BBC pundit dropped in FA Cup row

Leighton James was born in Swansea and played for the club

A former Welsh international will not be used as a BBC Wales pundit "for the foreseeable future" after backing Cardiff City's opponents in the FA Cup.

Leighton James, who played for Swansea City, Cardiff's local rivals, said he wanted Barnsley to win the semi-final.

He said Cardiff making the final would be "hard to take for Swansea fans".

A BBC Wales spokeswoman said: "By mutual agreement, Leighton James will not be participating in any BBC Wales programmes for the foreseeable future".

Mr James made his comments in his column in the Swansea-based South Wales Evening Post after Cardiff secured their place in the semi-final, to be played at Wembley on 6 April.

He wrote that 99.9% of Swansea fans would support Barnsley on the day, and Cardiff supporters would do the same if Swansea were playing.

Mr James wrote that it was a difficult choice, because "as a proud Welshman you want the clubs from your country to go as far as they can".

But he said he also wanted the Swansea-born Barnsley manager Simon Davey to do well, and concluded: "So, to be brutally honest, I think I'm behind Barnsley on this one".

Mr James played for Swansea during the early 1980s and won 54 Welsh caps.

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