The BBC have apologised for a comment made by Match of the Day 2 presenter Colin Murray.

Some people were taken aback when the Northern Irish presenter commented on Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina's "lame headbutt" on Newcastle defender James Perch on Sunday which led to the Spaniard being dismissed.

Murray asked pundit Mark Lawrenson: "When you get sent off for that type of lame headbutt, do you regret not sticking the head in anyway?" and some viewers interpreted the comments as Murray condoning more aggressive behaviour.

In a tweet republished by the Daily Mail, Carl Waring said: "Cannot believe what Colin Murray has just said on MOTD 2 about headbutting. Just what do the BBC see in him as a presenter?"

Another viewer, Hayley Usher added: "Colin Murray is a disgrace for saying that. Basically inciting violence on the pitch."

The BBC then apologised for the comment by saying: "We're sorry for any offence caused."

Murray is a big supporter of Liverpool and had five stars tattooed on his arm when the club won the European Cup for the fifth time in 2005.

He has been hosting MOTD2 since 2010 when former presenter Adrian Chiles left the BBC for ITV.

The Reina-Perch incident caused a major debate amongst football fans with many criticising Perch for his dramatic fall to the ground after being confronted by Reina.

However, former referee Dermot Gallagher told Yahoo! Eurosport that the decision to send off Reina was the correct one

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I'm not his biggest fan but what a load of OTT bollox.Perch is a shithouse and a cheat,that should be the only topic of debate......

Agree with you about Perch. He's another on my Charlie Adam list. Dirty, snide, cheat.

Ridiculous apology.

Political correctness gone mad. Murray was absolutely right; if you're going to get sent off, you may as well get sent off for a good 'un.


Carl; How's about getting off Twitter and go out and get a life?
Hayley; go out and get laid. It'll do you the world of good.

Awaits apology from BBC about all the lies they write about us!

PC gone mad, it's aired at 10pm on a Sunday night. I'd rather see him incite violence than watch biased Alan Hansen slag off city all night and defend Liverpool's shocking season.

It was hilarious when Murray gave his personal email address out on air for people to send him football videos when he firs started. "colin.murray55@hotmail.com".

Some people need some bastard lives complaining about that.

Then again, this forum is no better looking at threads upset that a young footballer had consensual sex with a woman without payment.

I'm going to complain about the complaint.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if that was any of our players and not Perch.

I think the hypocrites would be out in force.

Personally I think what perch did was great and reina was a complete idiot who deserved to get sent off, leave murray on fighting talk where he belongs.

He deserved to be sent off for not making any contact? And Perch was great fro play acting? Bollocks.

Pfft.

And I like Newcastle and loathe Liverpool/Reina