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[Football] Joey Barton



Berty23

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2012
3,643
Indeed. And I would wager his opinion is a lot more common than a lot of people think.
There are also lots of blokes who don’t think women and juniors should be allowed in golf clubhouses, or that men should be nursery staff etc. doesn’t make them right.

There are lots of commentators I get annoyed by. Screeching annoys me a lot but the worst is people who just dial it in and wing it. Don’t learn player names, don’t do background research etc. just turn up and talk nonsense. Jermaine Jenas is a shocker for this but Paul Merson is the worst.
 




Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,527
tokyo
I’m happy to take it on a case by case basis. Screechy commentators ARE a difficult listen - but not every female commentator falls into this. Vicky Sparks’ voice is awful IMO, but Pien Meulensteen is one of the best currently out there 🤷‍♂️
So am I. I'm just still waiting for the first one that I like.

Like I said I have no problem with female commentators on any other sport I've heard them on but football...I've not heard one that I like yet.
 




Poojah

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2010
1,881
Leeds
Looking beyond the bigoted undertone of Barton’s rant there, I do personally prefer the majority of male commentators over their female counterparts. Is that because the cadence of the male voice lends itself better to the job, or is it based on tradition? Probably a bit of both in truth.

Likewise, I do consider the experiential knowledge of ex-male players, who have played regularly in front of 30,000+ crowds with all the ‘pressure’, scrutiny and over-analysis that comes with the modern game, as somewhat more relevant than someone who may have played at the highest level of the women’s game, but which is drastically different when all is said and done.

Is that a sexist or misogynistic perspective? I can see the argument that it might be, however it is also undeniable that there is an element of tokenism at play here (and for all the right reasons too), when all the evidence tells us that, at this moment in time at least, there is simply no comparison, let alone equality, between the men and women’s game.

As often with Barton, the points he makes between the lines are often not unreasonable, but it’s the way he writes or says the lines themselves that make him the parody he has become.
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Looking beyond the bigoted undertone of Barton’s rant there, I do personally prefer the majority of male commentators over their female counterparts. Is that because the cadence of the male voice lends itself better to the job, or is it based on tradition? Probably a bit of both in truth.

Likewise, I do consider the experiential knowledge of ex-male players, who have played regularly in front of 30,000+ crowds with all the ‘pressure’, scrutiny and over-analysis that comes with the modern game, as somewhat more relevant than someone who may have played at the highest level of the women’s game, but which is drastically different when all is said and done.

Is that a sexist or misogynistic perspective? I can see the argument that it might be, however it is also undeniable that there is an element of tokenism at play here (and for all the right reasons too), when all the evidence tells us that, at this moment in time at least, there is simply no comparison, let alone equality, between the men and women’s game.

As often with Barton, the points he makes between the lines are often not unreasonable, but it’s the way he writes or says the lines themselves that make him the parody he has become.
There is no 'undertone'. It is blatant sexism designed to get him attention.

A parody is meant to be humorous.
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

He's just a nasty piece of work trying to make himself relevant, using Action Man dolls, to call men who don't agree with him, eunochs.
 






Nicks

Well-known member
Courtney Sweetman- Kirk is another one imho who just spouts the same drivel.
She was on the Wolves game and I went to the stadium FX mode on Amazon as she was that bad.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,108
Faversham
It's a shame really Carney seems to get so many big slots as some women pundits are very very good. I remember at the Euros a few years back Emma Hayes doing a tactical breakdown of both teams shape, formation and attacking dynamic in the Poland v Slovakia game, while on the other side on the more prestigious game you had Steve McMannaman who had referred to Benjamin Mendy as 'Mondy' for an entire champions league campaign, and referring to Liverpool repeatedly as 'the boys'.
To be very honest, Hayes is brilliant, and Mcacanamanaman is a thick 'old skool' ****.
 




Napper

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
24,452
Sussex
Not a fan of women pundits or commentators personally ( have warmed to courtney sweetman kirk)

Foolish of him to air this given his status , not something he is allowed to have an opinion on without it turning into something else.

He is just digging a hole
 




Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,108
Faversham
Indeed. And I would wager his opinion is a lot more common than a lot of people think.
I agree. Along with racism, homophobia and generally being a ****. All very common, sadly.
 




Sid and the Sharknados

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 4, 2022
5,698
Darlington
My ideal football commentary combo is:
A commentator who can string a sentence together and has a relatively deep voice (either male or female) so I can more easily tune out what they're saying.
A co-commentator who's some grizzled Glaswegian to occasionally interject to say that literally anything is a "fair tackle".
 


BRIGHT ON Q

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,248
It does make you wonder how the motd Screecher ever got a job like that
 


Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
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Apr 5, 2014
25,917
Added without further commentary…


I don't normally say much about male pundits, but some are hardly footballing Einsteins. If I could have a pound for each time they mention about 'spirit, togetherness and bravery' then I'd be wealthy. All those phrases are a detraction from real tactical analysis.

