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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think that Sky Sports should sack Andy Gray and Richard Keys for this blatant sexism....

309 replies

theexample · 23/01/2011 21:20

I know a lot of you don't like football but there was a female assistant referee officiating the game between Wolves and Liverpool yesterday. 2 of Sky Sports' main announcers/commentators were caught off camera (but with the mics still turned on, unbeknownst to them) making these remarks...

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01_04/sky.mp3

As a man, I can honestly say she did a good job and a lot of us on The Football Ramble forum believe Keys and Gray were out of order. What is the female perspective?

Here is a short transcript.

?Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her,? said Keys.

?Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women don?t know the offside rule,? said Gray.

Keys replied ?Course they don?t. I can guarantee you there will be a big one today. Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty. This isn?t the first time, is it? Didn?t we have one before?? And then he added ?The game?s gone mad. Did you hear charming [West Ham vice-chairwoman] Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Do me a favour, love.?

OP posts:
bupcakesandcunting · 23/01/2011 21:21

Nah. They're right.

spongebobsquareknickers · 23/01/2011 21:22
Shock

I can explain the offside rule. My DH will testify that I am indeed a woman, as does my DS that came out of my vagina.......

gordyslovesheep · 23/01/2011 21:22

no YANBU - I understand the off side rule and I am a lady and everything - they should sack them just for being dull moronic middle aged knobs anyway!

Original poster
theexample · 23/01/2011 21:24

And a Bluenose. Hate Andy Gray.

OP posts:
liquiditytrap · 23/01/2011 21:24

What is this thing about the off-side rule being the most complicated thing ever?? It really isn't...

AnyFuleKno · 23/01/2011 21:24

Disappointing but unsurprising. I'm pleased 'a lot' of you think it was out of order. The others who think that ability to spot a ball or learn quite a basic rule is predicated on possession of a penis? what kind of knuckledragger thinks like this.

Men eh Grin

gordyslovesheep · 23/01/2011 21:26

personally the 2 years at Everton where his only redeeming feature!

Nancy66 · 23/01/2011 21:29

Ummm - I thought it was quite funny

Original poster
theexample · 23/01/2011 21:29

liquiditytrap...

The offside rule IS complicated now. Who is to decide who is interfering with play and who isn't? And when are they active again?
She actually made a great call for Liverpool's first goal that a lot of linesmen would have bottled.

OP posts:
Tiredmumno1 · 23/01/2011 21:30

I am female and i agree with them, i was watching the game and he wasnt offside, maybe she does need it explaining to her

huddspur · 23/01/2011 21:31

I like Richard Keys but I'd be happy to see the back of Andy Gray

spongebobsquareknickers · 23/01/2011 21:32

So she made one mistake simply because shes a woman?

No male linesman or other official has EVER made a bad call on an offside??

Hmm
gordyslovesheep · 23/01/2011 21:32

the comments where made BEFORE that though - so how can you 'agree' before any actual percieved error (it was os) unless you agree that ALL women have a gender based inability to understand the basics of Football?

constantlytired · 23/01/2011 21:33

theexample....

And a Bluenose (???!!!).....i know its not exactly a bigoted comment, but i don't get the impression you meant it in a good way, c'mon!

geordieminx · 23/01/2011 21:33

Andy Grey is a bitter blue nose. I hope he does get sacked, but doubt it

hr100 · 23/01/2011 21:34

I work in football and its a pretty sexist industry but I and others spend every day breaking down the barriers :)

Tiredmumno1 · 23/01/2011 21:34

I do agree with you spongebob, it is so annoying when they get such a simple thing wrong, male or female, none of them are perfect

Vallhala · 23/01/2011 21:37

Fucking wankers! Angry

Sack them? I'd like to saw their bollocks off with a rusty penknife! Angry

I'm a qualified football referee. I worked fucking hard for my badge, studying for it after school amongst grown men who were some years my senior, tolerating a lot of piss-taking but also receiving a lot of admiration. I've reffed men and kids but never my own sex and passed my ref's exams when some of my male fellow would-be refs failed yet hand on heart I didn't receive preferential treatment.

I qualified 32 years ago, at the age of 14, a feat which I would doubt that either Gray or Keys have ever achieved.

Wankers!

Heroine · 23/01/2011 21:38

Its no wonder that men make unguarded comments like this, men can't multitask or put the seat up.

sarahitaly · 23/01/2011 21:39

It's like women drivers all over again, and think they be made to deeply regret their remarks. An Example Should Be Made Of Them.

However...I have an offside rule question, bear in mind that originally it was explained to me in my second language, so I may have got confused..but..

If team Milan can't score a goal until somebody on team Inter is over the line thing...why don't the Inter team just run to their own end of the pitch, so Milan can't score ?

Cos that is what I'd do, see him coming and dash like a mad thing in the opposite direction down the other end to thwart him.

I know you couldn't do that the whole match, but if you are winning 3-2 and there are just ten minutes to go, seems silly to risk being up near their goal when you could just loiter down your own end.

frgr · 23/01/2011 21:40

Whether she is a male ref or female, it shouldn't come into it

They are way out of order.

gordyslovesheep · 23/01/2011 21:40

hearts heroine a bit more :)

huddspur · 23/01/2011 21:42

sarahitaly- you can't be offside in your own half and if all the players ran to the other end then you'd be giving the opposition player with the ball a free run on goal.

lastresort · 23/01/2011 21:48

FGS...it's only a game.

And who cares if it was a female ref, they would have said the same if it was a male ref.

Commentators have ALWAYS slagged the officials off, that is the game.

AnyFuleKno · 23/01/2011 21:48

complicated rule my arse. There are women on here who are lawyers, engineers, academics, physicists, you name it. I don't think they would have any trouble with a 'complicated rule'.