Gary Lineker has been forced to delete a tweet about the Lionesses' Euro 2022 win, after being hit with a wave of backlash from football fans.
The women's team fought their way to victory on Sunday (31 July) after goals from Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly, ending a 56-year wait for England to bring football home.
Football pundit Gary, 61, had been live-tweeting during the epic championship match between England and Germany, but some of his comments definitely landed better than others.
After the England team secured their 2-1 win, Gary took to Twitter to celebrate, writing: "The @Lionesses have only gone and done it, and Kelly is England's heroine, bra none."
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The now-deleted tweet was subject to heavy criticism from fans, who argued the sly joke was a perfect example of the 'casual sexism' that women's sport is faced with on a regular basis.
One disappointed user replied: "Seriously Gary? An epic win, a game-changer for women's sport, a call to arms for young girls who have been told they can't. And you minimise this glory down to a joke about a woman's clothing/underwear.
"Casual sexism is rife here and the @Lionesses deserve better."
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Another fan added: "100% this. Casual sexism. Just so disappointing in the top broadcaster."
And a third added: "Oh Gary... you just had to go and cheapen it with this tweet! No need for it. And this is why men like you still have such a long way to go!"
Responding to the backlash, Gary tweeted: "It was just a play on words given the celebration. I do rubbish like that constantly on here, including on men’s football. I’ve deleted it as many people didn't see the game so missed the context."
Gary also appeared to post the joke on Instagram alongside a photo of Chloe Kelly, who celebrated her winning goal by taking off her jersey and running across the pitch in her shorts and sports bra in a moment of pure joy.
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The joke has been removed from his edited caption, but comments below suggest it had originally been posted alongside the photo of Chloe.
Some of the former footballer's fans were amused by the bra humour, and commented on the Instagram post to commend him for it.
"Bra none. Superb Gary," read one comment.
"Bra none. Hats off Lineker," added a second.
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But, as on Twitter, many Instagram users were unamused by the joke.
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"Oh you can do better than that. Pls don’t make their win a meme on their bodies," complained one.
"Disappointing from you Gary," wrote another.
And a third asked: "Not sure why her underwear is relevant though?"
Tyla has reached out to a representative of Gary Lineker for comment.
Featured Image Credit: @garylineker/Instagram/PA Images/ AlamyTopics: Celebrity