If that girl had been male no-one would have taken issue. It's all a bit...

 




Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,108
Faversham
I think it depends on the game. For a huge international game in a tournament for example, I'd much rather listen to somebody co-commentating who has been there and experienced it for real. Listening to a female footballer who played when women's football was getting crowds of 300 people is not as insightful as listening to someone who has taken a penalty in a shoot out in a world cup quarter final or something. As much as they can claim it is the same thing, it isn't. In the same way that having a National League player co-commentating on a Premier League game wouldn't be.

As the 1st commentator it is completely different, because that is a communication skill rather than offering an experience. I don't like the sound of women commentators personally, but I don't really like any modern commentators. That's nothing to do with gender, it's more to do with acoustics. Having an old, posh, cultured-voiced man commentating just sounds so much more exciting and romantic to me. But there aren't many of them left doing it, and the style seems to have changed to being more about having encyclopedic football knowledge and constantly telling us statistics, rather than poetically explaining what is happening on the pitch. Old commentary was so, so much better. Barry Davies, Brian Moore, even Motson in his heyday. Whenever I watch old football videos on Youtube it's always striking how much better the commentary was then.
Ah, so by 'people' you meant yourself.

For me the best commentator ever was Alan Green. But if it is the former player experience you're after, why do you back Barry Davies and Motty? Who did they play for?

If it's the co-commentator that you find the challenge, the ones that stick in my mind are the shit ones. Top of the list is McManaman. He sees every tackle through the eyes of an imaginary Jimmy Case, and is teetering near claiming football is 'a mans game' with every utterance. To be very honest, I can literally feel my lifespan shortening when he's talking. He is the proof that being an ex-player counts for nothing if your brain doesn't work properly.

Joe Cole annoys me a bit, but I can't fink why.

The rest are all fine. Male, female, British, foreign, whatever.

You don't have to be Beethoven to describe why a piece of music has merit (or detriment). And the fabulous Brian Sewell was no painter, but his descriptions of art brought it to life in a way others couldn't match.

Anyway, PM me and I'll come round your house, give you a lovely talking to (possibly in Latin), followed by a glorious old fashion spanking, if that's sufficiently appealingly exciting and romantic. :wink:
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,693
The Fatherland
If Barton had the skill set of a sports broadcaster maybe he could present his case better?
 


Horses Arse

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2004
4,571
here and there
Added without further commentary…


He's got a point with the social media influencer bollocks, and social media in general and all it attracts. However, the irony is that he is using a very similar platform to get across his moronic views.
 


Horses Arse

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2004
4,571
here and there
There are also lots of blokes who don’t think women and juniors should be allowed in golf clubhouses, or that men should be nursery staff etc. doesn’t make them right.

There are lots of commentators I get annoyed by. Screeching annoys me a lot but the worst is people who just dial it in and wing it. Don’t learn player names, don’t do background research etc. just turn up and talk nonsense. Jermaine Jenas is a shocker for this but Paul Merson is the worst.
I listened to Talksport recently (sorry) and they were discussing the upcoming game between Newcastle and Man Utd. Cant remember who the ex player was but he was banging on about the intriguing battle between Trippier and Anthony Gordon. Who was going to get the upper had, the battle between these two being the key to the game. After he'd finsihed the female presenter said "they both play for Newcastle though". Spluttering away he stumbed for a while, I mean, ah, um, ah yest Wan Bissaka and Tripper. No idea why I said Gordon.

Still baffled. Wan Bissaka vs Tripper as the key contest in the game?

I reckon she was wrong. Gordon must have signed for Man Utd I reckon, probably be announced in January. Bloody women
 






Commander

Arrogant Prat
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
13,560
London
Ah, so by 'people' you meant yourself.

For me the best commentator ever was Alan Green. But if it is the former player experience you're after, why do you back Barry Davies and Motty? Who did they play for?

If it's the co-commentator that you find the challenge, the ones that stick in my mind are the shit ones. Top of the list is McManaman. He sees every tackle through the eyes of an imaginary Jimmy Case, and is teetering near claiming football is 'a mans game' with every utterance. To be very honest, I can literally feel my lifespan shortening when he's talking. He is the proof that being an ex-player counts for nothing if your brain doesn't work properly.

Joe Cole annoys me a bit, but I can't fink why.

The rest are all fine. Male, female, British, foreign, whatever.

You don't have to be Beethoven to describe why a piece of music has merit (or detriment). And the fabulous Brian Sewell was no painter, but his descriptions of art brought it to life in a way others couldn't match.

Anyway, PM me and I'll come round your house, give you a lovely talking to (possibly in Latin), followed by a glorious old fashion spanking, if that's sufficiently appealingly exciting and romantic. :wink:
I think you need to re-read my post about the difference between commentating and co-commentating, sir.

The last part sounds wonderful.
 


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