The beautiful game gets ugly
After so much recent debate on this blog over the meaning of "patriarchy", can we all agree that Mike Newell, the manager of Luton FC, is sexist? . This is what he said when a female referee's decision didn't go his way:
She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here? . . . It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems.
The crime committed by Amy Rayner, an assistant referee, was to fail to award Luton a penalty in their 3-2 loss to QPR. I wonder if the QPR boss John Gregory agrees that his team only won because of the failings of women's intuition?
Comments
If a male ref had made a bad call, Mike would still have protested, but that would have been OK. But he makes it a gender issue, and then says he is sexist, as if admitting it excuses it. His last sentence just nails his coffin shut. Why is a bad call of a woman any different than a bad call of a man? Human error is OK if it is male, but not if it is female? Why is poor refereeing 'a big problem' if it is done by a woman and not by a man?
Newell's an idiot.
Well...he certainly sounds like he made a sexist comment.
BUT...perhaps he's frustrated by the type of political correctness that puts men and women, or black and whites, or protestants and catholics, into certain positions simply because of their sex, colour, or religion. Was this woman in her position on the grounds of merit, or is she a "token woman" who in the position simply because by virtue of being female? I would have a problem with that too.
SG
Amazing, Stephen. Sexism unconscious of itself. Google the story and you'll find that this female referee is the highest ranking woman referee and is about to join the international circuit. That sound like tokenism?
I mean, why even raise that issue in response to what MUST be to the clearest example of professional sexism anyone can give this year!
And your response to me, Peetsen, is the clearest example of not reading what someone actually said - not only this year, but perhaps in the history of humankind?
SG
If Amy Rayner if the highest ranking female referee then I shudder to think how bad the others must be. I was at the game and she was dreadful, couldn't keep up with the game and made terrible decisions. It's not her fault, she obviously was made to officate at a level she isn't ready for, the blame for that lies squarely with the FA. I can only wonder what their motives for promoting her beyond her capabilites were?
Yes Mike Newell is a sexist but as far as I'm aware that isn't a crime yet. You might find his comments objectionable but in this country we still have freedom of speech, so Mike is allowed to make sexist comments and we are entitled to tell him he is an idiot for making those comments.
Mick F is very understanding of Newell's sexism. It isn't just that he is free to make daft comments. He's in a position of power and the mask slipped. How does he treat women working at Luton? And he is influential. Women referees have enough trouble without a team manager encouraging discriminatory behaviour. Disgrace.