Former MOTD star Mark Lawrenson claims BBC threatened axe over handbag quip (2024)

His days offering his views on Match of the Day are long gone, but ex-Liverpool hero Mark Lawrenson is still finding plenty of time to moan about the BBC

Mark Lawrenson claimed a joke about a handbag almost saw him get axed from the World Cup final by the BBC.

The Liverpool legend, 67, used to be a regular on the broadcaster's football coverage. His time either as a pundit on Match of the Day or as a co-commentator for live matches came to an end after the 2021-22 season when his usual one year contract was not renewed.

However, he has since twisted the knife into the BBC on many occasions, accusing the broadcaster of being 'Top of the Woke league,' while also offering the bizarre theory that he was not kept on because he was "65 [years old] and white".

While Lawrenson's comments either on the microphone or the sofa have previously attracted OFCOM complaints from viewers, he claims he was warned by producers for a comment he made during Argentina's victory over Switzerland in the 2014 World Cup. The warning was so stern, according to Lawrenson, that he believes they were threatening to take him off the airwaves for the World Cup final.

While speaking on the Disruptors' podcast, he said: “Switzerland had broken away and this guy is up against the goalkeeper and it's 0-0 and late in the game, ‘You're thinking, crikey, if he scores here Argentina go out’. He didn't really decide and make a decision about anything, the goalkeeper basically came out and stopped him from scoring.

“I think I came up with like ‘Wow, look at that, he was kind of too busy thinking about his handbag to score’. After the game, the boss said to me 'You can't really say that, you might not be commentating on the World Cup final’.

"They had a little meeting and came back and said 'You are going to do it’. I said ‘Alright, thank you very much’. In the World Cup final it was 0-0 for a long, long time and Argentina got a free kick and I am saying 'Put your bags down girls and somebody make a decision'.

"You know what, nothing was said. It was just one of those stupid things you say, when you are in the game you think 'Let's make something happen'. I am pretty sure [commentator] Guy Mowbray was laughing, they were all laughing."

Ironically, Lawrenson's commentary for that particular match attracted 172 complaints from viewers. Yet, those letters and messages were not to do with that specific incident.

Many viewers were unhappy when he said Switzerland striker Josip Drmic 'should have put a skirt on' after a tame effort against Argentina. Many viewers slammed the comments as being offensive and sexist.

The BBC offered a statement in response which said: "We acknowledge that the remark by commentator Mark Lawrenson about Switzerland's Josip Drmic was inappropriate and we apologise for any offence caused by it."

Lawrenson has since needed no opportunity to have a go at his former employers. His most recent tirade came on the Ben Heath podcast, when he said: "Gone woke? It [the BBC] is top of the woke league. They are frightened to death, absolutely and totally frightened to death.

"You have seen the stuff with Gary Lineker and obviously people at the head of the BBC, I think day by day, I think the integrity of the corporation gets chipped off. It used to be absolutely fantastic but they are woke, plus 100 per cent."

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