118-515: Gary Winston Lineker OBE ( / ˈ l ɪ n ə k ər / LIN -ə-kər ; born 30 November 1960) is an English sports broadcaster and former professional footballer . Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City , Everton and Tottenham Hotspur . He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England . His media career began with
236-596: A handicap of four, became the new presenter for the corporation's golf coverage. Despite receiving some criticism from his peers, he continued to front the BBC's coverage of the Masters and The Open . In 2005, Lineker was sued for defamation by Australian footballer Harry Kewell over comments Lineker had made writing in his column in The Sunday Telegraph about Kewell's transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool . However,
354-411: A 4–0 win on 11 February 1986, and then in the penultimate league game of the season on 3 May 1986, when they kept their title hopes alive with a 6–1 home win over Southampton . On his final league appearance, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over West Ham United whose own title hopes had just disappeared. Lineker and his colleagues were denied title glory as Liverpool also won their final league game of
472-474: A FIFA World Cup tournament against Poland , the second English player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup, and scored two goals against Paraguay in the second round. He played most of the tournament wearing a lightweight cast on his forearm. He scored for England in the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina , but the game ended in defeat as Diego Maradona scored twice for the opposition (the first goal being
590-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
708-591: A Remain vote in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum . In July 2018, he announced his support for People's Vote , a campaign group calling for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union. On 18 October 2016, Lineker tweeted a rebuttal to a statement made by MP David Davies where Davies suggested refugees entering the UK should undergo dental checks to verify their age: "The treatment by some towards these young refugees
826-607: A bill that totalled £4.9 million. The authority had pursued him over taxes on income from BBC and BT Sport from 2013–14 to 2017–18 on the grounds he was an employee of both organisations at the time. A judge ruled he was a freelancer and had contracts with both broadcasters. Lineker has been noted for political views which he shares on Twitter . In December 2016, he was described by Angus Harrison of Vice News as "the British Left 's Loudest Voice" for being "both staunchly liberal and resolutely unafraid of making his views known". Using
944-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
1062-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
1180-664: A child and a young player Gary regularly helped out on the stall. Lineker, who is white, received racial abuse as a child for his dark features. Lineker first attended Caldecote Road School (Caldecote Juniors), Braunstone in Leicester (east of the Meridian Centre). He then went to the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now City of Leicester College ) on Downing Drive in Evington , owing to his preference for football rather than rugby, which
1298-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
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#17330844777351416-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1534-606: A company set up in the British Virgin Islands . Lineker speaks Spanish, which he learnt during his time playing for FC Barcelona, and is an advocate for the teaching of foreign languages in schools. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , Lineker announced that he was donating £140,000 to the British Red Cross towards research into the virus. On 28 March 2023 he won an appeal against HM Revenue and Customs over
1652-498: A football analogy, Lineker defined his ideological position as "I make more runs to the left than the right, but never felt comfortable on the wing". After the 2017 United Kingdom general election , in which Theresa May led the Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn led Labour , Lineker wrote "Anyone else feel politically homeless? Everything seems far right or way left . Something sensibly centrist might appeal?" Lineker endorsed
1770-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1888-608: A modern housing estate. Braunstone Town was used as a film location site in 1985 for the filming of the Thames Television adaptation of the early Adrian Mole novels by the Leicester born Author Sue Townsend . The shops on the Turnbull Drive/Edward Avenue crossroads can be seen in the series as can the Braunstone Civic Centre . Braunstone Park contains two large ponds, and a children's play area on
2006-677: A place in the European Cup for 1985–86 due to the ban on English clubs in European competitions following the Heysel disaster . Lineker's Golden Boot-winning performance at the World Cup generated much anticipation of success at the Camp Nou , and he scored 21 goals in 41 games during his first season, including a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over archrivals Real Madrid . He made his Barcelona debut against Racing Santander , scoring twice. Barcelona went on to win
2124-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
