to be absolutely furious about football chief and emails referring to women as 'gash'??

[BeanAboutTown]

Sorry if there are other threads about this, couldn't find any.

Richard Scudamore, head of the Premier League, has been merrily sending emails referring to women as 'gash' and 'skinny big-titted broads', 'irrational' and lots of other incendiary misogynist shite.

Oh but he's apologised. That's nice eh, nothing to see here

Apparently he reports to the Premier League Board, which is two people, one of whom is errrrrr Richard Scudamore

AIBU to think an apology is nowhere near enough and he should bloody well resign?

It's been reported that the Premier League's women's officer has been told not to make any comment. Wouldn't want the shiny-suited money-making boys' club to be unnecessarily disturbed by any harpies would we

Anyone for a Premier League boycott next season? (Congrats to Man City by the way) How about we all give our money to the women's game instead

[SteadyEddie]

I hope he is sacked.

Sacking always seems much worse than resignation, because it means that his peers have come together and agreed that what he said was unacceptable.

They sacked Andy Gray and the other Man whose name I cant remember for a similar incident.

The other problem for me is that the FA have spent time and effort to make the ladies game more accessible and high profile after years of neglect and this will destroy that if they don't act.

[BennyB]

No, I mean thought police as in the conformist PC demand that anything "not nice" must immediately be punished. We need to grow up.

By the way, the comments were made in his private email account that an employee somehow gained access to. Not a workplace event or even a work email. Just some distasteful laddism.

[mammamic]

Benny B - are you for real or trolling for some reaction? Or simply naive/stupid!!!

This man is employed and PAID a hefty sum, amongst other things, to PROMOTE THE OTHER SIDE OF A BEAUTIFUL GAME.

It is not just some bloke exchanging emails with his sad little dirty friends. IT WAS ON HIS WORK EMAIL.

His FEMALE PA, WHO HAD NO CHOICE, WAS EXPOSED TO THIS OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOUR.

If you have kids, I sincerely hope they never have the misfortune to come across someone like him. It would be interesting to know how you would feel if you discovered your husband/son/son-in law was referring to you/your daughter in law/your daughter as 'gash' to his work mates over email and making lewd jokes about who does and does not shaft whom in such a derogatory manner.

Freedom of speech, censorship, decency, privacy. You need to have a think about what they all actually mean.

and yes - I've referred to men/women in insulting ways (I've had to 'censor' this very post to avoid possibly insulting you), politically incorrect was and so on. NEVER ON WORK EMAIL, I'M NOT PAID TO DO THE OPPOSITE, I'M NOT A FIGUREHEAD OF A HUGE BODY, AND, most importantly NEVER EVER EVER IN SUCH A DISGUSTING VILE WAY.

And apologies to the group - YES I AM SHOUTING.

[BarbarianMum]

Maybe this will show him the error of his ways (ie to make him more cautious about what he puts in writing) but I don't suppose being forced to apologise is going to make him suddenly see half the world's population differently. So yes he does need to be sacked.

[JohnFarleysRuskin]

The soccer boss has publicly claimed the league strives to be at “the leading edge” of the “whole equality agenda”.

How can he possibly carry out the equality agenda now? If the head of 'kick racism' out of football had behaved similarly, using racist terms, would you think, ah, he should just apologize?

His emails were sent to his PA ­automatically.

[BennyB]

No, mammamic, not trolling although I see you have taken the moral high road by calling me names. This is not a playground. It might be healthier if it were, perhaps you might recall the little playground ditty about sticks and stones, etc.

The man works in public to promote women in the sport. He wrote a few emails with some nasty words about women. I just do not see it as a sacking offence.

I know it is unusual for someone to break out of the conformist condemnatory consensus of MN threads like this but hey ho. I just thought an alternative view should be aired. I'll get my coat.

[Kewcumber]

Anyone stupid enough to write this using a work email should be fired for being too stupid to be in charge of a major organisation even before getting started on whether he has contravened use of email in work policy (hopefully they have one!).

If I had ever referred to any group of people in this way in a work email I would have been disciplined.

What was his apology "I'm sorry I got caught"?

[mammamic]

Well done City fans

And to put it into perspective...

there's a person who is paid millions to promote racial equality in [put in your own 'whatever' here - sport, arts, film, society].

A temp employee, however it came about, comes across emails that used racial slurs and offensive bigoted language to work colleagues, private friends etc repeatedly. would they have to apologise or would they be dismissed?

but it's only about women and they are irrational, emotional, over sensitive big titted broads. Gash to shaft. so no harm done

[Kewcumber]

I'm not sure if its a sacking offence or not Benny that should be for the FA's disciplinary processes to decide.

But I would beg to differ that saying/behaving in a work email in a manner which is totally in opposition to something in your job spec would undoubtedly be a disciplinary offence.

Someone talking about wogs and pakis and making racist jokes when part of their job is to promote racial equality would be OK too then?

Someone whose job is partly safe guarding children is OK to talk about sexy kids and make jokes about boffing 10 year olds?

Really? You don't see the problem.

If I was his employer - I would consider him too stupid to be let out on his own with those kinds of emails being copied to a (female) PA. Or doesn;t he think PA's are real people?

[mammamic]

I didn't call anyone names - I simply made a supposition based on your comment.

and it's got nothing to do with "unusual for someone to break out of the conformist condemnatory consensus of MN threads like this but hey ho". It's about giving my opinion as you gave yours - that's the point of talk threads is it not.

I don't usually feel so strongly about this type of thing but I'm sick of having to shut up and put up. My daughter is growing up in this 'society'.

