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    ‘Decided to show four men talking’ – Fans fume at BBC World Cup coverage as they avoid showing closing ceremony

    FANS watching on BBC One were left fuming after they did not show the closing ceremony of the World Cup.Before the final between France and Argentina, fans tuned in expecting to watch the performances from singers and dancers marking the end of the tournament.
    BBC pundits talked through the opening ceremonyCredit: BBC
    Fans on the BBC could not see the action from the Lusail StadiumCredit: Reuters
    Fireworks were let off on the pitchCredit: Getty
    The ceremony was full of colourCredit: AFP
    There were performances from a number of famous pop starsCredit: Alamy
    However, those watching on the BBC were instead left with analysis from pundits Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand and Pablo Zabaleta.
    Supporters could view the ceremony on ITV or on a separate feed on the BBC iPlayer.
    Many were left underwhelmed by the BBC’s decision not to broadcast it on their main channel, one said online: “BBC are a joke as usual. How are they not showing the closing ceremony?”
    Another reacted: “ITV decided to show the whole ceremony with brilliant performers, colours, actors, singers, dancers and more. BBC decided to show four men talking.”
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    A third commented: “Respect to ITV for actually showing the closing ceremony. Crazy how BBC won’t even show it on their main channel.”
    One even went as far as breaking their traditional channel choice, they angrily Tweeted: “Well done to ITV for showing the closing ceremony. Shame on you BBC.
    “I always watch the World Cup final on BBC because of no adverts, not this year.”
    Another suggested similar: “I might stick with ITV for watching World Cup final. I cannot believe the BBC didn’t show the closing ceremony.”
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    This is not the first time the BBC have snubbed a ceremony in Qatar.
    They refused to broadcast the opening ceremony too.
    The closing show was a lively display of Qatari culture.
    Pop star Davido performed and actress Nora Fatehi took to the stage to headline the celebrations. More

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    ITV stars Laura Woods and Eni Aluko enjoy night out with BBC rivals Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer before World Cup final

    GARY LINEKER and Alan Shearer enjoyed a night out in Doha with ITV rivals Laura Woods and Eni Aluko.The presenters were enjoying an end-of-World Cup party ahead of the final between France and Argentina on Sunday.
    Laura Woods branded Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer “legends”Credit: Instagram / @LauraWoodsy
    Woods and Eni Aluko enjoyed a night out with the BBC gangCredit: Instagram / @LauraWoodsy
    Lineker and Shearer have appeared on the BBC while Woods presented on ITV with Aluko one of several analysts.
    But they all came together to enjoy each other’s company and a meal at Japanese restaurant Zuma Doha on Al Maha Island.
    Woods posed for a photo in between Lineker and Shearer which she captioned: “A coupla legends 🙌🏻.”
    The 25-year-old also took a selfie alongside Aluko, while she took a video of her meal which appeared to include the BBC’s Danny Murphy in the background.
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    Earlier in the day Shearer had his fellow BBC pundits in hysterics as he sang into a breadstick during their Qatar-based Christmas party.
    Shearer didn’t hold back when it came to the karaoke.
    In a video posted by Lineker, the Newcastle legend could be seen using a breadstick as a microphone – giving it some welly as he sang You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes.
    The 52-year-old attacked each note like he used to throw himself at crosses, not shying away from growling into his impromptu mic.
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    And his enthusiasm was infectious, with Richards also getting in on the performance and making it a duet.
    Even Murphy could be seen bobbing along in the background, with those off camera laughing at the brilliant exchange. More

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    Inside BBC Sport’s Christmas party as Shearer sings into a BREADSTICK while Richards and Murphy clap along

