Bristol Rovers announce manager Joey Barton will not speak to BBC reporters before or after today’s game

Bristol Rovers has confirmed manager Joey Barton will refuse to speak with BBC reporters before or after today’s match against Forest Green Rovers.

The club made the announcement via a short statement on its Twitter page with the hashtag #WeStandWithGary - in reference to the BBC’s decision to pull longstanding Match of the Day (MOTD) presenter Gary Lineker from today’s programme due to comments he made regarding the Government’s illegal immigration bill.

Mr. Lineker compared the Conservative legislation to “Germany in the 1930s” on his personal Twitter account. It was announced by the BBC that he would step back from his role on MOTD until he comes to an agreement with the BBC on his use of social media. After the announcement was made, fellow presenters Ian Wright and Alan Shearer confirmed they would also step back from their punditry roles to show solidarity with Gary Lineker.

Bristol Rovers will face off against Forest Green at 3pm today.