I was feeling a little low on the early evening train home having just witnessed Brentford lose to Newcastle in the last game of the season, when I turned on my phone. Immediately my mood lifted.
The news was that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, a vile piece of work responsible for thousands of deaths of political opponents, and the recent oppression of women who wouldn’t wear the hijab, had been killed in a helicopter crash.
And X was full of speculation that Israel’s supersmart intelligence agency Mossad might be behind it. Double bubble.
Later that evening, I eagerly switched on to BBC’s Match of The Day to a) See all the goals and b) Wanted to hear Gary Lineker express deep remorse for the passing of Mr Raisi.
Unexpectedly Lineker was not wearing a black tie. He didn’t even mention the man’s death. Was he not feeling well? Had he lost all empathy? After all, Iran is Israel’s sworn enemy and their main policy is wiping this small nation off the face of the earth.
It was only six days earlier that Lineker, a lefty activist given a taxpayer-funded sports platform to say what he likes, told another Lefty, the journalist Medhi Hasan; ‘’ I can’t think of anything that I’ve seen worse in my lifetime.’’
He was referring to the war in Gaza. Now, as has been pointed out Gary, is only six months away from being 64, and there are two remarkable facts about his age.
The first is that he’s still in a job, as any man from the centre or the Right (if there is such a bloke at the BBC) would have been handed the DCM, Don’t Come Monday, many moons ago.
Secondly, what Lineker says about it being the bloodiest conflict in his lifetime is simply not true.
The rather good Telegraph columnist Michael Deacon did a little research. He cites the Second Congo War (1998-2003) which claimed 5.4million lives. And the Vietnam War (1955-1975) which claimed an estimated 3.5million and the Afghan War (1979-89) which claimed 2million.
Actually, Gaza isn’t even the bloodiest going on in the Middle East right now. The Syrian civil war has so far killed 600,000 with no signs of it ending. It will certainly be continuing when the shooting in Gaza is over.
Depending on who you believe (personally I wouldn’t believe a Health Ministry run by terrorists would you?) there have been around 30,000 deaths in Gaza with at least half of them being Hamas fighters.
If your enemy is using their own people as human shields there will be at least as many innocent casualties as there are Hamas fighters. After all, that is the idea. So, you would expect at least one for one. And that’s what has happened.
But St Gary makes no mention of the part played by Hamas, the side which deliberately started the war with the meticulously planned October 7 massacre.
Why not? He seems a clever man. Is there a Muslim connection, either through family or friends, which makes it impossible for him to speak his mind, except on the side of Hamas?
Lineker joins other high-profile TV-types in always condemning Israel. Why do they always take this view?
After all Israel is a democracy (tick), it was just sand before the Jews took it over and turned it into a great commercially-driven nation (tick), Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbours (tick) and would do a deal with Gaza if it weren’t for the terrorists (tick).
Gary Lineker usually fronts sporting coverage for the BBCPAI honestly believe it’s time for Lineker to stand down from MoTD. I’m sure the £1million plus he makes from saying ‘’ he’ll be disappointed with that’’ is useful but he has made enough from his various ventures that, as single man, he won’t have to worry too much about going to the Barnes food bank anytime soon.
No, the reason he stays on is that it gives him a platform for his political views. After all, were he go to rival sports organisations, TNT or TalkSPORT for instance, there would be a clause saying he can’t say anything that would bring opprobrium on the company.
And that wouldn’t work for Lineker. It’s said that once somebody turns 60 all they want is the microphone. He’s got it. And under no circumstances is he letting it to go.
And you are going to have to pay him when he says it. A nightmare.
