Match of the Day commentators have confirmed they will step down from Saturday night's broadcast following the axing of Gary Lineker.
A statement released on Twitter by the six announcers set to cover games on the broadcast reads: "As commentators on MOTD, we have decided to step down from tomorrow night's broadcast. We know that football fans want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use world feed commentary if they wish.
"However, in the circumstances we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme."
The bombshell announcement plunges one of the BBC's flagship programmes into further crisis, with staff rallying around host Lineker after he was axed on Friday afternoon. The veteran anchor was taken off the show after describing the government's new Migration bill as "beyond awful" and saying the language in it is "not dissimilar to that used in Germany in the 30s.
The publicly-funded broadcaster said they had “decided that he will step back” after holding “extensive discussions” with him. A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.
"The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.
"When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies."
Lineker quickly reached out to Channel 5 to dispute the suggestion it was a mutual decision, telling Dan Walker: "They've told me to step back."
In light of that initial announcement a slew of pundits backed the former England striker, with Ian Wright and Alan Shearer both confirming they wouldn't join this weekend's broadcast. Wright said: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."
With Shearer adding shortly after: "I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night." After more on-air talent followed their lead, the BBC announced that there would be no punditry or presenting element to this edition of the programme, with the full focus on match highlights.
“Some of our pundits have said that they don’t wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary," a further BBC statement said. “We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry.”
However, plans for a stripped-back version have now been thrown into chaos with the broadcaster's leading voices pulling out of the show. BBC will still be able to use the world feed to provide audio commentary on the games on what promises to be the most unique Match of the Day in its long history.
There is also the looming prospect of players and managers refusing to complete their media commitments with the BBC. The Professional Footballers' Association, the body which represents Premier League stars have said they will support any individuals who decide to not speak on the show, as they are contractually obliged to do so.
