BBC biased in favour of England at World Cup ....

Fretwired

BBC's World Cup TV coverage slammed as 'shamefully biased' towards England

In particular, the use of words like 'us' and 'we' when referring to England has irked viewers

Viewers have complained about the BBC's coverage of the FIFA World Cup, claiming there has been a bias towards England.

In particular, the use of words like 'we' and 'us' when referring to Gareth Southgate's side have irked viewers.

The BBC - or the British Broadcasting Company, to use its full name - services Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England, and viewers are growing tired of what is being perceived as parochial coverage.

Pundit, and former international, Danny Murphy bore the brunt of the criticism for his commentary of England's 6-1 win over Panama on the weekend.

Twitter users have branded it 'shamefully biased', 'ludicrous and awful' and 'insulting'.

The BBC has also been criticised for the general cheerleading nature of its presenters and interviewers, with the likes of Gary Lineker and Gabby Logan coming under fire.

Interestingly, pundit Alex Scott, who represented England 140 times before retiring in 2017, did actually apologise on air at one point for using the word 'we'.

The BBC will look into it although I'm pretty sure Alan Shearing would just tell the whingers to fook off!!

You'd think that people would work out that footballers aren't that bright and that the panel all have one thing in common - they played football for England.

Had to be reported in Wales Online that well known anti-English news forum .. :-)

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bbcs-world-cup-tv-coverage-14824258

:-)

Guitar_Slinger

Quiet news day.

Fretwired

Guitar_Slinger said:

Quiet news day.

As in head over to Twitter, select some Tweets moaning about something and create a story. BBC taking it seriously (apparently). They'll start an investigation and then England will be knocked out .. :-)

joeyowen

Pathetic.

I'm Welsh, but have absolutely no objection to their bias, I'm glad the media are backing them for a change.

Try listening to the Scottish commentators/pundits in their matches, and same for Wales etc...

skunkwerx

This is why I neither watch programming nor follow the news. 

I go out in the world and make my own mind up. 

Much less anger that way. 

Now, I genuinely couldnt give a shit what a bunch of suits do on the idiot box. 

Ignorance is bliss. 

fandango

Better than the Beeb being biased in favour of, say, Germany, or Argentina or Japan. 

Edit: But i get the OP's point. The BBC should be unbiased. They could have had Ally McCoist, Aaron Ramsey, and Roy Keane to repseent the other countries of the UK, so as to provide some regional input UK. Or possibly a former Italian player (e.g. Gianfranco Zola), since Italians can provide dispassionate commentary as they're not involved. Or even say Tim Howard from the USA, who played many years in England. Arsene Wenger is free, why not grab him for a couple of games?

proggy

Being as England are the only British team in the competition, what are they supposed to do?

Cheer the Russians on!

Guitar_Slinger

No other national commentators are biased.  Especially not Bjørge Lillelien.

I'm not going to look for it in YouTube, because just thinking about it makes me smile.

not_the_dj

proggy said:

Being as England are the only British team in the competition, what are they supposed to do?

Sit there emotionless and just report the dry facts.

That'd make for great telly.

Emp_Fab

I object to the bias being presented by a panel of almost exclusively men.  I demand that the bias be presented by a selection of nationalities, genders, sexual preferences and disabilities.  I won't rest until Gary Lineker is replaced by a one-legged transgender lesbian from Namibia.

I saw Lineker once.  He was a passenger in a black Range Rover near the BBC Studios in Cardiff.

He was laughing.

EricTheWeary

It is something that struck me but then there are no other home countries at the competition and plenty of countries seem to have incredibly biased coverage. The BBC also has plenty of non English pundits ( and some women, Emp) to talk about the games if not commentate on them. 

munckee

Emp_Fab said:

I object to the bias being presented by a panel of almost exclusively men.  I demand that the bias be presented by a selection of nationalities, genders, sexual preferences and disabilities.  I won't rest until Gary Lineker is replaced by a one-legged transgender lesbian from Namibia.

I saw Lineker once.  He was a passenger in a black Range Rover near the BBC Studios in Cardiff.

He was laughing.

I bet the bastard was laughing at people of non specific gender 

FelineGuitars

Can't imagine that other countries TV stations won't be cheering on their national teams

Gassage

Sorry, bluntly, tell them to get the fuck outta our LZ.

Funkfingers

Some members of the Test Match Special commentary team are just as biased. Luckily, they work in pairs and have the occasional guest pundit from the opposing country taking a stint at the microphone. The banter tends to even itself out.

joeyowen said:

Try listening to the Scottish commentators/pundits in their matches, and same for Wales.

Indeed. Some of the old HTV Wales commentators would interpret a nil-nil result as if it were a heroic victory for the Cardiff, Newport, Swansea or Wrexham clubs.

Fretwired

FelineGuitars said:

Can't imagine that other countries TV stations won't be cheering on their national teams

Go to Glasgow and say that .. ;-)

The UK is unique in having four football teams that represent the countries that make up the UK although sadly only one tends to qualify for major tournaments.

And the BBC has a Welsh commentator for England rugby games and in fairness to ex-England rugby player Brian Moore he always refers to England rather than 'we' or 'us' even if he spouts drivel sometimes.  So it can be done.

Gassage

To the Scots and Welsh who protested; this one's for you

FelineGuitars

Fretwired said:

FelineGuitars said:

Can't imagine that other countries TV stations won't be cheering on their national teams

Go to Glasgow and say that .. ;-)

The UK is unique in having four football teams that represent the countries that make up the UK although sadly only one tends to qualify for major tournaments.

And the BBC has a Welsh commentator for England rugby games and in fairness to ex-England rugby player Brian Moore he always refers to England rather than 'we' or 'us' even if he spouts drivel sometimes.  So it can be done.

OK - I meant outside of UK to be fair - Italy , Germany , France , Brazil etc

musteatbrain

There really are some dickheads about. When Wales or any of the other home nations are involved, they wheel out John Hartson or similar who will proudly talk about Wales or their country as “we” and so they should 

Hattigol

joeyowen said:

Pathetic.

I'm Welsh, but have absolutely no objection to their bias, I'm glad the media are backing them for a change.

Be assured that the media are only backing them and building them up so they can then absolutely muller them and generate colossal national venom against them when they don't then win it.

It's hilarious how carried away so many people seem to be already. We've beaten Tunisia and Panama. PANAMA! That world superpower of football!

I seriously reckon that me and 10 well-selected mates could beat them.

scrumhalf

I'm glad that this has been brought to our attention because things have been so dull since we became a perfect society.

I agree that the commentators haven't been up to much, but that's because we no longer have commentators of the class of David Coleman, Barry Davies, Brian Moore, Hugh jons and Gerry Sinstadt. I couldn't honestly tell one from the other apart from Jonathan Pearce.