A ‘weakness’ on Match of the Day has been identified ahead of Gary Lineker’s BBC departure (Image: PA)
BBC legend Des Lynam says will be weakened when Gary Lineker leaves. Lineker, who took over from Lynam as presenter of the show back in 1999, announced in November last year that he’d be stepping down at the end of the 2024/25 season after over a quarter of a century in the role.
In January, the confirmed that , and would be sharing presenting duties from next season in a move that Lynam isn’t entirely convinced by. Speaking to Metro, the 82-year-old said that while Chapman, Logan and Cates were all accomplished broadcasters, having three hosts rather one might be detrimental to the overall product.
He also reckoned that the decision to split the role between three people suggests that none of them particularly stood out during the hiring process. “I’ll reserve my judgement for when they start working, [but] the fact there are three of them is a bit of a weakness,” Lynam said.
“If there was one outstanding candidate, you’d put them in [by themselves],” he added. “But they’re all talented, competent broadcasters.”
When asked for his thoughts about the importance of diversity, Lynam replied: “I think it doesn’t matter what sex anybody is. It’s what they can do. Can they do the job?”
Lynam began hosting Match of the Day in 1988 after taking over from the late Jimmy Hill. He spent 11 years in the role, and was eventually replaced by Lineker, now 64, after joining in 1999. “I was probably a bit of a fool in leaving it to Gary,” Lynam admitted. “I went because ITV offered me a ton of money.”
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will replace Gary Lineker as MOTD host (Image: BBC)
According to Lynam, Lineker was “poor” at the job when he first started, but was “magnificent” once he found his feet. “Gary will very much be missed… he was poor to begin with and he took time to adjust,” the veteran broadcaster said.
“But once he got the hang of it he was off and away. The last 10 years he’s been magnificent. He’s got two things that you need: football knowledge and he’s good to look at.”
Chapman and Logan, both 51, have been prominent figures at the for over a decade, and have each presented Match of the Day in the past, albeit in a temporary capacity. On the other hand, 49-year-old Cates is joining the company following several years at .
Des Lynam presented Match of the Day for over a decade (Image: Getty)
“It’s always a real moment [sitting in the chair on MOTD] because it has such history,” Logan said following last month. “It’s still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TVs changed so much.
“There’s an enormous responsibility to make sure we continue to evolve while at the same time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day. People want to see the goals, they want to see the incidents, they want to see the moments everyone’s talking about, so while we can tinker at the edges, the core is the football.”
Echoing her soon-to-be colleague’s sentiments, Cates said: “Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that’s going to be a really incredible moment.”
Chapman, meanwhile, added: “I know the history of a lot of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done.”