Frustrated BBC viewers took to social media to complain about the broadcaster's World Cup coverage after the England v Mexico match was delayed by storms in Mexico City. The match, originally scheduled for 1am BST (7pm local time), was pushed back by at least an hour, with a new start time of 2am.
BBC presenter Kelly Cates announced the delay, leaving pundits Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, and Micah Richards to fill the hour. Many fans were unimpressed. One viewer said: "BBC is really struggling to fill the time here. Wayne Rooney the only 1 worth listening too. Micah Richard’s waffling more than usual." Another added: "Almost 2hrs of Rooney waffling. Get the bloody game started FFS." A third complained: "When you're trying your best to bide up for this game, the last thing you want to hear is Joe Hart. The most boring man on the planet!" A fourth wrote: "Great scheduling by the BBC. The Teddy Pendergrass documentary on BBC2 should keep me awake till 2am. I love #Micah but BBC 1 trying to fill time would send an insomniac to sleep."
Positive reactions and Rooney's rant
However, not all feedback was negative. One fan praised: "Kelly Cates is superb, and Rooney has been a pleasant surprise in the pundit's chair." Another noted: "Micah Richard's has a great stylist! Very nice." During the delay, Rooney launched into an impassioned speech about reports that Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of USA striker Folarin Balogun's red card, which had been suspended for a year. Rooney said: "I think it's an absolute disgrace, I really do. I know it's UEFA but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012. I was due to miss the three group games and I got told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would get taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn't want a three-game ban but I thought that was wrong. For this to be suspended, they either take the red card away which is probably the right decision and then he can play. But to suspend it for a year? I think it's an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this. The sportsmanship of this game is in question here. If I'm USA's opponent, I'd be absolutely fuming. It's wrong in every way. If you're an England player tonight or a Mexican player, and you get a red card, do you expect to be playing the next game? Where does it stop?"
