New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
  2. Sport
19 June 2018

Gary Lineker sticks the golden boot into Piers Morgan over World Cup spat

“Do feel free to carry on spouting off about politics, Tubs.”

By Media Mole

In the great patriotic tradition of our age, England has done some football and men are arguing about it online.

This time, it’s reactionary pork chop Piers Morgan giving his unsolicited opinions about the England versus Tunisia match.

“MY ENGLAND VERDICT,” he began, as the internet shuddered. Then he launched into a tweet of inane post-match analysis:


This came just before the nation’s friendliest shirt-wearer Gary Lineker reasonably responded to criticism of the England team:

“Never ceases to amaze me how easy some folk think World Cup football is. Have you watched all the so called big teams? It ain’t that easy, especially against tough defensive opposition. I suppose those that are so critical haven’t been there, though. Night all.”


But Morgan was having none of it, and proceeded to launch into a long, public and tedious bout of footballsplaining to Lineker, England’s record goal-scorer in FIFA cup finals.

“Do you feel the same way about people who’ve never been a politician constantly spouting off about politics & telling politicians how inept they are…” he asked Lineker, who has been vocal about politics, in a remarkable pot-kettle response.

This own goal wasn’t lost on Lineker, who turned it around on Morgan: “Do feel free to carry on spouting off about politics and telling politicians how inept they are, Tubs.”

What followed was an increasingly combative debate about England’s performance in the match, with Morgan taking a swipe at Lineker’s tax arrangements – “always been too busy filling out my tax returns” – when it was, fairly reasonably, pointed out that he has never played professional football.

Lineker eventually concluded by sticking the (golden) boot in: “May I remind you that I have one more Golden Boot than you.”

A beefier version of some parallel footballsplaining also happening on Twitter, between historian Simon Schama and former England striker Alan Shearer.

Schama accused Shearer of underestimating “the inevitable stomach-knotting teeth-gritting nervy wrench of the first game”. To which Shearer responded: “You do know that I have played in these games right?”


Finally, men learn what it feels like to be mansplained to.

Content from our partners
Homes for all: how can Labour shape the future of UK housing?
The UK’s skills shortfall is undermining growth
<strong>What kind of tax reforms would stimulate growth?</strong>