KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Andy Gray/Richard Keys

Fekkin poodles are a nightmare.

that man makes me physically sick.

football has a blatter infection.

Not as bad as Bischon frise

Nasty little man,that comment about homosexuals was hideous.

Mind u,if you looked like that or a poodle you would be a angry little fekker.

There's only one relevant question when considering whether someone should be an official, which is simply "can they do it?". And there's absolutely no reason why a woman can't run the line, or referee for that matter.

As for arguments about sexist abuse, should we not have had officials from ethnic minorities because of racist abuse? That's just as valid an argument. And just as flawed.

It's not ridiculous in the slightest.

The physical requirements of officiating and the physical requirements of playing the game at this level are hugely different.

Speaking generally, women are clearly capable of meeting the physical requirements of officiating, so there is no reason for them not to. The physical demands of playing the game at the highest level are a different matter. Recognising that is not ridiculous, it's logical.

Demanding that 'gender sports' be completely distinct regardless of whether it makes sense or not, that's ridiculous.

Should these two muppets have made these comments? NO!!!

Had they said "we have a black, or gay linesman today, I wonder if they know the offside rule", they would have probably been sacked by now. Unfortunately, it is still generally considered acceptable to make comments snide about women without any sanction at all.

Secondly, it is forgotten that women played a huge role in the development of football in this country.

It was a huge spectator sport, very popular and played by women who often were working in factories for long hours, sometimes making munitions for the soldiers in WW1.

Women's football matches would draw large crowds (20/30,00 was not unusual), and was more popular than the mens games which were not so well supported or popular.

The biggest gate ever to a womens game was when over 50,000 went to Goodison Park to watch the match - a figure that many clubs today would be hard to match!

They had paid transfers between clubs, had the first ever international football match, and did actually play some games against mens teams, with the USA President starting the game when Preston Ladies played in Washington.

None of this went down well with the (all male)stuffy FA, who were not happy that the mens game was being overlooked. They decided to ban the womens game outright and deny them any access to FA affiliated clubs or properties.

They used the excuse that it was not suitable for women to be seen playing the game, (apparently women were ok to work hours on end making bombs and bullets in factories but God forbid they should want to kick a ball about!) but their decision destroyed womens football in this country, and to be honest has never recovered.

The ban wasn't lifted until the 1970's but even so lack of sponsorship and funding still made the womens game less successful than the mens.

Until the dinosaur attitudes still prevelant in the halls of power and elsewhere disappear, comments like those made by Gray and Keys will be considered acceptable and just a bit of a laugh.

Unfortunately I think that will take a long time.

Perhaps you are comfortable with women being abused on a football pitch by men, I'm not. Snooker is fine, football? No way do I want to see that.

good post,well researched.