself.
For the BBC this is about impartiality but to many others it is about free speech.
Indeed, there is a statue outside the BBC's headquarters in London of the author of 1984, George Orwell, a former BBC talks producer.
Inscribed on the wall behind the Orwell statue are these words: "If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
Eighty years after Orwell left the BBC, the corporation finds itself in a deepening crisis.
That thought from Orwell and the questions it raises for the BBC are at the very heart of the Lineker debate.
Image source, ReutersLet's bring you some comments from the former Tory Chancellor George Osborne who has backed Gary Lineker but also criticises the rhetoric around asylum policy including by some in his party.
"Personally I think some of the language used on immigration by some Conservatives - not all - is not acceptable," he told Channel 4's The Andrew Neil Show.
"I have a lot of sympathy for Tim Davie, the Director General, who's trying to maintain impartiality for the BBC in a partisan age.
"But, it's all ended up in a bit of a mess."
Earlier we reported that the coverage of last night's Match of the Day was criticised by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which said it was inaccessible to vision impaired audiences.
The charity called the coverage "unacceptable" and said the BBC "should be upholding basic accessibility standards so that everyone can enjoy their output".
A BBC spokesperson has now responded in a short statement:
"We apologise to those who couldn't enjoy the programme as they normally would.
"We have only been able to bring limited sport programming this weekend and we are working hard to resolve the situation".
Image source, Self Esteem InstagramBritish musician Self Esteem posted this photo on her Instagram page with the caption "Solidarity"
When the Gary Lineker row erupted fellow Match of the Day presenters said they would not go on the show without him.
Since then a string of celebrities have spoken out in support of Lineker - here are some of them:
Passers-by have been stopping to take photos of the BBC Sport headquarters in Salford today.
In the window is a huge image of the BBC's sport presenters, including Gary Lineker.
Yesterday, it was the scene of a small protest, as Lineker fans demanded he be reinstated.
After boycotting Match of the Day yesterday, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have appeared on Premier League TV.
The two returned to screens to provide analysis on Sunday's football games.
Both Shearer and Wright are ex-footballers and pundits who usually appear on Match of the Day, but they didn't appear on yesterday's show in solidarity with Gary Lineker.
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David Sillito
Media and Arts correspondent
It's worth noting that complaints about Gary Lineker's politically charged tweets are not new.
In 2016 and 2018 the BBC defended comments made by the Match of the Day presenter about child migrants and Brexit by saying he was a freelance presenter, it was a private Twitter account and the stringent rules for journalists did not apply equally to sports presenters.
Since then rules have been tightened.
In 2020 new guidelines on social media demanded an "extra responsibility" for presenters with a "high profile".
Some described the new rule as the "Lineker clause".
A number of 14:00 fixtures have kicked off in the Premier League, with a return of commentary on Radio 5 Live.
Ahead of kick off, commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball said he wanted "to reiterate what we said ahead of our football coverage yesterday".
"I know you'll all appreciate this is a difficult time for BBC Sport and for all those who work in the department, and we hope it all gets resolved as soon as possible," he said.
"It's been a very difficult decision to make personally, I can assure you it's not been taken lightly, but I'm a BBC staff member, I'm a radio commentator for this station and, just like yesterday, we are here to provide our football service to you, our audience."
Other BBC sports coverage has gone to air as per usual this afternoon.
Gabby Logan is in the seat and presenting the BBC's coverage of the Scotland v Ireland Six Nations rugby match, alongside studio pundits.
Coverage of the game is expected to take place as normal.
A short while ago one of Gary Lineker's sons tweeted and thanked people for their support.
George Lineker wrote: "Proud of the old man after a busy few days.
"Shouldn’t need to apologise for being a good person and standing by his word.
"The reaction of the public has been overwhelming. Thanks for the support."
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A little more of an update to bring you on the TV schedules tonight.
Usually Match of the Day 2 broadcasts Sunday's highlights as well as the best bits of Saturday's Premier League action.
Earlier we heard the show is expected to be in a reduced format and we now have some confirmation from one of the regular commentators.
Writing on Twitter, external Guy Mowbray says: "As yesterday, there will be no ‘normal’ Match of the Day 2 programme tonight.
"The scheduled commentary team are in full agreement with our BBC Sport colleagues.
"We hope that a resolution can be found ASAP."
Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter
Supporters of the Illegal Migration Bill say the PM is "getting a grip" on the issue, but it is a policy which has attracted strong opinions - and not just from Lineker.
The plan has also been widely criticised by human rights groups.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews raised "significant concerns" about it.
While, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) echoed "profound concerns" over the proposed asylum bill, saying in its current form it “compels the home secretary to deny access to the UK asylum system to those who arrive irregularly”.
Quote MessageThis would be a clear breach of the Refugee Convention and would undermine a longstanding, humanitarian tradition of which the British people are rightly proud."
UNHCR
Image source, Getty ImagesIf you're wondering what it was that Lineker was responding to when he tweeted that the language in the government's migration policy was similar to that used by politicians and the media in 1930s Germany, here are some of the powers the bill includes:
Labour called the legislation a "con that risks making the chaos worse", but Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs it was time to stop the UK "being taken for a ride".
Read more about the Illegal Migration Bill here.
The charity says the BBC "needs to do better" after a lack of commentary made Match of the Day inaccessible to vision impaired audiences yesterday.
In a tweet, external, the Royal National Institute of Blind People says "the BBC should be upholding basic accessibility standards so that everyone can enjoy their output."
They were responding to a tweet by a blind content creator, who claimed the lack of commentary was a breach of the BBC's 2010 Equality Act.
Yesterday's programme featured 20 minutes of match highlights with no presenter, pundits, or commentary - just natural sound from the game.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
It is halftime in the Women's Super League game between Chelsea and Manchester United.
The hosts lead 1-0 at half-time and as the players walk into the tunnel, the global commentary takes a pause and the BBC opts to play highlights of last week's Continental League Cup final.
Arsenal won that game against Chelsea 3-1 at Selhurst Park.