Womans Football

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[Fizz]

ehh... where has this come from? Whats prompted the question?

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From here

"Match of the Day" gets first woman commentator

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - After more than 40 years of male domination, "Match of the Day" will get its first female commentator on Saturday in a move that has left some football die-hards crying foul.

Jacqui Oatley, 32, will make television history when she picks up the microphone for the BBC's flagship football show at the Premier League game between Fulham and Blackburn.

While most in football welcomed her arrival in one of TV's last male bastions, critics said it smacked of political correctness and would undermine the BBC's credibility.

"I am totally against it and everybody I know in football is totally against it," former Sheffield United and Wimbledon manager Dave Bassett told newspapers. "The problem is that everybody is too scared to admit it.

"I knew this would happen eventually. The world of football is so politically correct these days."

Daily Mail football writer Steve Curry also saw red, complaining that "Oatley's excited voice sounds like a fire siren".

"I am from the old school when football press boxes and commentary positions were men-only locations and the thought of a female commenting on football was abhorrent," he wrote.

Her move into the Craven Cottage commentary box is an insult to the likes of John Motson, the BBC commentator famous for his sheepskin coat, he added.

Curry and Bassett found little support in the dozens of Internet chatrooms devoted to football. Many said the row was a fuss over nothing, given Oatley's record on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Any woman that can relieve my ears from the tedious old-man droning of John Motson ... may well have a place in commentating," wrote one contributor.

Roger Mosey, the BBC's head of sport, said the lack of female commentators on TV and radio was "daft".

"It is something we want to put right," he said. "Jacqui, like all our other commentators, has been selected on merit."

[Kev Mc]

As long as she's a football person through & through I don't see a problem with it. If she's been brought up living & breathing football, going to the matches & knows all of the rules & how everything works better than any other applicants, then yeah, give her the job. What I wouldn't like though is if some muppet television person decides "right, we need a female in the crew" & then hires somebody who knows sod all about the game just because of their s*x, rather than basing the appointment on their knowledge of football.

There is nothing worse than going to watch a match with a girl (or a lad for that matter) who just asks random questions, showing that they haven't got a clue what's going on, credit for putting in the effort but football is a sacred thing & things like that completely ruin it, a clueless person presenting MOTD will have the same effect I fear.

After reading a quote on another site, sounds like they've just got her in to make a statement

Her: You've got to wonder why the West Ham players didn't play this way from the start

Steve Claridge: It's because they've changed the system, from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2

Time will tell if she's good enough, she'd better only do the matches that Lineker can't do though rather than taking work off him

[Karma Supra]

Yes, especially of when they score they run around with their shirt peeled back

[bogeysprockett]

i can't see why not... i grew up in a football dominated family & have quite a few female friends that probably know more about football that some men i know. as long as they know their stuff then does it matter whether they are female or male...

[Jamesb4uk]

Well she's been on Radio 5 live for a couple of years now so i say give her a chance

J

[JappyBeast]

If there were up to the standards of the rest of the players then YES. Changing rooms would also be interesting.

[Robie]

They wouldn't be able to hack it in the physical rough and tough world of top flight football.

Oh.

[Boro Sera]

"Match of the Day" gets first woman commentator

Daily Mail football writer Steve Curry also saw red, complaining that "Oatley's excited voice sounds like a fire siren".

There's a guy on Channel 5 whose voice regularly changes into a Dalek when something exciting happens. Nobody has ever complained about him. ( except me of course........!Removed! dalek !!! )

I've got no problem with women commentating or being behind the mike in the footy world. Kelly Dalglish hosts a show on TalkSport and she really knows her stuff. As does Soccer AMs wonderful Helen Chamberlain.

There are women linespersonpeople already, but I doubt women will ever get into the teams we know and love as players.

Womens footy has advanced massively over the last decade. The quality and skill of the players is much improved over when it started, but still a long way to go to match professional male footballers ( except maybe for that really useless one in the premiership.......you know who I mean ! )

I was watching the womens Euro championships last year and some of them were really fit !!!

