Ex-Match of the Day pundit claims BBC threatened to drop him over handbag comment
Mark Lawrenson was let go by the BBC after the 2021-22 season, with the corporation choosing not to renew his contract after more than 20 years working for them.
Former BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson left the BBC in 2022 (Image: Getty Images)
Mark Lawrenson has claimed that a quip about a handbag nearly cost him his spot on the BBC's coverage of the 2014 World Cup final. The 67-year-old Liverpool icon, who was once a staple of the BBC's football programming, found himself off the team after his annual contract wasn't renewed post the 2021-22 season.
Lawrenson, whose on-air remarks have drawn OFCOM complaints in the past, recounted a particular incident during the 2014 World Cup when Argentina faced Switzerland. He alleges that after making a comment during the match, BBC producers gave him such a severe warning that he felt they were threatening to remove him from broadcasting the World Cup final.
On the Disruptors' podcast, he recalled: "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," reports the Mirror.
"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'.
Mark Lawreson has opened up on his exit from the BBC (Image: PA)
"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, there were as many as 172 complaints from viewers specifically over Lawrenson's commentary in Argentina's victory over Switzerland. However, these did not revolve around the mentioned incident.
Several viewers complained about a remark deemed sexist and offensive that Lawrenson made during the match. He said that Switzerland striker Josip Drmic "should have put a skirt on" following a tame effort against Argentina.
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After the complaints, the BBC issued a statement 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 seized the chance to criticise his former employers at various opportunities. His latest rant was on the Ben Heath podcast, where he declared: "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."
