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MATCH of the Day marks 60 years on air this week – with the football highlights show becoming a fixture on British TV screens over that time.
From Kenneth Wolstenholme in 1964 to Gary Lineker today, MOTD hosts have provided analysis of top-flight football on what has become of the BBC’s longest-running shows.
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Dan CharityHowever, it has not been immune to scandal – with porn noises being broadcast on air, hosts and guests staging walkouts and disgusting comments being uttered.
Here, The Sun takes a look back at the most shocking moments from the programme’s six decades on the box.
‘Porn noise’ scandal
The infamous “porn noise” scandal stunned watchers last year when Prankster Jarvo, a serial pitch invader, broke into the studio and activated a sexy sounds ring tone on a mobile phone, which he hid on the set.
He then called the phone during Gary’s studio segments at the Wolves v Liverpool FA Cup replay at Molineux.
The BBC later issued an apology, but Gary questioned that decision.
He said: “I’m not sure why the BBC apologised because it’s not our fault obviously.
“It’s a security issue, and there is a serious side to it; if someone can do that, they can do something else with something that could be more dangerous.
“But, in this instance, I felt that universally people were finding it really funny.
“And actually I have to agree with them, even if it was at our expense.
“It was enjoyed, I think . . . much like those people on that phone!”
Gary added: “I thought it was funny, and the YouTube prankster has shown his work.
“It was that loud that I couldn’t really hear myself think, or what the other guys were saying, and realised people could probably hear it at home so I knew I had to both keep it together, whilst also addressing the matter.
“In these situations, you have to keep your head.
“Yes, it’s funny but you can’t overwhelm the show — you can’t ignore it.
“But, and after the studio manager had located the strap-on phone, I started to have a bit of fun with it all.
“So at half-time every question I asked about the analysis, my comments were some kind of reference to it.
“Things like ‘Wolves huffed and puffed’ or ‘the only goal was a screamer — and not the only screamer we had’, and ‘Liverpool pressed really hard in trying to get behind them’ — all that kind of thing.
“It was daft but it really did amuse me. And once I realised it was a prank, I knew that if I started laughing I probably wouldn’t have stopped.
“It was the most surreal and one of the strangest things I’ve ever encountered in broadcasting.”
Nazi tweet row
Gary found himself at the centre of more drama in March last year when the BBC pulled him off air amid the Nazi tweet row.
Ian Wright and Alan Shearer walked out in “solidarity” with their colleague who had compared the Government’s language around its small boats crackdown to that of 1930s Germany.
The BBC was left scrambling to find a panel for the show, as other stars ruled themselves out.
Gary wept when told how his mates had publicly backed him.
On a day of chaos, the corporation claimed its £1.3million-a-year star had agreed to step back from presenting tonight’s flagship highlights show.
But friends said Lineker had been blindsided by the statement and was being benched against his will.
It left Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman as favourite to step in.
Gary was ordered to issue a “humiliating apology” by execs or face being “rested” from the show.
The former football star did return to screens much to the excitement of fans and said “it’s great to be here”.
Disgusting slurs
Fans were gobsmacked to hear English football manager and former pro-footballer Alan Pardew, make a rape remark on Match of the Day on Sunday.
He compared a tackle by Chelsea’s Michael Essien to rape and said: “He’s a strong boy. He knocks him off.”
His fellow pundit Alan Hansen responded, “he mauls him”, before Pardew added, “he absolutely rapes him”.
After a litany of complaints, the BBC issued an apology which read: “Alan Pardew apologises unconditionally for any offence caused by remarks he made in the Match of the Day 2 programme last night.”
Show changed forever
Meanwhile, just this month, the beloved host revealed the important change he made to Match of the Day that altered the show forever.
Lineker hasn’t just put his own spin on the show with his presenting style though, but also with a tweak he helped the BBC make back in 2004.
The BBC had lost the rights to show Premier League highlights to broadcasting rival ITV in 2001.
So when they regained the rights in 2004, at the end of ITV’s three-year contract, Lineker wanted to “stop fans moaning” about the coverage.
The former Barcelona bagsman asked if the show could provide highlights for every Prem match, something it had not been doing previously.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast this week, Lineker revealed: “When it came back, when we got the rights back, I said, ‘Is there any way we could show all the games?’