2242-500: A result of vacant land created by World War II bomb damage from "stray" bombing. The two estates were within range of German planes in the bombing of the nearby City of Coventry . (The German Airforce would commonly offload excess bombs on unsuspecting/non-target residential areas). The Braunstone Estate won £49.5 million of funding from the Tony Blair Labour Government's New Deal for Communities regeneration scheme in
2360-515: A six-figure sum and that other members of his consortium would invest a similar amount. Lineker met with fans' groups to persuade them to try and raise money to rescue his former club. The club was eventually saved from liquidation . He is now honorary Vice President of Leicester City F.C. Lineker married Danielle Bux on 2 September 2009, in Ravello , Italy . On 13 January 2016, Lineker and Bux announced they were divorcing, after six years of marriage,
2478-568: A top-flight league title. He was honoured in 1990 with the FIFA Fair Play Award . In a senior career which spanned 16 years and 654 competitive games, Lineker scored a total of 331 goals, including 283 goals at club level. After his retirement from football he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame . A keen supporter of Leicester City, he led a consortium in 2002 that invested in his old club, saving it from bankruptcy, and
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#17330844777352596-658: A £200,000 deal in 1994, his first advert was 1995's "Welcome Home" (Lineker had recently returned to England having played in Japan). Walkers temporarily named their salt and vinegar crisps after Lineker, labelling them 'Salt & Lineker', in the late 1990s. In 2000, Lineker's Walkers commercials were ranked ninth in Channel 4 's poll of " The 100 Greatest TV Ads ". Lineker participated in Prince Edward 's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament in 1987. He also appeared in
2714-404: Is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester , England. It comprises the western Leicester suburbs of Braunstone Frith, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields. Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields is bounded by the wards of New Parks and Western Park to the north, Westcotes to the east and Aylestone to the south-east. South of the ward is the district of Blaby and
2832-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
2950-650: Is approximately triangle shaped, with the base being at the south, and a small frontage north onto the A47 (Hinckley Road) . The park is the setting for Braunstone Hall , and is the remnant of the large Braunstone estate. There is a divide between the social housing of Braunstone Estate, and the privately-owned housing in Braunstone Town (Formerly the Parish of Braunstone). This was created to maintain social class sensibilities, an important factor in 1930s British society. This division
3068-607: Is broadcast throughout most of the Middle East. He left the Qatar-based network in 2012. In 2013, Lineker began working for NBCSN as part of their Premier League coverage and contributing to the US version of Match of the Day . On 9 June 2015, Lineker was unveiled as the lead presenter of BT Sport 's Champions League coverage. On 13 August 2016, Lineker presented the first Match of the Day of
3186-461: Is created by Braunstone Lane, which runs through the heart of the old Braunstone Village. Both estates were created from 1935 onwards with the social housing appearing utilitarian and the private housing taking on a range of styles of the classic British 1930-40s semi-detached house. Travelling along the Braunstone Lane from the city centre feed road ( Narborough Road ) to Leicester Forest East ,
3304-609: Is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?" This led The Sun to call for Lineker's sacking from Match of the Day , accusing him of breaching BBC impartiality guidelines. Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
3422-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
3540-546: Is one of very few players never to have been given a yellow card or a red card in any type of game. Following retirement from professional football, Lineker developed a career in the media, initially on the BBC for Radio 5 Live and as a football pundit. He appeared as a team captain on the sports game show They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 2003. He also presented Grandstand in the London studio while then-presenter Desmond Lynam
3658-524: The 1978–79 season and making his senior debut on New Year's Day 1979 in a 2–0 win at Filbert Street over Oldham Athletic in the Second Division . He earned a Second Division title medal a year later with 19 appearances, but played just nine league games in 1980–81 as Leicester went straight back down. Lineker became a regular player in 1981–82 , scoring 19 goals in all competitions that season. Although Leicester missed out on promotion, they reached
Gary Lineker - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-833: The 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup . He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1989, and won his second FWA Footballer of the Year and the FA Cup , his first and only major trophy in English football. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight ; he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side. Lineker made his England debut in 1984, earning 80 caps and scoring 48 goals over an eight-year international career, which made him England's second-highest goalscorer on his retirement. He remains England's fourth-highest scorer, behind Harry Kane , Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton , and his goals-to-games ratio remains one of