( slightly off topic, but I thought it was worth a mention ! )

[crizzle]

Its a modern world and she should be allowed

[1bloke1dog1mr2]

I was watching the womens Euro championships last year and some of them were really fit !!!

( slightly off topic, but I thought it was worth a mention ! )

Nothing wrong with that, how many premier male footballers do you see advertising brands just because of their looks (not sure why they've chosen Wayne Rooney for a well known sugary drink though ).

Me & the hubby don't like football, so having women involved with the game in any shape or form makes no odds to us! I do like a bit of sexual equality though .

[Kev Mc]

Nothing wrong with that, how many premier male footballers do you see advertising brands just because of their looks (not sure why they've chosen Wayne Rooney for a well known sugary drink though ).

He's a fat, ugly, disloyal, money-grabbing, diving cheat with a massive attitude problem who goes to brothels while he's in a long-term, steady relationship. He's a great role model

[Jimlad]

Nope!!

A bunch of un-co-ordinated flailing armed women, toe bashing a ball about in the wrong direction......

Keep them away from football and tied to the kitchen sink!!!

Jim awaits the onslaught from the female population who think they can compete in a mans world! :P (Duck and cover! )

[Boro Sera]

Jim awaits the onslaught from the female population who think they can compete in a mans world! :P (Duck and cover! )

you shouldn't even need to duck Jim, they can't throw properly either ! :P :P :P

[Jimlad]

lmao! :D

[dead_bodys_everywhere]

Nothing wrong with that, how many premier male footballers do you see advertising brands just because of their looks (not sure why they've chosen Wayne Rooney for a well known sugary drink though ).

He's a fat, ugly, disloyal, money-grabbing, diving cheat with a massive attitude problem who goes to brothels while he's in a long-term, steady relationship. He's a great role model

You guys still dont like him cause he left you for a better team ?

[Kev Mc]

Nothing wrong with that, how many premier male footballers do you see advertising brands just because of their looks (not sure why they've chosen Wayne Rooney for a well known sugary drink though ).

He's a fat, ugly, disloyal, money-grabbing, diving cheat with a massive attitude problem who goes to brothels while he's in a long-term, steady relationship. He's a great role model

You guys still dont like him cause he left you for a better team ?

I don't like him because of the way he left, his attitude while he was here & his attitude since. I don't mind a player leaving, it's part of football, if they're good it hurts but you get over it, but it's the way he left & the things he's done since that niggles me. Tommy Gravesen, for example, would get a great reception if ever he returned to Goodison because he always put the effort in, we could all understand him not wanting to turn down Real Madrid & he's only said good things about us since he left, he's a great professional. Rooney though is about as far from being a great professional as you can possibly get, his attitude has always stunk & as a role model he's not far down the list of the worst in football.

I hope Moyes sues the balls off him, he's a disgrace

[Johndcfc]

Nothing wrong with that, how many premier male footballers do you see advertising brands just because of their looks (not sure why they've chosen Wayne Rooney for a well known sugary drink though ).

He's a fat, ugly, disloyal, money-grabbing, diving cheat with a massive attitude problem who goes to brothels while he's in a long-term, steady relationship. He's a great role model

You guys still dont like him cause he left you for a better team ?

I don't like him because of the way he left, his attitude while he was here & his attitude since. I don't mind a player leaving, it's part of football, if they're good it hurts but you get over it, but it's the way he left & the things he's done since that niggles me. Tommy Gravesen, for example, would get a great reception if ever he returned to Goodison because he always put the effort in, we could all understand him not wanting to turn down Real Madrid & he's only said good things about us since he left, he's a great professional. Rooney though is about as far from being a great professional as you can possibly get, his attitude has always stunk & as a role model he's not far down the list of the worst in football.

I hope Moyes sues the balls off him, he's a disgrace

Scored a cracking goal tonight mind!