Former Manchester United player Michael Stewart is worried he may lose his BBC punditry role after being banned by the Scottish Football Association. The 45-year-old, known for his cutting comments on BBC Radio Scotland, has faced sanctions following remarks about VAR and refereeing chief Willie Collum.
Ban from Hampden Park
Stewart was banned from Scotland's national stadium, Hampden Park, after suggesting a "cover up" when he accused VAR of releasing two images with different lines during a St Mirren vs Hibernian match. He was also reprimanded for referring to Collum as "wee" Willie Collum.
As a result, he broadcast the Scottish Cup semi-final from a Premier Sports production van outside the stadium and was barred from covering Scotland's friendly against Curacao. He was also banned from a media briefing delivered by Collum on rule changes.
Fear of losing media roles
Speaking to The Times, Stewart admitted he constantly worries about losing his media roles if broadcasters view his recent track record as too risky. "Of course you do [think that], constantly," he said.
He acknowledged the stress extends to his colleagues and family. "For people you are working with at Premier or the BBC, there are elements of stress for them as well having to deal with a situation which shouldn’t really be a situation. And family, mostly, is where the stress comes in."
Willing to apologise
Stewart expressed a desire to resolve the impasse, saying he is open to meeting with authorities. "I’m not wanting to get into a war of words, but equally people need to be able to meet and discuss." He also said he would apologise for some comments, including the 'Wee Collum' quip, even though he "didn't see the problem with it" at the time.
