More than 100 viewers have lodged formal complaints with the BBC following a controversial Match of the Day segment that Sunderland fans have labeled as biased and dismissive.
The backlash stems from the coverage of Sunderland’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on January 17. Despite a comeback win fueled by goals from Enzo Le Fee and Brian Brobbey, the program’s analysis focused almost exclusively on Palace manager Oliver Glasner’s post-match frustrations regarding the sale of Marc Guehi.
The “Sunderland Snub”
During the broadcast, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer joked that he had prepared analysis on Sunderland but was “overruled” by the editor to focus on Glasner instead. This resulted in a two-minute discussion centered on Palace, with virtually no credit given to the Black Cats’ performance.
The BBC’s fortnightly bulletin confirmed that 103 official grievances were filed, with fans accusing the broadcaster of:
- Providing poor or biased coverage.
- Ignoring Sunderland’s tactical success.
- Prioritizing “big club” drama over the actual match result.
Shearer’s Defense
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer clarified the behind-the-scenes timeline. He explained that after a grueling 17-hour workday—having arrived in the studio at 10:00 AM for a Manchester derby and staying until midnight—he was offered the chance to record a separate analysis for iPlayer.
”They did offer me the opportunity to go with the BBC iPlayer and put some analysis on it. I politely declined that offer… You can imagine my reply,” Shearer noted, citing exhaustion rather than malice as the reason for the lack of coverage.
Current Status at Palace
While the focus on Glasner sparked the initial controversy, the manager remains in his post for now. However, he has since confirmed that he will officially leave Crystal Palace at the end of the current season.
