BBC lead commentator Guy Mowbray made an unfortunate mistake during England's World Cup clash against Ghana, leaving fans perplexed before quickly correcting himself. The error occurred in the closing minutes of the first half when Harry Kane had an opportunity to break the deadlock, but his effort was blocked, resulting in an England corner.
Mowbray initially claimed the shot was "off the bar" before swiftly correcting himself with "it's behind, rather for a corner!" Fans were quick to pick up on the blunder on social media.
Fan Reactions to the Blunder
"Even on the TV screen I could see that was nowhere near the bar, what game is Guy Mowbray watching," one fan joked on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another asked, "'It's off the bar' – is Guy Mowbray OK." A third added: "Kane just had a shot deflected that went out of play nowhere near to goal and BBC commentator said it was 'off the bar – get your eyes checked mate!" A fourth fumed: "'And it's off the bar' - Guy Mowbray as Harry Kane's shot gets well blocked by a Ghana player for a corner low to the ground. Honestly the BBC coverage just gets worse!"
Mowbray and Shearer Provide Insight
Later in the match, Mowbray and co-commentator Alan Shearer offered analysis from inside the stadium. Mowbray noted: "Thomas Tuchel is out of the edge of the area and he's furious with someone down there Alan." Shearer added: "He was telling either Anthony [Gordon] or Djed Spence to get up in that position. When Gordon went inside, there was nothing on the outside of him. That's why Tuchel's going mad down on the sideline. It's still too slow."
BBC's World Cup Coverage Criticised
The BBC's World Cup coverage has drawn fierce criticism from viewers, who had already taken the broadcaster to task for failing to send pundits stateside. Instead, they insisted their brand new, cutting-edge immersive studio will "transport viewers to 16 cities across three host nations." They have also faced criticism for the absence of a Match of the Day-style programme, opting instead to broadcast individual highlights for each fixture on iPlayer.