3894-559: The 2016–17 season wearing only boxer shorts. Believing it would simply not happen, he had promised in a tweet from December 2015 that if Leicester City won the Premier League , he would "present Match of the Day in just my undies". As of July 2022, Lineker is the highest-paid BBC presenter and has been for several years; receiving payments of £1.75–1.76 million each year between 2016 and 2020, and approximately £1.35 million in 2020–21. His pay has been criticised by Julian Knight , chair of
4012-576: The 2018 World Cup . Triesman resigned as chairman of the bid and the FA on 16 May 2010 after the publication of a secret recording of a conversation between the peer and a former ministerial aide, during which he claimed that Spain and Russia were planning to bribe referees at the World Cup in South Africa. Lineker then began working as an anchor for the English language football coverage for Al Jazeera Sport , which
4130-466: The BBC , where he has presented the flagship football programme Match of the Day since the late 1990s, the longest tenure of any MOTD presenter. Lineker is also the BBC's lead presenter for live football matches, including coverage of international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup . He has also worked for Al Jazeera Sports , Eredivisie Live , NBC Sports Network , and BT Sport 's coverage of
4248-588: The Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. Lineker played in Barcelona's shock home and away defeats to Dundee United . Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff decided to play Lineker on the right of the midfield and he was eventually no longer an automatic choice in the team. With 42 goals in 103 La Liga appearances, Lineker became the highest scoring British player in the competition's history, but
4366-458: The First Division in the 1989–90 season, scoring 24 goals as Spurs finished third. Lineker finally collected an English trophy when he won the 1991 FA Cup Final with Spurs, who beat Nottingham Forest 2–1. This was despite Lineker having a goal controversially disallowed for offside and also having a penalty saved by goalkeeper Mark Crossley . Lineker had contributed to Tottenham's run to
4484-484: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
4602-522: The Thatcher Government from the late 1970s to the present day. Pockets of both sections of both estates now also feature buildings from later development periods, including the multi purpose community centre in Braunstone Town, Braunstone Civic Centre , which lies at the end of the Kingsway. Some of the newer build properties in the heart of areas heavily proportioned by 30's style buildings, emerged as
4720-526: The UEFA Champions League . Lineker began his football career at Leicester City in 1978, and finished as the First Division 's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85 . He then moved to league champions Everton, where he won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in his debut season, before moving to Spanish club Barcelona, where he won the 1987–88 Copa del Rey and
4838-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
Gary Lineker - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-518: The town of Braunstone in Leicestershire, which has a shared history with the Leicester suburbs. Braunstone was mentioned in the Domesday book when it was owned by Hugh de Grandmesnil . It was substantially extended in the early twentieth century, and included the first of Leicester's large estates of council housing . Originally part of the parish of Braunstone, the area containing social housing
5074-515: The " Hand of God " handball, and the second being the " Goal of the Century "). In 1988, Lineker played in Euro 88 , but failed to score as England lost all three Group games. It was later established that he had been suffering from hepatitis . In the 1990 World Cup , he scored four goals to help England reach the semi-finals. He was unwell during the tournament, and accidentally defecated in his shorts during
5192-401: The 1991 play An Evening with Gary Lineker by Arthur Smith and Chris England , which was adapted for television in 1994. He presented a six-part TV series for the BBC in 1998 (directed by Lloyd Stanton) called Golden Boots , with other football celebrities. It was an extensive history of the World Cup focusing on the 'Golden Boots' (top scorers). In 2006, Lineker took on an acting role as
5310-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
5428-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
5546-490: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
5664-483: The Leicester dressing room by mistake. He was again the First Division's leading goal scorer, this time with 30 goals (including three hat-tricks), and helped Everton finish second in the league. While at Everton, they reached the FA Cup final for the third consecutive year but lost 3–1 to Liverpool , despite Lineker giving them an early lead when he outpaced Alan Hansen to score. Liverpool had also pipped Everton to
5782-740: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
5900-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
6018-513: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
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#17330844777356136-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
6254-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
6372-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
