PLUS: Why Mikel Arteta should be getting uncomfortable after a Treble of being losers - and the reason why so many celebrities are buying into women's football
Join Mail+ to read Simon Jordan's unmissable column every Wednesday, plus more of your favourite writers, exclusive stories and in-depth sports reporting
By SIMON JORDAN
Published: 12:00 EDT, 21 May 2025 | Updated: 12:12 EDT, 21 May 2025
Amid the swathes of outrage, there are also those who are empathetic towards Gary Lineker over his rather ignominious exit from the BBC. In truth, they should save their tears.
At the end of this overhyped drama, he is probably likely to disappear off to another highly-paid gig with his 8.7million followers on X intact and still have the same influence, but without the degree of confected anger because he no longer works for a state-funded broadcaster.
Lineker had a freelancers' contract with the BBC so there was no technical obligation for him to keep his political opinions private or restrict his social media reposts. So all those shouting at the moon about the governance surrounding him at the BBC should pack it in and avail themselves of the facts.
What he did have, however, was a responsibility not to cause reputational harm to the organisation that has provided him a second great career.
As good as he was playing football, there was no likelihood of him becoming the polished television host he is today without a significant leg-up from the national corporation, who persevered and indulged him, even when he wasn’t very good at the beginning.
Thanks to them, he is now in a position of strength. He has a lucrative production company, Goalhanger, and will doubtless pop up for American networks in the future or even in the Middle East for such things as the World Cup, even though he has been critical of them, too.
Amid the swathes of outrage, there are also those who are empathetic towards Gary Lineker over his rather ignominious exit from the BBC
Rest assured, he isn't headed for the poorhouse or obscurity any time soon
Thanks to the BBC, Lineker is now in a position of strength, and has a lucrative production company - Goalhanger
Rest assured, he isn't headed for the poorhouse or obscurity any time soon.
He can now make as many moral arguments as he likes without being on the taxpayer’s dime. He can flex his perspective on the subjects that suit him with no neutrality whatsoever.
He did apologise for reposting material with anti-Semitic connotations, but I suspect he regretted the backlash more. I certainly do not recall any explicit expression of regret that he yet again brought reputational damage to his broadcasting benefactor!
He knows he has transgressed. If you are going to amplify something to so many people, you better know what it contains. His explanation of missing the full context of the repost is frankly not good enough.
This time there was no Alan Shearer, Ian Wright or Mark Chapman coming out of the woodwork to support him, as they did two years ago when Lineker compared the Government’s rhetoric to 1930s Germany. The three stooges were probably aware of what a repeat could do to their own reputations.
Had the BBC been more decisive with Lineker then, he may not have been left with the impression he could say whatever he wanted without the Beeb feeling their own image would suffer by proxy.
It is absolutely true that too much credence in general is given to what celebrities think. I wouldn’t pay attention to Lineker’s views on anything apart from football.
If he carries this much influence, it probably says something about our society, but that's where we seem to be.
This time there was no Alan Shearer or Ian Wright coming out of the woodwork to support Lineker, as they did two years ago
It is absolutely true that too much credence in general is given to what celebrities think. I wouldn’t pay attention to Lineker’s views on anything apart from football
Despite the mutterings of the strangely misinformed BBC chairman Samir Shah, if they stick to the tried and trusted formula – action first! - it will be a flagship show after Saint Gary is gone
As for Match of the Day, in part it has been the gatekeeper to the stunning success of the Premier League, given the highlights show was fundamental to Sky’s broadcasting model when it launched.
Lineker later played his part in that but the show will also survive without their host of the past 26 years.
Despite the utterings and mutterings of the strangely misinformed BBC chairman Samir Shah about wanting more talk and less action, if they stick to the tried and trusted formula – action first! - it will continue to be a flagship show after Saint Gary is gone.
Arsenal are becoming a participation club, not winners
Congratulations Arsenal on winning the Treble. Three Premier League runners-up in a row - or as I call it, first losers - and this time with at least 15 fewer points.
If you don’t progress, you regress. I wrote on these pages two years ago that owner Stan Kroenke had to spend big just to stand still, and that’s what has happened.
Arsenal are becoming a participation club again, as they were in the latter years of Arsene Wenger's reign. Mikel Arteta is in danger of becoming what Mauricio Pochettino was at Tottenham – improving the team without collecting the silverware to show for it.
I know people have lauded them for beating Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals but this is a Madrid side who have not won anything this season and sacked manager Carlo Ancelotti. Paris Saint-Germain were too good for the Gunners in the semi-finals and Newcastle handed them their backsides at the same stage of the Carabao Cup.
The owners will still be happy because of the revenue from regular Champions League appearances – but the way Josh Kroenke is talking about a busy summer in the transfer market suggests he shares the fans’ stance that raging for a trophy overtakes commercial reality.
Arsenal possibly need an outlay of at least £150million in the summer window. Paradoxically, that could work against Mikel Arteta as he’ll have no excuses if they win nothing next season
Declan Rice has had a good season but I wouldn’t yet call him world-class when he wouldn’t get into Manchester City’s team ahead of a fit Rodri
Arteta is in danger of becoming what Mauricio Pochettino was at Spurs – improving the team, but without collecting silverware to show for it
Declan Rice has had a good season but I wouldn’t yet call him world-class when he wouldn’t get into Manchester City’s team ahead of a fit Rodri. Raheem Sterling’s loan from Chelsea has been a waste of time for everybody.
Manager Arteta is right to deliver a positive end-of-season message – it’s better than a negative one - but he needs to find that X-factor to avoid being another Poch. Otherwise there could be a sting in the tail.
Arsenal possibly need an outlay of at least £150million in the summer window. Paradoxically, that could work against Arteta because he’ll have no excuses if they win nothing next season.
If he gets money from the board, success no longer becomes an expectation, it becomes a demand. And you know what happens with demands when they are not delivered... heads roll.
Why the smart money is in women's football
I was at a meeting of high net worth investors interested in sport about 12 months ago and the conversation was that women’s football was massively undervalued and there could be opportunities to deconstruct it from the men’s teams and have different ownership models.
By Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian purchasing a 10 per cent stake in Chelsea’s women’s team for £20million – as part of the overall disposal of £200m, ultimately to themselves – one wonders if the air has been sucked out of the room for potential bargain-hunters.
Chelsea and their investors may claim they have a vision and that what looks like a premium price now will be value-for-money as the game grows.
Cynics might see it as an opportunity for Chelsea to get around profit and sustainability rules.
Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian has bought a 10 per cent stake in Chelsea’s women’s team for £20million
Chelsea and their investors may claim they have a vision and that what looks like a premium price now will be value for money as the game grows
Ashworth right at home at the FA
Dan Ashworth is a structure guy. He is good on logistics and building environments.
Not so good at being cutting edge in the big game.
Perhaps that’s why his time at Manchester United was a disaster. And why The FA appointing him as their chief football officer marks a return to his spiritual home.