Hansen, Lawrensen and Shearer bring shame on the BBC

[maineroadman]

My original complaint

The football expertise and punditry for the England Italy game on Sunday sunk to a new low Not only have you the same tired format that's used time and time again from these so called "experts" but yet again they show us no insight into the game Two people in particular I want to pick up on, the first being Alan Shearer No doubt, Mr Shearer was an extremely talented footballer, as his goal scoring record proves, however he is no orator, in fact he struggles to grasp the English language and to cap it all his lack of knowledge is beyond belief. He made this statement "Ballotelli hasn't won anything yet" Mr Balotelli has three league winners medals from Italy and one from England, three cup winners medals and a Champions league winners medal. Is Mr Shearer really that out of touch? Now I move to Mr Lawrenson. Is he a football expert or a second rate comedian? I propose he's the latter. As the co commentator he offered nothing on Sunday except the most stupid quips which I'm not going to quote, but you must have had numerous comments about Football must cost the BBC millions and these supposed "experts" are all on multi million pound contracts with the BBC For goodness sake, sort it out

Today's reply

Thanks for contacting us regarding our ‘Euro 2012’ coverage.

We understand you felt the commentators and presenters were biased against Mario Balotelli throughout our coverage. We appreciate in your view, they made a series of snide and offensive remarks which were unnecessary.

Mario Balotelli has been a controversial figure throughout his career in both Italy and England. In common with various media and press in both countries, our pundits have acknowledged both his youth and undoubted footballing talent, but have had to comment from time to time on various disciplinary issues both on and off the pitch, and his repeated raw displays of dissent and frustration. Jose Mourinho described him as "unmanageable" and both his current club and international managers - Mancini and Prandelli - have expressed concerns that his talent could go to waste unless he changes his ways. Our team's comments, while sometimes reflecting those concerns, have across the programme been balanced and fair.

Please be assured, we do appreciate your strength of feeling on this. Therefore your complaint has been registered on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Sport team, channel controllers and other senior managers.

Now I didn't complain about the treatment of Balotelli and yet, as you can see, the BBC's whole reply was about Mario being a controversial figure in football

I've replied back saying I want to know why they sent that reply and also, I expect them to address the issues in my original complaint

Looks familiar!!!

I have just received the same exact reply!!

I was going to respond but wonder whether it is worth it if all it does is generate a new raft of standard replies.

We can only hope that the sheer volume of complaints regarding the treatment of Mario registers with those in charge.

I will not be holding my breath.

 

[Rodney Marsh's Hair]

The 'reply' to my complaint!!!


Thanks for contacting us regarding our ‘Euro 2012’ coverage.

We understand you felt the commentators and presenters were biased against Mario Balotelli throughout our coverage. We appreciate in your view, they made a series of snide and offensive remarks which were unnecessary.

Mario Balotelli has been a controversial figure throughout his career in both Italy and England. In common with various media and press in both countries, our pundits have acknowledged both his youth and undoubted footballing talent, but have had to comment from time to time on various disciplinary issues both on and off the pitch, and his repeated raw displays of dissent and frustration. Jose Mourinho described him as "unmanageable" and both his current club and international managers - Mancini and Prandelli - have expressed concerns that his talent could go to waste unless he changes his ways. Our team's comments, while sometimes reflecting those concerns, have across the programme been balanced and fair.

Please be assured, we do appreciate your strength of feeling on this. Therefore your complaint has been registered on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Sport team, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints

 

[decmancity]

Unbiased and neutral as always....

 

[Theo555]

Standard reply to me too

What can we do with this?

 

[BluePurgatory]

A mass picket outside the BBC to stop Hansen and co getting in. Ok its tonge in cheek!

 

[Carl_Man_City]

Shock horror, I received this response today.




Thanks for contacting us regarding our ‘Euro 2012’ coverage.

We understand you felt the commentators and presenters were biased against Mario Balotelli throughout our coverage. We appreciate in your view, they made a series of snide and offensive remarks which were unnecessary.

Mario Balotelli has been a controversial figure throughout his career in both Italy and England. In common with various media and press in both countries, our pundits have acknowledged both his youth and undoubted footballing talent, but have had to comment from time to time on various disciplinary issues both on and off the pitch, and his repeated raw displays of dissent and frustration. Jose Mourinho described him as "unmanageable" and both his current club and international managers - Mancini and Prandelli - have expressed concerns that his talent could go to waste unless he changes his ways. Our team's comments, while sometimes reflecting those concerns, have across the programme been balanced and fair.

Please be assured, we do appreciate your strength of feeling on this. Therefore your complaint has been registered on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Sport team, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints

 

[Gordyola]

Like I said earlier, raise another complaint to follow up the reply and say it is just a generic response and doesn't address the issues you raised and demand as a license payer that your complaint gets due consideration. Play on the PC responsibilities that it is unfair and bullying, that the BBC has the national broadcast must be fair to everyone regardless of nationality etc That Balo is controversial doesn't give the BBC carte blanche to say and call him what they want Keep the pressure up

 

[roypaulknewmyfather]

This is the reply I received-

We understand that you felt the commentary at the finals was of poor quality.
Our Euro 2012 team included a line-up of ex-professionals and football experts. The aim of our commentary and studio team was to give our audience useful information and context to the matches we covered.
This year, our line up included talent such as Alan Shearer, Lee Dixon, Clarence Seedorf, Marl Lawrenson Jurgen Klinsmann, Niall Quinn and Martin Keown.
Over the course of our coverage, we did try and convey information we felt would be of value. However we acknowledge that not everyone enjoyed the commentary or puditry we offered, or agreed with our choice of commentary team.
Nevertheless, we felt that the diversity of the team itself has added valuable perspective as well as balance across what has been a competition whichhas provoked a passionate response overall.

Thats the main bit, the rest was the usual stuff about audience logs.

I notice two main points-
1 they acknowledge not everyone thought they were good and
2 Hansen isn't mentioned in the line up of "talent"

Still not satisfactory but perhaps getting somewhere?

 

[stonerblue]

If they replaced Hansen, Lawrenson and Shearer with the calibre of Vialli and Klinsmann (I thought they were very good) it would go a long way to make the programme a lot more interesting.

+1

Time for some new blood on MOTD certainly. Hansen is increasingly coming across as a bitter and twisted old fool who knows fuck all. Lawrenson's only redemption (actually it isn't) is that he is infinitely better in the studio than as a commentator. But that's like saying dog shit is better than cat shit.

The pair of them are well overdue for the axe. Shearer is just as bad, although not actually evil like Hansen.

I'd transfer the prsenter and pundit from the football league show over to MOTD.
McClaren is a very fair and knowledgeable pundit and the host is very good too.
Chuck Sir Niall of Quinne in the mix and it would be a vast improvement on the current line-up.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I'd transfer the prsenter and pundit from the football league show over to MOTD.
McClaren is a very fair and knowledgeable pundit and the host is very good too.

This is a wind-up surely?