6490-501: The best for the country. His six goals in the 1986 World Cup made him the tournament's top scorer, receiving the Golden Boot , and he came second in the 1986 Ballon d'Or . Lineker was again integral to England's progress to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup , scoring another four goals. He still holds England's record for goals in the World Cup. Lineker never received a yellow or red card during his career, and he also never won
6608-468: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
6726-525: The charity's patrons. He has also been involved with the Fight for Life and Cancer Research UK charities. Lineker was made a freeman of the City of Leicester in 1995 and he has been referred to as "Leicester's favourite son". In October 2002, Lineker backed a £5 million bid to rescue his former club Leicester City , which had recently gone into administration , describing his involvement as "charity" rather than an "ego trip". He stated that he would invest
6844-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
6962-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
7080-490: The company produced a 60-minute-long documentary presented by Lineker titled Gary Lineker on the Road to FA Cup Glory for the BBC. He also operates Goalhanger Podcasts , which produces Leading , The Rest is History , The Rest is Politics and his own podcast, The Rest is Football , which he hosts with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards . Lineker married Michelle Cockayne in 1986. In May 2006, Cockayne filed for divorce on
7198-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
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#17330844777357316-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
7434-607: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
7552-414: The end, the Germans win." Lineker's equaliser appears in the popular England national team anthem, " Three Lions ", with the lyric "When Lineker scored". He retired from international football with eighty caps and forty-eight goals, one fewer goal than Sir Bobby Charlton 's England record (which Charlton accrued over 106 caps). In what proved to be his last England match, against Sweden at Euro 92 , he
7670-405: The final. In the semi-final he scored twice in a 3–1 win over North London rivals Arsenal . Lineker was the top division's second-highest goalscorer in 1991–92 with 28 goals from 35 games, behind Ian Wright , who scored 29 times in 42 games. Despite Lineker's personal performance, Tottenham finished this final pre- Premier League season in 15th place. His last goal in English football came on
7788-403: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
7906-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
8024-718: The grounds of her husband's alleged "unreasonable behaviour", with documents submitted to the court claiming that Lineker's actions in their marriage had caused her "stress and anxiety". Lineker and she have four sons. The couple subsequently stated that the situation was amicable. In November 1991, Lineker's eldest son survived a rare form of leukaemia whilst he was a baby, and was treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Lineker now supports children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and has appeared in promotional clips encouraging people to give blood. Lineker has been actively involved with other cancer charities such as Leukaemia Busters, where between 1994 and 2005 Gary and Michelle were
8142-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
8260-669: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Braunstone Park %26 Rowley Fields 52°36′N 1°10′W / 52.600°N 1.167°W / 52.600; -1.167 Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields
8378-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
8496-624: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
8614-406: The jury was unable to reach a verdict. It became known during the case that the article had actually been ghost-written by a journalist at The Sunday Telegraph following a telephone interview with Lineker. In May 2010, Lineker resigned from his role as columnist for The Mail on Sunday in protest over the sting operation against Lord Triesman that reportedly jeopardised England's bid to host
8732-437: The last day of the season in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford . In November 1991, Lineker accepted an offer of a two-year contract from J1 League club Nagoya Grampus Eight . The transfer fee paid to Tottenham Hotspur was £2 million. He officially joined Nagoya Grampus Eight after playing his final game for Spurs on 2 May 1992, when he scored the consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat by Manchester United on
8850-620: The last day of the season. Shortly before accepting the offer from Nagoya Grampus Eight, Tottenham had rejected an offer from ambitious Second Division club Blackburn Rovers , who had recently been taken over by steel baron Jack Walker . Having scored 9 goals in 23 appearances over two injury impacted seasons for Nagoya Grampus Eight, he announced his retirement from playing in September 1994. The English national media had previously reported that he would be returning to England to complete his playing career at Middlesbrough or Southampton . Lineker
8968-569: The late 1990s, after Government statistics showed that this estate was one of the most deprived in the East Midlands . The New Deal led to a series of improvements, including a new leisure centre, health centre and a library and learning complex called The BRITE Centre . Key current issues for Braunstone Town include the continued development of the Thorpe Astley estate and Meridian Leisure , traffic management along Narborough Road South and into
