Gary Lineker paid tribute to Ian Wright after it was announced he was leaving the programme. Photo: BBC/Pete Dadds
Ian Wright is leaving Match of the Day, the latest big name to leave the BBC's sports establishment. Following the news that the once beloved Question of Sport is going the way of all flesh, and the spectacle of Football Focus wheezing and stumbling towards its 50th anniversary next year, Wright's departure at the end of this season is further evidence that some of BBC Sport's best-loved programs are changing.
A recent Premier League TV rights deal has seen the BBC extend its highlights package until 2029, so Match of the Day will be around for a while is not going anywhere, but the future of the format and its powers are in question like never before.< /p>
Wright, along with Gary Lineker, was an example of how the BBC came to see sports coverage as a springboard for commentary and contribution to wider social debate. It is, depending on your point of view, a noble calling, pursued by people who believe that our national entertainment is an ideal vehicle for achieving long-overdue social change or an ideologically motivated attack on a large segment of television viewership by an organization. it does not reflect their values and actually disrespects them.
Wright strikes me as a passionate, generous person with a lot to give, a good egg, and someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind, no matter the consequences. From a football pundit's point of view, his talent lies in his energy and enthusiasm, which has made him a good foil for the likes of Alan Shearer or Roy Keane when they appear on ITV. He also played a key role in BBC Sport's policy of encouraging big names to give their opinions on hot topics in society, and he often spoke movingly and from the heart about racism (see video below), domestic violence, opportunity and inclusion.
Earlier this year he came out in support of Lineker when the Queen Mum of football fell out with BBC bosses over his political views; it seems reasonable to wonder whether Wright's departure might foreshadow Lineker's departure at some point in the near future.
Given his growing dominance of the podcast market through his premium audio content factory Goalhanger, Lineker may feel he no longer needs the BBC's image or profile. Of course, his show The Rest is Football with Shearer and Micah Richards shows him in a relaxed, laid-back mood, somewhat uninhibited. Perhaps he will decide that it is much easier to be his own boss and talk about stuff and give other fellow travelers space to do so, than to be a lightning rod for the BBC.
Gary Lineker with fellow expert Alan Shearer (right) Photo: BBC/Kieran Clarke
The format he's chosen certainly seems scalable: pretty sure we'll soon see The Rest Is Economics, The Rest Is Cooking, The Rest Is Interior Decorating. He may be ready to move on to a new, less stressful empire.
Of course, many Telegraph Sport readers would have driven him to the metaphorical airport themselves. Many make it clear that they cannot stick the guy at any cost, and most of all they are tired of his role as the “conscience of the nation”/“real leader of the opposition”, although, in fairness, this status was partly assigned to him by his enemies. . Lineker himself has ridiculed the aggressive suggestion of “sticking to football”, which is clearly not what he wants to do.
I wonder if the BBC will stick to its principles in promoting diversity and inclusion and a certain kind of bien pensant worldview on his expensive shows – especially the pathetic, tattered love – Sports Personality – or whether he can rethink and get back to basics.
They tinkered with the format and staff of A Question of Sport with fatal consequences, and Alex Scott's leadership of Football Focus was unsuccessful. Is it time for Match of the Day and other similar BBC shows to just “stick to football”?
If Lineker were to leave, it would be an opportunity for a gifted, professional, neutral broadcaster such as Mark Chapman or Mark Pugach to take the reins. These or similar moves will leave the BBC's opponents with far less ammunition and could do wonders for blood pressure in the counties.
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