Gary Lineker, a presenter on the BBC’s Match of the Day football show, is stepping down. That may not sound newsworthy, but actually it means we will have “lost something as a country”, says Tom McTague on UnHerd. Football is more than just entertainment – in this country, it is a “social glue”, a “safe space” where people from all social backgrounds can come together.
Lineker’s departure matters, says McTague, because it signals a change in this national conversation. Lineker has hosted the show for 25 years following a prestigious football career and earned £1.3m last year. His departure represents a handover from the “old era of smart, eloquent and gently amusing commentary” that he inherited from those who went before him, to a new world he has transitioned into himself on social media – one of “hyperpoliticisation and opinion”.
What Gary Lineker's departure means for Match of the Day
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