9086-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
9204-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
9322-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
9440-547: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
9558-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
9676-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
9794-484: The neighbouring Fosse Shopping Park shopping complex, and the expansion of the shopping complex, alongside pollution issues from the neighbouring junction 21 of the M1 motorway and the expansion of some neighbouring greenfield sites into business premises such as seen at Grove Farm Triangle and Grove Park . The former Jones and Shipman Engineering works (once the biggest employer of Braunstone residents) has been redeveloped into
9912-449: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
10030-518: The opening group game against the Republic of Ireland . After Andreas Brehme sent England 1–0 down in the semi-final, Lineker received a pass from Paul Parker and escaped two West German defenders on his way to scoring the equaliser, but the West Germans triumphed in the penalty shoot-out and went on to win the trophy. Later he said: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at
10148-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
10266-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
10384-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
10502-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
10620-459: The parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee , and Dame Esther Rantzen . The BBC's Director General, Tim Davie , stated that Lineker's pay was justified "because of the value of analysis to the viewing audience". In March 2023, Lineker was required to step back from presenting on the BBC for three days due to a controversy over his criticism of the British government's immigration policy on Twitter. On 11 November 2024, Lineker who
10738-559: The previous year in visiting and showcasing locations throughout Northern Ireland. Lineker has made a number of cameo appearances in TV shows and movies, such as the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham , the 2014 BBC TV film Marvellous , and a number of appearances in the Apple TV+ football comedy TV series Ted Lasso . In 2013, Lineker participated in the genealogical programme Who Do You Think You Are? during which he discovered an ancestor who
10856-577: The reason given being Gary not wanting more children. In 1985, Lineker was best man at snooker player Willie Thorne 's wedding and their close friendship was the subject of the VHS production, Best of Friends – The Official Story of Gary Lineker & Willie Thorne . In November 2017, Lineker was named in the Paradise Papers in connection with a tax avoidance scheme relating to property owned in Barbados and
10974-586: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
11092-689: The season at Chelsea. Lineker has said since retiring from football that this Everton team was the best club side he ever played in. After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Lineker was signed by Barcelona for £2.8 million. Barcelona were being managed by former Queens Park Rangers manager Terry Venables , who had also brought in Manchester United and Wales striker Mark Hughes . Barcelona gave Lineker his first chance of European football, as Leicester had never qualified for Europe while he played for them, and Everton were denied
11210-461: The semi-finals of the FA Cup , and clinched promotion a year later as Lineker scored 26 times in the Second Division. In 1983–84 , he enjoyed regular First Division action for the first time and was the division's second-highest scorer with 22 goals, although Leicester failed to finish anywhere near the top of the league. He was the First Division's joint top scorer in 1984–85 with 24 goals, and
11328-447: The social housing (Braunstone Estate) lies to the right and the private housing (Braunstone Town) lies to the left. Many buildings of much earlier periods than the 1930s exist in the heart of the former village including the old school house, the former Shakespeare Inn, the former village shop and some private homes. Many of the former council houses are now also privately owned following a national wave of council property sales initiated by
11446-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
11564-455: The then sons of the company owner. The Braunstone Estate is dominated by the park, one of the largest in the city , while the striking feature of Braunstone Town is the wide Kingsway, a road which features a large village green at its heart running for the entirety of the street. Braunstone Park is a 168-acre (0.68 km ) park in western Leicester , England. It is in the Braunstone area, and
11682-462: The time. During his youth he played for Aylestone Park Youth , later becoming the club's president. Lineker left school with four O Levels . One of his teachers wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and that he would "never make a living at that". He then joined the youth academy at Leicester City in 1976. Lineker began his career at his hometown club Leicester City after leaving school in 1977, turning professional in
11800-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
11918-426: The title by just two points. "I was only on Merseyside a short time, nine or 10 months in total really, but it was still a happy time personally, while professionally it was one of the most successful periods of my career", he says. "I still have an affinity towards Everton." Lineker scored three hat-tricks for Everton; at home to Birmingham City in a 4–1 league win on 31 August 1985, at home to Manchester City in
