Keys and Gray...

[superjohnmcginlay]

I hadn't heard about this. That's brilliant.

[Reebok Rules]

I fail to see the problem here - surely they were only pointing out the obvious - that it's a man's game, invented by men, played by men and ought to be officiated by men. I mean, women DO have a place in football - catering, ticket sales, club shop etc.

Jeez - they'll be suggesting that women can actually PLAY the game next!!

That would be ok if there was still the communal bath afterwards I guess

[Gooner Girl]

I fail to see the problem here - surely they were only pointing out the obvious - that it's a man's game, invented by men, played by men and ought to be officiated by men. I mean, women DO have a place in football - catering, ticket sales, club shop etc.

Jeez - they'll be suggesting that women can actually PLAY the game next!!

That would be ok if there was still the communal bath afterwards I guess

Hmmmmm... am presuming you're joking...

Keys and Gray are clearly idiots, glad they have been caught out - but it still rankles that women aren't seen to know anything about football by those that should know better...

[thebish]

hmmm... y'see I started this thread thinking that Gray and Keys were quite wrong... but along comes a girl and who has chosen Arsenal to support - and suddenly I am not so sure...

[Prufrock]

I'm not sure they 'should' be sacked. Though it would be fair enough also if they were. Depends whether or not you want your message to be 'out of touch' and 'moronic'.

[Worthy4England]

They're not doing MNF tonight for our game.. Statement to follow

They'll probably get Rodney Marsh and Mel Gibson to do it instead

Ron Atkinson's not busy tonight..

I'm sort of torn a little on this one - I've met far more women who have no concept of the offside rule than blokes, but unfortunately, they've applied that logic to someone who looks to have a decent grasp of it. I would probably struggle with plenty of today's possible interpretations so I'll stop right there.

T'other thing is you have to differentiate between banter and discrimination (for me anyhow) - jokes about girlies understanding of the offside rule aren't new, but in today's fluffy society, banter seem to be a no-no.

Oh and as crass as some of the "ex-pros" comments can be, I'd much rather hear them, than some token female who's there because the TV companies have some quota to reach.

...Looking for caveman smiley, to save our modernists the trouble...

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

The airwaves have been kept righteously busy today. Basically, had you spent the day listening to the radio after having been away from human contact for years, you'd come to the conclusion that the following institutions are sexist and should be burnt down and the whole thiing should start again with equal proportion of women involved in the whole process:

- Football (all football, despite the fact that women's football is the fastest growing sport in the country, and that grass roots has done a lot for equality in youth sport)
- Sport in general (apparently it's stuck in the 50s, despite women tennisd players earning the same as their male counterparts at Grand Slam tournaments for doing 60% of the work)
- Men (every last one of them,. blissfully ignorant that such a sweeping generalisation could be seen as a little bit sexist)

Loose Women is OK, apparently, because their wild-eyed manbashing is on air. In which case, had Keys and Gray said what they did to the cameras, it'd be OK because it'd be seen as "banter".

Me? I thought it was a childishly unfunny bit of cockwaving that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of I'm Alan Partridge, that has stoked the fires for the people who think positive discrimination would be more beneficial than meritocratic recruitment that is already all too rare in the higher levels of the game.

[Worthy4England]

Whew - thought it was just me.

[Gooner Girl]

hmmm... y'see I started this thread thinking that Gray and Keys were quite wrong... but along comes a girl and who has chosen Arsenal to support - and suddenly I am not so sure...

Ahhh yes, plainly stupid to support a good team like arsenal who play amazing football when I could be supporting a team like Bolton...

[Lord Kangana]

Amazing football?

You see, women and football....

[Gooner Girl]

Btw - just explained the offside rule to my husband using the babies soft toys!

[Gooner Girl]

Amazing football?

You see, women and football....

I can tell amazing football when i see it - I'm an FA level 2 football coach and was there when we gave your guys a footballing lesson at the emirates earlier this season!

[thebish]

Amazing football?

You see, women and football....

I can tell amazing football when i see it - I'm an FA level 2 football coach and was there when we gave your guys a footballing lesson at the emirates earlier this season!

ahh - i see - well done.

[Harry Genshaw]

Amazing football?

You see, women and football....

I can tell amazing football when i see it - I'm an FA level 2 football coach and was there when we gave your guys a footballing lesson at the emirates earlier this season!

Ooo yer a clever little lass aren't you? Now run along and pop the kettle on

[Raven]

If all that comes out of this is Gray and Keys getting the sack then I think that's a good result

[as]

BBC brekkie had some angry bint on, complaining that there aren't enough women involved in football, surely women should run women's football and vice versa?

Although I imagine a flat-d*ck would have no problem sending off Rooney after a mouthful of scouse abuse.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Do these two actually know anything about the game? Gray's "Messi couldn't do that in the Premiership" and Keys' "Pirlo hit a great free kick, could he be the new Cristiano Ronaldo" guff grinds my gears.

Get James Richardson on, now.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

They may not survive this little episode.

Here's hoping.

[CrazyHorse]

Former executive deputy chairman of Millwall Football Club Heather Rabbatts told BBC Radio 5 live the game needed more female officials.

"But when they're appointed, sadly, they'll get the same abuse as their male colleagues."

Yes love they will get the same abuse as men; it's called equality. It's what women have been demanding for decades.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Keys clearly loves himself. He genuinely seems to think that presenting a TV show is something of an achievement; something, even, to be proud of. It isn't. If your job is to stand in front of a camera and ask Andy Gray questions your career achievements rank alongside Jordan's or someone who failed to make it past the X Factor auditions.

So, no punishment for incompetence and a one match ban for obnoxiousness. Not much really.