THE CATFLAP CHINWAG WITH…

Gary Lineker

 

If you could tally up Hansen and Lawrenson's predictions over the years, do you think they'd have more right than wrong?

I think generally tipping stuff in football, there are so many times when most things are pretty much obvious who's going to win I suppose! But they'd probably come out on top I would guess. But they've both had famous howlers over the years. It's the nature of the business, you have to say what you think and on occasion you're going to get it wrong.

 

Do you think Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp's will ever speak to the BBC again?

It's up to them isn't it really, I don't think it affects our programme that much, people watch Match of the Day to watch the football not to see what the managers say. I think the only thing is it's the fans who would like to hear a line from their manager, so I think it affects the fans more than it affects the BBC to be honest. It's not something which detracts from the programme I just think some supporters would like to hear - on what is still the most watch weekly football show around - their managers opinion of the game.

 

Do you think the BBC lost the rights to the FA Cup because the FA felt you were being over-critical?

I think that was all a nonsense, just a bit of spin that came from somewhere. We're in football we're dealing with a very educated audience in this country and people understand football, and if it's poor it's poor and you have to call it as you see, and I don’t think we'll ever change that policy.

 

Are you honoured to have invented the now world-recognised sign for 'have a word/keep an eye on him'?

Yeah, yeah. I get asked about it as much as which flavoured crisps I like. Still do now, seventeen years on!

 

We'll not ask about the crisps then. Who was your favourite England manager?

It would have to be Bobby Robson wouldn't it, he was my manager for most of the career that I spent as an England player, he was a terrific enthusiast and he was great to play for.