    ALAN SHEARER had his fellow BBC pundits in hysterics as he sang into a breadstick during their Qatar-based Christmas party.While many of the Beeb’s pundits have come home from the Middle East with the tournament having entered its final days, their top team remain out there.
    Alan Shearer sang into a breadstick microphoneCredit: Twitter / @GaryLineker
    Micah Richards also gave it some gustoCredit: Twitter / @GaryLineker
    Looking to have some fun, a group including Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards got together for a Christmas party of their own.
    During the simple affair, Shearer didn’t hold back when it came to the karaoke.
    In a video posted by Lineker, the Newcastle legend could be seen using a breadstick as a microphone – giving it some welly as he sang You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes.
    The 52-year-old attacked each note like he used to throw himself at crosses, not shying away from growling into his impromptu mic.
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    And his enthusiasm was infectious, with Richards also getting in on the performance and making it a duet.
    Even Danny Murphy could be seen bobbing along in the background, with those off camera laughing at the brilliant exchange.
    Lineker, 62, wrote on Twitter: “The @BBCSport Christmas party is going well.”
    Replaying to the BBC host’s tweet, Shearer joked: “Ffs Micah the breadsticks are for singing not f….. eating man!!”
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    Danny Murphy was loving the performanceCredit: Twitter / @GaryLineker
    The performance went down a treat with fans online, with one tweeting: “This is so good, love it!”
    While another wrote: “Alan with the voice and Micah with the moves. The use of that breadstick is sensational.”
    A third Twitter user joked: “All the right notes just not necessarily in the right order.”
    And a further fan even quipped: “I tell you what. That Phil Collins does a really good imitation of @alanshearer.”
    The boys will be back on screen this Saturday, with the BBC set to broadcast the Third Place Play-Off.
    They will then be back the following day for the big one, as they go up against ITV with both showing the World Cup final.
    It won’t be the first time they’ve gone up against their rival broadcaster this tournament.
    They recently met each other on the football pitch, with Roy Keane dramatically ripping his shirt off after scoring ITV’s winner.
    Gary Lineker shared the fantastic videoCredit: Getty More

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    Alex Scott gets dressing down from BBC bosses over orange outfit she wore on World Cup coverage

    ALEX SCOTT got a dressing down from BBC bosses for appearing to promote a designer brand during World Cup coverage.The former England defender is in Qatar for the Beeb but is also a brand ambassador for Reiss.
    Alex Scott received a ticking off by the BBC for promoting ReissCredit: Getty
    The ex-England star edited her Instagram post to remove the tagged brand
    She tagged the label in an Instagram post of her working as a pundit during a match wearing her designer outfit.
    But as reported by the Daily Mail, that did not go down well with her employers with the promotion of commercial companies frowned upon – and even banned for some staff.
    Scott, 38, has now removed the tag on the post from a week ago – editing it three days ago.
    She captioned it: “Work Vibing World Cup stuff with @bbcfootball @bbcsport ⚽️…”
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    A BBC spokesperson said: “We have spoken with Alex, who has removed the tag and will not be repeating this.”
    The Reiss outfit was made up of a £278 orange blazer with matching trousers costing £168.
    The silk shirt was another £228 and topped off with a pair of sequin heels.
    However, it is not the first time Scott’s choice of clothes has caused a stir at the World Cup.
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    Ahead of England’s first game of the tournament against Iran, she wore a rainbow OneLove armband to support the LGBTQ+ community after Harry Kane and other captains were ordered against wearing them.
    And then she wore the “orangest of orange dresses” with a white collar to cover Holland’s last-16 showdown with the USA.
    It led some fans to think she was blatantly supporting the Dutch against the Lionesses’ rivals – but she insisted: “I came in neutral.”
    Scott earns just shy of £200,000 in her role with the BBC.
    Earlier this year, former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker stopped posting images of certain brands.
    Although it is understood he did not have any contract or deal with them, he did stop receiving gifts from third parties. More

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    Fans all say the same thing as England crash out of World Cup at the quarter-final stage in gutting France loss on ITV

