sport news Match of the Day is in MAJOR DOUBT tonight, as bosses see if it can possibly go ... trends now
Tonight's Match of the Day is under threat - with beleaguered BBC bosses currently discussing whether they can air the show without commentary.
In the backlash that followed the broadcaster’s dropping of host Gary Lineker, commentators and pundits including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright said they would not work on the Saturday-night staple.
Now Sportsmail understands that the BBC has been unable to secure alternative television commentary for today’s Premier League games and is now considering dropping the show completely from tonight’s schedule.
The development is the latest in an astonishing turn of events after Lineker was effectively suspended by the BBC following a controversial tweet earlier this week in which he likened the Conservative party's language in regards to their latest migrant policy to something out of Germany in the 1930s
Mark Chapman refused to host Radio 5 Live Sport while presenters Alex Scott and Kelly Sommers joined the boycott, which has seen Football Focus and Final Score canned.
Tonight's episode of Match of the Day is in major doubt, with organisers locked in talks over whether the show can go ahead following mass walkouts in the wake of Gary Lineker's axing
The BBC programme is in 'crisis' with no presenters, pundits or commentators for the first time in its history after the corporation's decision to boot Gary Lineker off air led to mass walkouts
There is the prospect that Match of the Day could use interviews with players carried out by Premier League Productions, the competition’s broadcast arm, but bosses are concerned of the optics over matches broadcast in relative silence, other than crowd noise. Players had refused to speak to the BBC in solidarity with Lineker.
A tense and complex situation is known to have caused a split among BBC staff.
Ian Dennis will commentate on the Leeds v Brighton game for Radio 5 Live at 3pm, while it can be reported that Alistair Bruce-Ball will follow suit for the late game between Crystal Palace and Manchester City. It is thought to have been a tough decision for both.
Sportsmail’s Chris Sutton will also appear on the Saturday
