Gary Lineker’s name has been in the headlines plenty this week, and not much of it to do with football.
At the beginning of the week, the Match of the Day presenter didn’t hold back in expressing his views about the ongoing refugee crisis with his Twitter followers.
After noticing something of a backlash from some sections of the public with regards to the UK allowing more refugees into Britain, he tweeted, quite passionately some might say, about his concerns.
The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 18, 2016
Many applauded Lineker for using his position to speak out.
Thank you @GaryLineker for speaking out about this. The world needs more compassionate people like you! https://t.co/gfvl42zxAu
— Care4Calais (@Care4Calais) October 19, 2016
But there were others who accused him of overstepping the mark as an impartial member of the BBC.
https://twitter.com/dent791/status/788407511644790787
If Mr Lineker wants to be Lib-Left political voice then fair enough, but get him off MOTD please.Time to pass baton to Jermaine Jenas anyway
— Patrick O'Flynn (@oflynnsocial) October 18, 2016
I imagine you're grateful to be able to afford to donate at least $10 million to the refugee crisis? @GaryLineker pic.twitter.com/NLVM28fLb3
— Tony (@GodfreyElfwick) October 18, 2016
@Tim_Vickery we've been overrun by immigrants in the last 10years, which has no impact on you in your privileged position
— Barry Harvey (@barharvey1) October 18, 2016
Well that tweet led to some serious blocking. The I'm alright Jack mentality is sickening.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 18, 2016
The former Leicester and England striker continued to be drawn into the political conversation about the UK’s decision to take more unaccompanied children from the ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais, standing by his claims that alarmingly racist rhetoric was being used in reaction to the news.
His critics argued that many of the people coming into the country weren’t children, and were lying about their age.
After Tory MP David Davies said dental checks should be used to verify ages, a move ruled as ‘unethical’ by the Home Office, Lineker retweeted a (now deleted Tweet) from fostering charity TACT, who claimed a refugee The Sun newspaper had said was actually 38-years-old (they say according to computerised facial analysis) was actually an adult interpreter employed by The Home Office .
However, the Home Office confirmed that the unnamed asylum seeker did not work for them, contrary to what the charity had said.
The Sun have since accused Lineker of ‘peddling a lie’ on the issue, and on their front page this morning they report calls for the 55-year-old to be sacked for breaching BBC guidelines.
They quoted David Davies, who said: “I hope he apologises. I question if the BBC should be employing him when he seems to be using his fame to push out his rather emotive and controversial views.”
Friday's Sun front page:
Out on his ears#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/Q0qfRoo8tl— Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) October 20, 2016
Yet again, the issue divided the internet. Some said Lineker was indeed wrong to persist in making his views known.
https://twitter.com/2053pam/status/789223172843433986
https://twitter.com/nf_disco/status/789223219916046337
But others condemned the newspaper and continued to support Linker for his pleas for compassion.
Gary Linecker supports child refugees He deserves praise not the sack
— Jennifer Mann (@JenMannHornsey) October 20, 2016
but he's allowed a political opinion. We all are. And he didn't call the public racist just the racists.
— cakeandacwtchTA (@cakeandacwtch) October 20, 2016
Yet another reason not to buy this gutter trash #DontBuyTheSun
— Matthew Chapman (@Matt528chap) October 20, 2016
– reading that – it is racism by proxy. Abusing and demonising GL for defending child refugees, legitimises bigotry.
— 🏳️🌈░P░A░O░L░O░ ░I░N░ ░B░I░O░🏳️🌈 (@PaoloIskandar64) October 20, 2016
And, after waking up to the front page and the subsequent messages of both support and abuse, Lineker tried to offer some perspective.
Getting a bit of a spanking today, but things could be worse: Imagine, just for a second, being a refugee having to flee from your home.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 21, 2016
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