    ENGLAND fans have all been left saying the same thing after England crashed out of the World Cup against France.Harry Kane missed a late penalty to equalise a second time for the Three Lions.
    Captain Harry Kane was heartbroken as England crashed out of the World CupCredit: Getty
    Jude Bellingham reacts after England miss out on a semi-final spotCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
    And it meant England crashed out to Olivier Giroud’s powerful second half header.
    But fans were quick to highlight one peculiar superstition regarding the broadcaster of the event – ITV.
    The broadcaster’s record when playing England games in the past is less than stellar, and despite overcoming it against Senegal fans were convinced the curse reared its ugly head again tonight.
    One fan said: “ITV curse once more.”
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    A second user said: “Can ITV do the country a favour and stop broadcasting England’s matches, they’re clearly a curse.”
    A third said: “Never let ITV show an England game again please I beg.”
    Another said: “The ITV curse strikes again. At this point they need to just f*** it off & let BBC cover it all.”
    “Can we agree now that the BBC have full rights of all future tournaments please… The ITV curse continues…,” another pleaded.
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    Another declared: “#ITVCurse ruins Christmas.”
    George Lineker, the son of BBC presenter and former England ace Gary said: “Kane would have score if it was on BBC.”
    The curse itself dates back to 1998, with England playing 30 games on the broadcaster in that time.
    Out of those 30 games, the Three Lions have won just SEVEN times.
    They have lost 10 and drawn 13 on the channel, including the quarter-final. More

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    Watch Roy Keane rip off shirt after scoring winner in ITV vs BBC match days after slamming exuberant Brazil celebrations

    ROY KEANE went topless to celebrate a goal earlier – just days after slamming Brazil’s dancing after scoring against South Korea.The Manchester United legend is currently out in Qatar covering the World Cup as a pundit for ITV.
    Roy Keane produced an epic celebration after scoring the winner for ITV against BBCCredit: ITV Football
    The Man Utd legend then pulled off his shirt before jumping over a wheelie binCredit: ITV Football
    The tournament reached the end of the last-16 stage on Tuesday after Portugal thrashed Switzerland and Morocco had shocked Spain on penalties.
    That has led to a two-day break before the quarters get underway on Friday when Croatia take on five-time winners Brazil at 3pm.
    That meant that after a hectic 16-day run of matches, TV presenters and pundits alike finally had a chance to unwind off camera.
    But football was still very much the main agenda for Britain’s two main broadcasters, BBC and ITV.
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    The pundits of both TV stations came together on the pitch earlier to take part in a game.
    And it was Keane that earned himself the headlines as he scored the “golden goal” to earn ITV victory – and he notched past none other than his Sky Sports pal and ex-Manchester City ace Micah Richards in the net.
    Fortunately for the usually no-nonsense Republic of Ireland great the cameras were there to capture his moment of magic.
    And the 51-year-old celebrated by ripping off his T-shirt, swirling it around his head, and then jumping over a wheelie bin prior to being mobbed by his colleagues.
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    A clip of it was shared by ITV Football’s Twitter account and was captioned with: “A day off for the @ITVSport team today in Doha so of course we played football. So enjoy this glorious moment as Roy Keane scores the golden goal against none other than special guest @MicahRichards. Fancy a rematch @BBCSport?”
    It comes after Keane slammed Brazil for celebrating with a team dance that included manager Tite during their 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday.
    He said: “Fantastic finish by Vinicius, great start to the game. But I’ve never seen so much dancing.
    “I can’t believe what I’m watching, I can’t believe what I’m watching, it’s like watching Strictly [Come Dancing]. I don’t like this.
    “People say it’s their culture. But I think that’s really disrespecting the opposition.
    “It’s four goals, and they are doing it every time.
    “I don’t mind so much the first jig, it’s the one after that, and the manager getting involved.
    “I’m not happy about it. I don’t think it’s good at all.” More

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    ITV smashing BBC in World Cup TV ratings war as staggering 20.4m tune in for England’s last 16 drubbing of Senegal

