[Albion] Women commentators - my biggest bugbear….

[Codner's Wallop]

My biggest bugbear about women commentators isn’t the fact that as a collective group I believe them to be privileged, annoying or crap (as so often banded about by both fans and pundits).

My biggest bugbear is the fact fans have to KEEP GENDERING commentators or pundits AT ALL.

Karen Carney was frankly dismal on Monday night on Sky for the Albion v Palace ding-dong. Alex Scott, Emma Hayes etc have been rightly lauded as being bloody fantastic on various channels.

None of these examples should have anything to do with the fact they are women. They are commentators or pundits.

Steve Claridge and Tim Sherwood are bungling, boorish and frankly deluded pundits. Do we need to also mention they are both blokes? Of course not…

It’s now almost become statutory to elucidate any assessment around women punditry with the following disclaimer.

‘I’m all for women commentators BUT she’s terrible’ OR ‘For a woman, she is really insightful’. Ad nauseam.

Sorry probably drank too much red last night but felt the need to share…

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

Top post, with extra marks for your clickbaity title

 

[faoileán]

It wasn't that long ago that seeing a black player on the pitch was a novelty, in fact I recall one moron saying that Palace fielding Vince Hilaire was "cheating" These days no one talks about Bissouma being a great black player; he's just a great player. Similarly in time I predict women pundits and commentators will be judged on the quality of their contribution and not their gender.

 

[junior]

Lets see if you get as much abuse as i did a few weeks back for saying that Alex Scott was shit on Football Focus, which actually had nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with her being a crap host.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

My biggest bugbear about women commentators isn’t the fact that as a collective group I believe them to be privileged, annoying or crap (as so often banded about by both fans and pundits).

My biggest bugbear is the fact fans have to KEEP GENDERING commentators or pundits AT ALL.

Karen Carney was frankly dismal on Monday night on Sky for the Albion v Palace ding-dong. Alex Scott, Emma Hayes etc have been rightly lauded as being bloody fantastic on various channels.

None of these examples should have anything to do with the fact they are women. They are commentators or pundits.

Steve Claridge and Tim Sherwood are bungling, boorish and frankly deluded pundits. Do we need to also mention they are both blokes? Of course not…

It’s now almost become statutory to elucidate any assessment around women punditry with the following disclaimer.

‘I’m all for women commentators BUT she’s terrible’ OR ‘For a woman, she is really insightful’. Ad nauseam.

Sorry probably drank too much red last night but felt the need to share…

I suppose it depends who you hang around with. It never gets mentioned when I watch telly football (as I do, every day, with some pals).

It does get mentioned on NSC from time to time. I support your derision of it

 

[Eeyore]

Well, it shouldn't be an issue. But they do get singled out. Like female officials.

So folk will naturally get quite precious and defensive about it.

I've often wondered what it would be like if the female voices were autocued into male ones. I wonder what opinion would be then.

Females get less slack. I've witnessed that. A while ago NSC, although broadly in favour, had many with opposing views about them.

I don't notice it very much really. I can't think of a commentator I don't like. But I do feel a lot of them, even some senior commentators, don't bring a great deal to the party.

 

[Codner's Wallop]

Lets see if you get as much abuse as i did a few weeks back for saying that Alex Scott was shit on Football Focus, which actually had nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with her being a crap host.

Well, that’s exactly what I am talking about. It’s bizarre isn’t it?

People who lambast someone else for criticising a commentator who happens to be a woman (not because she is woman) are pivotal to the problem and in equal parts patronising and offensive.

It always reminds me of that hideous Mika song about Big Women Being Beautiful or summin. A song to tackle discrimination- which by its definition was OVERTLY DISCRIMINATORY,

 

[Wozza]

Thinking of printing some T-shirts for matchdays.

"I'm only here so I don't have to listen to Karen Carney"

Who's in?

 

[cjd]

I find them all annoying, regardless of gender.

I think they all talk too much these days.

The commentry went down during the Arsenal game for about 10 minutes. It was bliss.

I see that you live in Hove. Should I assume then, that you didn't watch the match at the Amex....?

 

[A1X]

It's weird how football fans seem to do themselves such an aneurism about women doing pundit or commentating jobs, whereas in cricket the likes of Alison Mitchell, Isa Guha and Ebony Rainford-Brent have been doing it for years and it seems to be basically unworthy of comment other than the odd social media troll (although sadly in the case of the latter two it's less about them being women as about their race)

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Steve Claridge and Tim Sherwood are bungling, boorish and frankly deluded pundits. Do we need to also mention they are both blokes? Of course not…

Given the shit female pundits have to endure its utterly imperative we mention these idiots are both men.

 

[Live by the sea]

I find it all unnecessary when we celebrate women or black people etc as being specially singled out in their own category. Everyone should be treated the same and equally . We don’t need for example MOBI awards , we just need music awards for everyone .

 

[Guinness Boy]

I find them all annoying, regardless of gender.

I think they all talk too much these days.

The commentry went down during the Arsenal game for about 10 minutes. It was bliss.

Come to the ground and support them - there's no commentary at all to put up with.

 

[cjd]

Don't get to games very often these days sadly - but still get to watch most of them.

Oh, ok, that's a pity, but you have so much to say about the Albion...? Yet you rarely actually see them. From someone who has watched and supported the Albion for 57 years now, but doesn't see so many games as I live in France.. ( Have only seen Getafe, Watford and Everton this season ) I know full well that what you see on the TV is significantly different to what you see actually live at the stadium.

 

[Codner's Wallop]

I find them all annoying, regardless of gender.

I think they all talk too much these days.

The commentry went down during the Arsenal game for about 10 minutes. It was bliss.

Enter Sam Matterface - listening to him during the World Cup was like downing Baileys, Slush Puppy and Vodka Red Bull in one - sickly, stupid and devoid of subtlety.

Though funnily never heard people bemoaning ITV’s decision to choose a male commentator for the biggest footballing showcase on earth….

 

[Guinness Boy]

Enter Sam Matterface - listening to him during the World Cup was like downing Baileys, Slush Puppy and Vodka Red Bull in one - sickly, stupid and devoid of subtlety.

Though funnily never heard people bemoaning ITV’s decision to choose a male commentator for the biggest footballing showcase on earth….

Yep. Dreadful.

I get you. Matterface is an awful commentator. Emma Hayes is a great summariser and pundit. And that's it.

However, she's actively involved in a football team whereas Matterface is actively involved in promoting Sam Matterface.

 

[Lethargic]

I think its fair to say football does seem to get more than its fair share of completely muppets as commentators and pundits. Far more so than other sports guess its something to do with the overbearing media circus that follows football more than any other sport.

 

[Icy Gull]

My wife, who is not really much of a football fan often looks up when I am watching games and says “shut up woman for God’s sake”

She did, however, watch last nights game and enjoyed it. Sadly she didn’t tell Alan Smith to shut up

 

[southstandandy]

Monday I got two jobs done for the price of one.

Wanted to watch the Albion game and also needed some wallpaper removing. Sat and watched the game and the commentator's voice took care of the wallpaper. Fantastic!

 

[CheeseRolls]

Lets see if you get as much abuse as i did a few weeks back for saying that Alex Scott was shit on Football Focus, which actually had nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with me being an irritating git most of the time.

If you want people to like and respect your posts, try being a bit more pleasant once in a while, would be my advice. If you don't care what people think just stop bleating about it.