Former BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson believes he was sacked by the 'woke' BBC because he is a 65-year-old white male.
The Liverpool legend enjoyed a 30-year stint as co-commentator and pundit with the corporation, most recently with Football Focus and doing his weekly predictions with a host of celebrity guests, but was let go at the end of last season.
Speaking in an interview with The Times over the weekend, the former defender slammed his 'woke' former employer, claiming his bosses are scared to upset people.
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“I am like, ‘Just tell me now what you are going to tell me’. I didn’t want to drive 50 miles to Manchester for somebody to tell me over a cup of coffee I am not working next year,” he said. “The Beeb [BBC] are probably the worst at giving you bad news. It was just, ‘We are going on the road next season with Focus. We don’t think it is really something for you.’
"I haven’t watched the programme since to see if they have gone on the road. They forget you are an ex-footballer and could get subbed or dropped or transferred. Somebody could say to me, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not good news.’ And I would say, ‘OK, just tell me what it is.’ I just wish they had said to me at the start of my contract last year, ‘You’ve had a great run, thanks very much and you are not working next season.’ ”
Asked why he thinks he was let go, Lawro added: “Well, I’m 65 and a white male. So, you know…”
The ex-Ireland international has seen a lot of change during his three decades working in commentary and punditry, and added that he has had to start thinking about what he says and how it might offend people or if he will get into trouble.
“In all my time at the BBC, nobody ever said you can’t say this or that, but the woke thing drives me bonkers," Lawrenson added. "Whereas normally you would say the first thing that comes into your head, you’re now thinking, ‘If I say that will I get into trouble?'
“It was a bit like playing with your legs tied together. The BBC is the national broadcaster and I get that, but they are frightened to death of upsetting anybody.
“You are working with editors who are probably in their mid-20s. You can talk in between the bits that are on TV at the time and you can have a joke about something and they’ll say, ‘Don’t say that.’ And I am thinking, ‘I’ve been here for 20-odd years, I think I might know what to say and what not to say.’ ”
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