MP roasted for hailing 'new' Match Of The Day because it 'had all the goals in'

An MP has been ridiculed after hailing the hastily reformatted Match of the Day last night, claiming it was the ‘best episode in years’.

Scott Benton, the Conservative MP for Blackpool South, took to Twitter last night to make some remarks about the format of the football round-up programme, which took place last night without a presenter or commentators due to the ongoing row over Gary Lineker’s comments about the UK government’s ‘cruel’ Illegal Migration Bill.

Lineker compared the bill to 1930s Germany, and was subsequently stood down from his presenting role by the BBC because of alleged impartiality breaches.

Many other stars from Match of the Day and other shows, including Alan Shearer, Ian Wright, and Alex Scott, also said that they wouldn’t appear on the BBC yesterday in solidarity with Lineker, meaning that a 20-minute show went ahead instead of the regular programme.

Twitter

That seems to have been deemed an improvement for Benton, who has been vocally critical of Lineker and therefore – we have to assume – has a slight bias in these comments.

The representative said that the show ‘had all the goals in’, features ‘no ‘expert’ analysis’ and ‘finished quicker than usual so I could make the pub for last orders’.

He concluded: “What’s not to like?”

Now, quite a lot of people have pointed out that there are some parts of this tweet that make him look a bit silly.

For example, people queued up to say that Match of the Day always shows all the goals.

BBC

Even his fellow politicians piled on, with SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn writing back: “Down with #MatchOfTheDay Only showing goals scored from corners, Hiring football legends to talk about football, Finishing later than 10.40PM so you can’t leg it to the pub for a ginger beer. If only YouTube existed.”

Another person wrote: "It has all the goals in every week. The ‘experts’ like Ian Wright and Gary Lineker are indeed experts being much loved and highly accomplished former players. This tweet is embarrassing.

“There’ll be more MOTD fans disappointed in the BBC in your constituency than voted for you."

There was some harder criticism for Benton on Twitter, with one person commenting: “How did you ever get elected?

“Utter nonsense.

“Keep regurgitating that half baked party line like a robot.”

Parliament.uk

Another wrote: “Is this a parody tweet?”

Benton had previously spoken out against Lineker, stating that he believes the presenter’s position to be ‘untenable’.

Referencing the former Leicester City striker’s affiliation with Walkers Crisps, Benton said: "Lineker certainly chose the wrong flavour for his appalling comments.

"His position working for the BBC was completely untenable.

"He’s entitled to his views, like the rest of us, but he shouldn’t share them when working for a supposedly impartial organisation."

A petition to reinstate Lineker has recently passed 200,000 signatures.

LADbible has contacted Scott Benton for any additional comment