If I was Kev I would be mortified at Barton agreeing with me. https://x.com/Joey7Barton/status/1710005790067597313?s=20
I like Alex Scott, but turn off the sound when Sam Matterface is on. It's got nothing to do with what sex they are, for me.
It's an opinion based on pre-existing misogyny. He doesn't go into detail about why a female pundits opinion is worth less than a males other than "they haven't played the mens game.
he praised female presenters. He said he didn’t like it when female pundits used their experience of playing football as a comparison with men’s football. Doesn’t bother me personally but as usual think this has been blown up out of proportion
Considering women's football was banned for 50 years due to it's popularity and excitement being deemed a threat to the men's game, I'd say comments like this are irrelevant. (Also utterly ignorant and inappropriate obviously) Especially when you consider that ban was still in force when he started playing professionally.
That in itself undermines Women and women in football though. It’s almost a “I’m not racist but ….” He’s basically using something that has been impossible for women, as a tool to undermine them. I’d suggest that it’s highly likely that someone like Emma Hayes is more in touch with modern day football (mens and womens) than Keegan is. But she hasn’t played in a major men’s tournament so now it doesn’t count. (In his eyes). Yes it’s been blown up by the sh:t stirring media, but the end result is thousands of misogynists hanging their hat on it.
I think in an attempt to get more women & minorities on tele they’ve upset a lot of football fans by getting rid / phasing out their favoured pundits & the viewing figures reflect it. Football focus’ viewing figures for example under Alex Scott are plummeting. I’ve also argued & continue to believe that it’s wrong that you can be a really good pundit & have spent the majority of your career playing in the championship in front of crowds of 20,000+ yet you won’t get a gig on TV covering a premier league game as you haven’t played at the top level yet female footballers who’ve spent the majority of their careers playing in front of a few hundred now get to cover some of the big premier league games. Is it about been a top level player & household name or not? And if not why don’t male pundits who aren’t big names not get a go? For the most part it’s just a box ticking exercise.
Don't like Scott but don't like Owen and Hargreaves either. Agree with Fired that there appears to be overkill on the women pundits in football but looking at some like Merson and co it may not be a bad thing. very few male presenters in women's footy tho, Wrighty seems to av cornered the market there, do lv him btw and Mica..
The more they phase out 'favourite pundits' who are constantly advertising gambling, the happier I'll be with the setup. People whined when they got rid of Jimmy Hill and Alan Hansen and they weren't replaced by women. Gender has nothing to do with it. Having a leg up scheme for female pundits - whereby we give roles to a higher proportion than you might normally - is perfectly fine when you think that the ban on them playing professionally was only lifted in 1970. It's not box ticking. It's rebalancing and in my eyes it's perfectly justified.