“Gary is 100% right,” mentioned lifelong Leicester City fan John Farrell as he stood within the queue for a match-day programme earlier than Saturday’s kick-off at King Power Stadium.
While the 67-year-old, who was within the stands for Gary Lineker’s Leicester City debut towards Oldham Athletic on New Year’s Day 1979, didn’t essentially agree with the content material of the star striker turned broadcaster’s tweets, he strongly supported his proper to an opinion. “I agree with freedom of speech. This is not Russia.”
Farrell, who runs a cleansing enterprise – and whose son, Lee, additionally used to play for the group – mentioned Lineker was a talismanic determine for town through which he grew up and, earlier than he was representing them on the pitch, was a common sight on the market on his father’s fruit and vegetable stall.
Not required for his ordinary Match of the Day duties, Lineker joined followers within the stands to see his group face Chelsea. Some supporters held blue indicators that learn: “I’m with Gary. Migrants Welcome”.
While the principle topic of dialog as crowds flowed alongside the highway within the gray and chilly in the direction of the bottom, previous the positioning of the outdated Filbert Street stadium, was the prospect of relegation – they began the day simply two factors away from the underside three – Lineker’s falling-out with the BBC was additionally on people’s minds.
From his sales space, which he shares with a cuddly Filbert Fox mascot, programme vendor Richard Watts mentioned it had been a speaking level amongst his colleagues. “It’s just a tweet on a forum. It shouldn’t be the furore it is … Where’s freedom of speech?”
“Gary Lineker is our guy,” mentioned Leicester City fan Shafiq Khalifa. “He is standing up for people who don’t have a voice to speak.”
The council employee and photographer feared Lineker’s punishment for talking towards authorities insurance policies was a worrying signal for society. “We’re coming to that point in the world where we’re not allowed to say the truth,” he mentioned. “The BBC know what they’re doing.”
Lifelong Leicester City fan James Sankar, 75, who was attending the sport together with his Chelsea-supporting spouse, Prem, 66, mentioned the BBC’s response to Lineker’s tweets made him frightened that people’s freedom was being decreased. “He has a right to do that, it’s a free country. That’s one of the things that we’re proud of, being able to say what we want.”
“He has freedom of speech and he has an opinion so he has a right,” Prem added. “It’s all about Lineker today.”
Walking down the road carrying Leicester City flags, the Hartshorne household from Leicestershire firmly stood by Lineker. “Freedom of speech. He should be allowed to say what he wants,” mentioned Anne Marie Hartshorne, a pupil.
“He’s the most famous player for the club and he represents the club pretty well,” added her husband, Jim, a managing director.
“He’s speaking from a good place, isn’t he? He’s speaking for disadvantaged people.”
But not all people agreed. “It’s a load of rubbish to be honest,” mentioned Lee Smith. “Who’s bothered?” Although he described Lineker as “a Leicester lad through and through” he didn’t agree with him sharing his political beliefs on social media.
Another fan, his hat filled with pin badges, dismissed Lineker as “an idiot” and a “champagne socialist”. “The BBC are quite within their rights,” mentioned the person, who wished to stay nameless. “They should sack him.”
On Lineker Road, by the positioning of the previous Filbert Street stadium – now a wasteland suffering from piles of rubble and discarded furnishings – Imran Moledina paused on his option to the sport to take a picture of the road signal for Instagram.
The undertaking supervisor, who has been a season ticket holder for 22 years, was most involved about his group getting the three factors they wanted. “We’re going down,” he mentioned mournfully. But the motion taken towards Lineker was additionally a fear.
While Moledina didn’t like Lineker’s feedback about Qatar throughout final yr’s World Cup, when the presenter criticised James Cleverly, the overseas secretary, for suggesting that LGBTQ+ followers ought to be “respectful”, that didn’t imply the broadcaster ought to be silenced.
“He’s got a right,” he mentioned, earlier than becoming a member of Lineker within the stadium to look at City lose 3-1. “Everyone should get a right to say what they want.”
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