Sportslens odds compiler Alan Alger has priced up two Match of the Day specials in the aftermath of the social media furore which saw Gary Lineker suspended by the BBC. The odds specialist has focused on audience ratings for the upcoming show and the likelihood of Lineker giving a cheeky nod to Twitter, the social media app on which his post sparked the drama.
Former Tottenham and Leicester striker Lineker is known for airing his political and social views on Twitter but may have to tone it down in future after he was deemed to have breached the impartiality clause in his contract with a tweet criticising government policy on immigration.
Gary Lineker Reinstated – Match of the Day specials: Saturday 18th March
Saturday’s show recorded the highest Match of the Day audience since November 5th 2022 with 2.58 million. But whether that was due to the amount of publicity generated by the furore or simply fans tuning into to see Bournemouth beat Liverpool is not easy to quantify.
Taking into account the notion that interest levels in MotD will have probably dropped back to regular levels, alongside the fact that table-toppers Arsenal are playing on Sunday, while Manchester United and Manchester City are involved in FA Cup action, odds expert Alger reckons the likelihood of this Saturday’s show beating last week’s numbers is a relative long shot at 5/1.
- Saturday’s episode to beat the 2.58million for 11th March? – 5/1
Lineker often likes to introduce MotD with a witty comment and also tends to sign off with one too, so it seems highly plausible that he will mention social media app Twitter which got him into hot water with his bosses.
The speculative price of 2/1 is tempting considering Lineker will certainly feel empowered after the BBC backed down following almost unanimous condemnation of their actions by the presenter’s colleagues.
- Gary Lineker to mention the words “tweet” or “Twitter” on the show? – 2/1
“The BBC hierarchy had their tails between their legs as they backed down in their row with Lineker over his social media use,” commented Sportslens odds compiler Alan Alger.
“It came after a host of sports presenters and pundits pulled out of BBC shows over a turbulent weekend, expressing solidarity with the former England striker.
“Although Saturday’s Match of the Day show – that ran without commentators and pundits – pulled in a relatively big audience, breaking the 2.5 million barrier, we feel that the lack of novelty appeal this coming Saturday, and only two of the ‘big six’ in Premier League action on the day will lead to a downturn in audience numbers.”
This weekend’s show will be broadcast on Saturday night at 10.30pm on BBC1 and will feature highlights from Southampton vs Tottenham, Chelsea vs Everton, Wolves vs Leeds United, Aston Villa vs Bournemouth, Brentford vs Leicester City and Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United.
Elsewhere, ex-Premier League referee Graham Poll made a prediction on who could take over from Lineker if he breaches his contract again and is fired permanently.
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