12036-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
12154-603: The voice of Underground Ernie on the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies . In December 2008, Lineker appeared on the ITV1 television programme Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? where he and English rugby union player Austin Healey won £50,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. In 2009, Lineker and his wife Danielle hosted a series of the BBC's Northern Exposure , following on from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen from
12272-471: Was capped once by the England B national team , playing in a 2–0 home win over New Zealand's B team on 13 November 1984. He first played for the full England team against Scotland in 1984. He played five games in the 1986 World Cup and was top scorer of the tournament with six goals, winning the Golden Boot , making him the first English player to have done so. He scored the second quickest hat-trick ever at
12390-455: Was a poacher , and another who was a legal clerk . In 2021, Lineker started hosting the ITV game show Sitting on a Fortune . In May 2014, Lineker established his own production company Goalhanger Films Ltd. with former ITV Controller Tony Pastor. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup , Lineker presented several short videos produced by Goalhanger Films on YouTube with the title Blahzil . In May 2015,
12508-510: Was annexed by Leicester City Council in 1935 as the Braunstone Estate . The remainder of the build retained the Parish of Braunstone name, but was renamed in 1977 as Braunstone Town . This area was privately-owned housing, created by the local company, Turnbull Building Co and Sons. Turnbull Drive, part of the estate, was named after the company; Edward Avenue and Francis Avenue nearby represent
12626-677: Was appointed honorary vice-president. Gary Winston Lineker was born on 30 November 1960 in Leicester , the son of Margaret P. (Abbs) and Barry Lineker. He was given his middle name in honour of Winston Churchill , with whom he shares a birthday. He has one brother, Wayne, who is two years his junior. Lineker grew up with his family in the city, playing football with Wayne. Their father was a greengrocer, as were their grandfather William and great-grandfather George, in Leicester. Barry Lineker ran Lineker's fruit and veg stall in Leicester Market , and as
12744-437: Was enjoying a prolific partnership with Alan Smith . By this stage he was attracting the attention of bigger clubs, and a move from Filbert Street was looking certain. In the 1985 close season, defending league champions Everton signed Lineker for £800,000; he scored 40 goals in 57 games for his new team in the 1985–86 season. Lineker's first game for Everton happened to be away to Leicester City; at half time, he walked into
12862-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
12980-666: Was hosting Match of the Day since 1999 announced that he would be stepping down from presenting the program, following the conclusion of the 2024–25 Premier League season in May 2025. He will also leave the BBC after covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will take place in Canada, the United States and Mexico and the 2025–26 FA Cup . Lineker has appeared in television commercials for the Leicester-based snack company Walkers . Originally signing
13098-518: Was in Aintree when the Grand National was abandoned because of a bomb alert at the racecourse in 1997. In 1999, he replaced Lynam as the BBC's anchorman for football coverage, including its flagship football television programme Match of the Day , becoming BBC Sport 's highest paid presenter. Following the departure of Steve Rider from the BBC in 2005, Lineker, who is a keen recreational golfer with
13216-551: Was later surpassed by Gareth Bale in March 2016. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson attempted to sign Lineker to partner his ex-Barcelona teammate Mark Hughes in attack, but Lineker instead signed for Tottenham Hotspur in July 1989 for £1.1 million. Over three seasons, he scored 67 goals in 105 league games and won the FA Cup while playing for the club. He finished as top scorer in
13334-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
13452-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
13570-566: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
13688-432: Was substituted by England coach Graham Taylor in favour of Arsenal striker Alan Smith , ultimately denying him the chance to equal—or even better—Charlton's record. He had earlier missed a penalty that would have brought him level, in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil . He was visibly upset at the decision, not looking at Taylor as he took the bench. He scored four goals in an England match on two occasions and
13806-550: Was the main sport of most schools near his home. Lineker was equally talented at both football and cricket . From the ages of 11 to 16 he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team, and had felt that he had a higher chance of succeeding at it rather than football. He later stated on They Think It's All Over that as a teenager he idolised former England captain David Gower , who was playing for Leicestershire at
13924-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
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