Son Bars Gary Lineker From Jewish Football Writer's Memorial Over Israel Criticism

Gary Lineker has been barred from speaking at the memorial service of his friend, the late Jewish football writer Brian Glanville, due to Lineker's controversial social media posts criticizing Israel. Mark Glanville, Brian's son, explained that although Lineker is not anti-Semitic, his sharing of an anti-Zionism post featuring a rat—a Nazi symbol used to dehumanize Jews—crossed a line and provided ammunition to anti-Semites. Brian Glanville, who died at 93 after a battle with Parkinson's Disease, was deeply affected by the Holocaust and passionate about Israel as a safe homeland for Jews. The family initially considered inviting Lineker to speak, given his friendship with Brian and his respected football career, but changed their decision following Lineker's forced early exit from BBC's Match of the Day. Mark emphasized that Brian would not have wanted Lineker to speak, given the sensitivity of the issues and the potential for misunderstandings stemming from Lineker's criticisms, which often lack context regarding recent events. The family's decision reflects ongoing tensions around discourse on Israel and anti-Semitism in public life.