BBC have replaced Match of the Day with a movie about a plane crash amid the impartiality row with Gary Lineker.
The popular sports show was expected to air for over an hour, but tonight it will just air for 20 minutes – as Sully: Miracle on the Hudson will air from 10.40 onwards – amid Lineker's row with the BBC. The presenter was asked to 'step back' from Match Of The Day after a tweet earlier this week, where he appeared to compare language used by the Conservative Party in their 'Stop the Boats' asylum policy to terminology used by Hitler's Third Reich regime.
However, in a mark of solidarity, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have stepped down from presenting the show this weekend, too – throwing the show into chaos.
Saturday's Match of the Day is scheduled to begin at 10.20pm on BBC One. The programme had been set to last for 1hr 19mins, but is set to have a run-time of just 19 minutes. It will feature no commentary given the lack of presenters.
"Highlights of the latest round of Premier League matches with Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool all in action," the description reads about the upcoming show, " City were bidding to keep their title bid on track when they travelled to Crystal Palace, while Tottenham hosted Nottingham Forest , and Liverpool faced Bournemouth . Plus all the goals from Saturday’s other fixtures."
To cover the missing hour, the BBC have scheduled Sully, a film about a plane crashing into the Hudson River. It follows the true story of the January 2009 emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549, in which all 155 passengers and crew survived.
The BBC confirmed on Friday night that Saturday's show would be very different, as a spokesperson said: "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. We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry."
The six commentators who were scheduled to cover the different games today also released a statement to confirm they wouldn't be presenting either as they were standing in solidarity with Lineker.
"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," the statement read, "However, in the circumstances we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme."
The Mirror has launched a petition to have Gary Lineker reinstated at the BBC and as the host of Match of the Day. Sign it here.
