A long-standing rift between two prominent sports broadcasters has emerged, with veteran presenter Steve Rider revealing he has not spoken to Gary Lineker for years following a professional dispute.
The 75-year-old Rider, who is nearing retirement after 45 years in television, was replaced by Lineker as the BBC's golf presenter after departing the corporation in 2005.
The feud stems from Rider's dissatisfaction with the BBC's choice of Lineker as their new face of golf coverage.
Rider, who had presented golf for the BBC throughout the 1990s, including prestigious tournaments like the Ryder Cup and the Masters, remained silent about his successor until 2015.
The silence was broken when Lineker made controversial remarks about the R&A, prompting Rider to publicly criticise his replacement's suitability for the role.
Rider's broadcasting career spans nearly five decades, during which he has covered some of sport's most prestigious events. Beginning at ITV before moving to the BBC for approximately twenty years, he presented coverage of the Olympic Games, Rugby World Cup, Formula One and the Champions League.
Steve Rider is not a fan of Gary Lineker
Getty
His tenure as the BBC's golf presenter during the 1990s saw him at the helm of coverage for several major tournaments.
After returning to ITV in 2005, where he most recently hosted the British Touring Car Championship on ITV4, Rider watched as the BBC appointed Lineker to fill his former golf presenting position.
The two broadcasters have maintained their silence towards each other since their public disagreement a decade ago.
JUST IN: Three football fans dead and at least 70 injured in Algeria in stadium disaster
The catalyst for Rider's public rebuke came in 2015 when Lineker described the R&A as "pompous" and accused them of feeling like "superior beings".
This prompted Rider to break his silence and deliver a scathing assessment of Lineker's golf presenting capabilities.
"I hold Gary Lineker in the highest regard as a football presenter, but his reflections on his experiences as a golf presenter need a huge reality check," Rider told the Golf Paper.
READ MORE: Andy Murray hits out at 's***e' Wimbledon tradition as he reveals 'accident' in taxi
Gary Lineker stepped down from his role at the BBC earlier this year
GETTYHe continued: "For four years, the R&A and most other observers knew that Gary was the wrong man in the wrong job.
"Hazel Irvine has just delivered once again at the Open presentation skills of the highest quality. Not many people can do that and Gary certainly came up short."
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Rider's critique extended beyond general observations, offering specific insights into why he believed Lineker was ill-suited for golf broadcasting.
He revealed that Roger Mosey, then head of sport, had been aware of Lineker's enthusiasm for golf and that Lineker had "apparently volunteered for the Masters vacancy within a few minutes of my exit from Television Centre."
Steve Rider was highly critical of Gary Lineker's time covering golf
Getty
"But if Mosey thought long and hard before offering Gary the golf job, it's even more baffling," Rider stated.
"Match of the Day is scripted and rehearsed. Golf presentation, especially at Augusta, is seat of the pants, unpredictable and demanding."
Beyond the golf presenting dispute, Rider is thought to have taken issue with Lineker's tendency to "blunder" into politics rather than focusing solely on sports broadcasting.
Lineker departed the BBC last month after more than twenty years with the corporation.
Most Read