I don't want my daughter, or anyone's daughter, to have to live in this society where it's becoming more and more acceptable to refer to women and girls, horrifically, as lesser beings, objects, adulterated and air brushed, referred to by anyone as 'gash' or whatever other horrible term is trendy at the time.

It is unacceptable and people should be held responsible for their 'unfortunate' (wtf does that even mean in this context!?) gaffes.

don't worry about getting your coat - I've left already

[Nomama]

Mmm! Benny does have a point. OK, Scudamore is a child in a man's suit and he does sound quite 'the lad'.

But I was a bit nonplussed by some of the interpretations - save the cash in case you find some gash, if about golf clubs as claimed, would not have any sexual connotations at all. Gash, in that context would mean going cheap, spare, surplus to requirements.

I am not excusing him but am, as usual, pissed of at lax journos making 'brilliant' headlines, sometimes at the expense of the truth. I mean there is enough less salacious stuff in there to condemn the man as a sexist pillock without over egging the pudding and making the message seem ridiculous, lessening its severity.

He should be investigated and fined, as they do all others within the FA's aegis. He should be publicly censured, as they do with all others within the FA. And he should be facing the possibility of losing his job for abusing the work email - as with all employees everywhere. Bringing your employer into disrepute, causing annoyance/aggravation to other members of staff, harassment etc.

But the meeja hacks who wrote it up also need a good slap. In their zeal to get a good story they have undermined the message.

[gotnotimeforthat]

I don't condone what has been said but I think to suggest he needs sacking is a bit OTT.

How many times have you seen men being described by their abs and muscles in magazines etc?

Gash means vagina which Is inappropriate I get that. But Dick means penis and how often are men referred to as dicks? Or knobs?

Actually come to think of it cunt also means vagina yet people on her call others a cunt all the time which I think is a tad hypocritical.

[BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted]

Unfortunately in some circles this is the way men refer to women when they think none of them are in earshot.

In his case, like many others, a quick apology is code for "I'm sorry for myself that I've been caught".

He should be sacked, and banned from having anything to do with the sport ever again. Or any other sport for that matter. Unfortunately I suspect there's a queue of blokes wanting to buy him a beer or two.

[LucilleBluth]

It's especially offensive if you are a woman who loves football and has grown up around it. My dad is a huge fan of his home team and as his only child and a DD he would take me to the football, I grew up going to football stadiums and although I don't go now I still watch my team on the TV......my dad still goes and now my mum does too.

There is simply no excuse for this in 2014 this type of language and behaviour alienates female fans. It is like we are less valid. The FA have made major progress in stamping out racism......let's try to give women the same respect.

[GreenShadow]

I personally don't find his comments particularly offensive. He is quite entitled to use what ever words and opinions he likes - they are only words after all.

BUT I find it incredible that someone thought worthy of such a high position in any organisation does not have the common sense and decency to avoid using phrases such as these in works emails. As an employer it is astounding that he has no thought for his PA and from this point of view, I would be more than happy to see him sacked immediately.

[CommunistLegoBloc]

If he had made comments deriding black people, would some of you still be saying that sacking is an overreaction?

Why is it acceptable to be sexist in a private sphere? Not that he even was - he should know that as a head of a major organisation, he is accountable for emails especially as they go straight to his PA.

Have some respect for yourselves as women and acknowledge that this type of gender-aggressive language is one of the factors holding women back from true equality in the workplace and beyond.

[BeepBoop]

So surprised that the Premier League isn't a bastion of equality

Not that I'm rushing to defend Scuadmore, but according to that Mirror article, it was his mate who called women gash, not him. The pedant in me couldn't let that slide.

[Pumpkinpositive]

The experience with the "double decker" girlfriend's dad must have been very recent as he sounds about 12.

[wtffgs]

Sack the knobhead! (mature )

Seriously, sack him, put him in a time machine and send him back to the Neolithic Era.

[mummymeister]

most sports in this country are run by men for men. just listen to 5live and see how many time women and womens sports are mentioned. it is getting better but still nowhere near where it should be. just as there has been kick racism out of football there should be a kick sexism out of sport campaign. look at the back pages of most newspapers - all men and all mens sport. No wonder so few young girls get involved in sport at school when all they see is boys and men doing it. I absolutely think this man should resign. He is paid a lot of money. this was a work e mail. how many people on here would be reprimanded if they did this on their work e mail. one rule for us and another for them.

[gotnotimeforthat]

If he had made comments deriding black people, would some of you still be saying that sacking is an overreaction?

What on earth has racism got to do with it? He didn't mention a black person to deride them so why bring it up? It's not relevant.

Why does everyone always bring racism Into the mix? This has litterally fuck all to do with racism.

[LittleBearPad]

He should be sacked with immediate effect. How can anyone take anything he says seriously in reference to women's football now.

And his poor children. Apparently the Chinese one child policy is the right plan. Which of the five he has do you think he wishes didn't exist.

And his poor wife to be married to such a disgusting excuse for a man.

[LittleBearPad]

Because if he had used racist terms he would have been sacked immediately but because he uses sexist ones he get to hang on to his job for the moment and apologise.

They are equivalent wrongs but sexism isn't treated as such.

[BeanAboutTown]

Oh heck you're right beepboop

The FA and the Premier League are two different things I think. Premier League is all about making money for hyper-zillionaires, they don't give a stuff about the grass roots of the game, men's or women's.

[ExcuseTypos]

I had heard about this and was frustrated that they hadnt repeated what he'd said. Now I know they couldn't repeat it!

He should be sacked immediately. As someone else said, if this were racist slurs he'd have gone- its only about women, so who actually gives a toss