Women's football, rant rant.
So, what to do about "sexism row pair" Richard Keys and Andy Gray? I'm glad their innocent victim Sian Massey has maintained a dignified silence amid the media hubbub. She'll be used to sexism if she has anything to do with high-level women's sport.
It seems unfair for this pair of Neanderthals to be booted from their billion pound a year posts for saying what many footballing-loving men think, but I suppose it was right.
But I'm not so sure about the decision to pull her out of her next game after unprecedented demand for TV access passes. Doesn't the somewhat obscure Blue Square Bet North League deserve this incredible free publicity? Official types say they want the focus on the game, not the officials, but how can that be a legitimate reason for withdrawing her?
Does this mean no woman can ever officiate again because it "might cause too much of a stir?" She should stride out onto that scrubby provincial pitch under the full glare of the world's media in a clear demonstration that SHE DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT. Get that girl out there on the line. Let the media do its thing. Everything will die down. Women will prevail.
I don't know why I'm getting so excited about this anyway. Again, the media furore about what two blokes said about a lineslady masks the big issue at stake. Why is there no excitement and furore about the women's World Cup in Germany this year? Because men run all the organisations who decide whether there should be hype about anything.
No doubt if we WIN there will be a nice picture on the front pages of the papers (as long as they let their hair down and sashay a bit in their shorts) but other than that I doubt it will cause much excitement.
The excuse is that women's football is like watching amateurs. That's because most of them are. Bloody amazing ones. Multi-taskers all. And what was so spectacular about recent male England international matches anyway? What is so spectacular about watching blokes play cricket? Nothing. There is nothing intrinsically interesting about it. It's a state of mind.
So, Sian, I hope you don't give up. Get out there and sock it to them. Just don't disallow a goal for offside when they're looking in a bad mood.
It seems unfair for this pair of Neanderthals to be booted from their billion pound a year posts for saying what many footballing-loving men think, but I suppose it was right.
But I'm not so sure about the decision to pull her out of her next game after unprecedented demand for TV access passes. Doesn't the somewhat obscure Blue Square Bet North League deserve this incredible free publicity? Official types say they want the focus on the game, not the officials, but how can that be a legitimate reason for withdrawing her?
Does this mean no woman can ever officiate again because it "might cause too much of a stir?" She should stride out onto that scrubby provincial pitch under the full glare of the world's media in a clear demonstration that SHE DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT. Get that girl out there on the line. Let the media do its thing. Everything will die down. Women will prevail.
I don't know why I'm getting so excited about this anyway. Again, the media furore about what two blokes said about a lineslady masks the big issue at stake. Why is there no excitement and furore about the women's World Cup in Germany this year? Because men run all the organisations who decide whether there should be hype about anything.
No doubt if we WIN there will be a nice picture on the front pages of the papers (as long as they let their hair down and sashay a bit in their shorts) but other than that I doubt it will cause much excitement.
The excuse is that women's football is like watching amateurs. That's because most of them are. Bloody amazing ones. Multi-taskers all. And what was so spectacular about recent male England international matches anyway? What is so spectacular about watching blokes play cricket? Nothing. There is nothing intrinsically interesting about it. It's a state of mind.
So, Sian, I hope you don't give up. Get out there and sock it to them. Just don't disallow a goal for offside when they're looking in a bad mood.
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