“We found a way of doing it and I thought, ‘Right, we finally won’t get people moaning that they’re never on Match of the Day‘.”
Since 2004 every Premier League match has been squeezed into the show so that fans up and down the country can catch up with how their side got on.
But Lineker didn’t stop all the moaning, with the Beeb’s star presenter revealing that people now whinge about where their team is placed in the programme’s running order.
He joked: “But of course then it becomes about where they are on Match of the Day, on the running order! ‘We’re always last’.”
Lineker also described the role as Match of the Day presenter as the “toughest” show he’s ever been apart of.
Troy Deeney talks to The Sun about Match of the Day
By Jamie Philips
EX-PREMIER League star and BBC pundit Troy Deeney spoke to The Sun about his experiences with Match of the Day.
“When I first got on it for the first time as a player, that was the first time I felt like I’d made it.
“You can play in the Premier League, play on Sky – but when you break through it is appearing on Match of the Day where you really feel like you’ve made it.
“It is a bit different now, but it used to be the only place that had highlights of all the games.
“You used to avoid the results all evening so you could watch it without knowing. It’s just so iconic.
“As a player, especially when I was starting out, you used to listen to what Ian Wright had to say as gospel.
“If he said ‘Troy Deeney’ is playing well’ or Gary Lineker said ‘I should do this’ then you listened and took it on. You really believe it.”
Speaking about criticism, the beloved pundit said: “We will watch a game, having never watched one together before, and agree on 85% of everything. I don’t think it is a case of upsetting people, the only people who get upset are people who are bored on Twitter.
“If a player has had a stinker, they’re going to know they’ve had a stinker so they won’t get upset when someone points it out.
“As a pundit, you are hoping for an exciting 2-2 draw. Whenever someone scores it is bad defending or it’s good striker play.”
On his punditry, Deeney added: “I try to be as honest as possible. Toning it down is something you naturally do as you get older anyway. I have worked with really good people anyway.
“I am trying to be true to myself. The audience can smell bullshit if you are not.
“You’d then have to explain yourself when you run into the player or their agent, so I just try to be open.
“It’s 60 years of football. It is a big show and we all know the anthem. It is the pinnacle and long may it continue.”
However, he is certainly compensated handsomely for his hard work, after the BBC revealed that the retired footballer is the company’s best-paid sports star.
Lineker pockets a whopping £1.35million per year, that’s more than triple what BBC Sport’s second highest earner, Alan Shearer, is getting paid for his role.
Although Lineker may not be on the payroll for too much longer as he cast doubt over his future with the company as he heads into the final year of his contract this season.
He said: “I don’t know [how long I’ll stay]! It depends how long they want me, I suppose.
“I love doing it at the moment; I’ve still got another year left, at least.
“So we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Obviously it’s another change in football and television and the rights of the Premier League and stuff like that.
“All of these things will play a part. But I just feel it’s been an absolute privilege to have presented it for 25 years now. I must be getting old!”
Lineker has already been snubbed for the BBC’s new Champions League highlights show that begins this season.
Instead, Gabby Logan is reportedly set to be the head presenter for the new European football show.
It comes as the latest scandal to hit the BBC came as One Show host Jermaine Jenas was sacked.
Jermaine – widely regarded as Gary Lineker’s natural successor to Match of the Day – covered this summer’s Euros and commentated on Spain’s semi-final victory over France on July 9.
But the TV personality has been removed from Match of the Day and The One Show following complaints about “inappropriate behaviour”.
A said: “This is a categorical nightmare for the BBC.
“Complaints were raised concerning Jermaine’s behaviour.
“After some immediate routine enquiries the decision was taken to take him off air, and terminate his contract.”
Jenas is now looking to sue the broadcaster and last night confirmed a legal letter has already been sent to execs by his newly-hired representatives.
The ex-footballer, who says his anxiety has rocketed, is concerned senior staff in different departments within the BBC — including sport and entertainment — appeared to be openly discussing his dismissal when it should have been kept confidential.
And, in a sit-down chat with The Sun, he revealed BBC bosses blocked his attempts to apologise to the two female colleagues.
He also admitted he let his wife Ellie and his children down.
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Lineker has been hosting the show since 1999News Group Newspapers Ltd
He famously hosted the show in his boxers after losing a wager when Leicester won the title in 2016
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