    ITV smashed the BBC in their World Cup TV ratings war as a staggering 20.4million people tuned in to watch England’s last 16 demolition of Senegal.The peak viewership was spread across ITV TV and their streaming platform.
    20.4m people tuned in to watch England beat Senegal on ITVCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
    And it was 1.7m viewers higher than the peak audience for England vs Wales, which was broadcasted by the BBC.
     An average of 18.4m viewers watched the full match as goals by Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka booked a quarter final date with current World Cup holders France.
    Les Bleus booked their place in the quarters with a 3-1 win over Poland.
    Olivier Giroud became France’s all-time top scorer on 52 goals, meanwhile Kylian Mbappe took his World Cup finals goals tally to nine, drawing level with Lionel Messi.
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    Mbappe has also surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just eight World Cup goals to his name, with none of those coming in the knockouts.
    The Three Lions also broke their ITV curse.
    England had played on ITV 28 times in major tournaments since 1998, including the World Cup that year.
    Out of those 28 games, the Three Lions had won just SIX times.
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    They have lost nine and drawn 13 on the channel, including last week’s dreary 0-0 draw against USA.
    England’s 24 per cent win percentage on ITV had fans nervous of a Senegal upset, which didn’t happen.
    But they’ll be even more nervous as France will also be shown by ITV.
    Live coverage of the last eight tie will begin at 6pm on Saturday. More

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    FA Cup third-round draw in full: Man City take on Chelsea in blockbuster Premier League clash along with HUGE ties

    MANCHESTER CITY will face last season’s finalists Chelsea in a blockbuster FA Cup third round clash.And Manchester United will take on Everton at Old Trafford in another all-Premier League showdown after they were drawn together.
    Graham Potter’s Chelsea will travel to Pep Guardiola’s Man City in the FA Cup third roundCredit: PA
    Liverpool, the current holders of the FA Cup, have landed a home tie against WolvesCredit: Sunday Times
    BBC’s cameras headed to the Anfield home of holders Liverpool to pull out the ties tonight for one of the most beloved dates in English football.
    Clubs from the Premier League and Championship join the competition at this stage as the heavyweights meet the minnows.
    And this year’s FA Cup third round draw has the potential for even more giantkillings.
    Former FA Cup winners Rachel Brown-Finnis and Mark Wright pulled out the ties – and they did not disappoint.
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    None more so than League One Oxford United, who landed a plum home tie with Premier League leaders Arsenal.
    Liverpool were handed a home tie with Wolves to begin their defence of the trophy.
    National League Boreham Wood, the lowest team in the draw, knocked out Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers at the weekend.
    But they will have to get past Accrington Stanley from League One to try and get another shot at landing a big boy.
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    However, National League Dagenham & Redbridge could be hosting Prem opposition in Leicester City if they can overcome Gillingham in their second round replay.
    Here is the FA Cup third round draw in full:
    Preston vs Huddersfield
    Middlesbrough vs Brighton
    Chesterfield vs West Brom
    Man City vs Chelsea
    Charlton/Stockport vs Walsall
    Boreham Wood vs Accrington Stanley
    Tottenham vs Portsmouth
    Derby vs Barnsley
    Cardiff vs Leeds
    Brentford vs West Ham
    Bournemouth vs Burnley
    Coventry vs Wrexham
    Norwich vs Blackburn
    Aston Villa vs Stevenage
    Luton vs Wigan
    Oxford United vs Arsenal
    Fleetwood vs QPR
    Liverpool vs Wolves
    Grimsby vs Burton
    Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest
    Dagenham & Redbridge / Gillingham vs Leicester
    Forest Green vs Birmingham
    Bristol City vs Swansea
    Hartlepool vs Stoke
    Hull City vs Fulham
    Crystal Palace vs Southampton
    Millwall vs Sheffield United
    Shrewsbury vs Sunderland
    Sheffield Wednesday vs Newcastle
    Manchester United vs Everton
    Reading vs Watford
    Ipswich vs Rotherham
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    The FA Cup third round proper will take place across the weekend of 6, 7 and 8 January.
    Winning clubs will collect £105,000 from the competition prize fund. More