Football commentator Alan Green SLAMS the ‘disrespectful’ BBC for forcing him into ‘semi-retirement’ after 45 years in the job as he laments their policy of hiring ‘new people who fit the requirement of banter with presenters’
- Legendary football commentator Alan Green is being phased out by the BBC
- He admits he has been shown ‘very little respect’ as his career comes to an end
- He laments policy of hiring those who ‘fit requirement of banter with presenters’
- Green joins the likes of Mark Pougatch and Cornelius Lysaght in being moved on
Legendary football commentator Alan Green has hit out at his employers at the BBC for forcing him into ‘semi-retirement’ this season.
Green has one of the most distinctive voices in the history of BBC radio, but will not be behind the microphone as the Champions League reaches its latter stages this week.
The broadcasting giants have instead opted to go elsewhere, a decision the 67-year-old Green admits he is not on board with.
Alan Green (left, pictured with Graham Taylor) is being put into ‘semi-retirement’ by the BBC
Green (left, at Euro 2012 with Jan Molby) says he’s been shown very little respect by employers
‘It feels really awful not to be involved,’ he told The Times this week. ‘Champions League games are the highlight for me every season.
‘Somebody said to me, “Are you in semi-retirement?” I said, “I suppose I am but it’s not my choice.”
‘They have shown me very little respect in how that is ending. I feel a mixture of disappointment and anger. I don’t think it’s justified. I was basically told, “You don’t fit our profile.”
‘I got a fair idea of what they meant by just listening to the output over the last year or so. There isn’t an ageist, sexist, racist bone in my body. I only care about “Can somebody do the job?” There are new people in favour. They match the requirements in terms of “bants” — banter with presenters.’
Green is not the first presenter to fall foul of the BBC’s new policy of bringing in younger talent, with Mark Pougatch and Cornelius Lysaght also moved on from their roles at the corporation.
At Sky, David Gower and Sir Ian Botham have both been let go too.
Mark Pougatch has also been moved on from his role with BBC 5Live in recent months