A football ‘sexism storm’ stars the uncompromising Phil Jewell and Amy Fearn
LAST night, Ipswich lost 2-1 to Birmingham. Ipswich manager Paul Jewell was upset with defeat and an unpunished challenge in the box on Ipswich winger Lee Miller. The referee’s assistant was Amy Fearn – a woman.
Cue the Daily Mail:
“JEWELL PENALTY RAGE AT FEMALE OFFICIAL”
Why draw attention to the woman official? Will the Mail now be questioning the referee’s assistants’ performances in all matches and featuring them in the headlines? Or is a woman with a flag worthy of more attention than a man?
Said Jewell:
“Unfortunately, everyone to a man could see it was a penalty, but not a woman. Although the referee didn’t have a good sight of the incident, the lineswoman had a great view of it. It was a stonewall penalty and a sending off. You need to ask him [referee Robert Lewis] and her [Fearn] why they didn’t give it. I asked both of them about it at the end but all I got was the wall of silence.”
That’s what the Daily Mail calls a “sexism storm“. The Sun says it is a “soccer sexism row”.
Has Jewell discriminated by referring to Fearn as a ‘woman’ and ‘her’? No. But this is football, another planet on which intrepid reporters seek out bigotry and racism with a magnifying glass.
Anyhow, Jewell has a lot of time for women. See that News of the World sex tape, allegedly. Or, rather, don’t…
Posted: 12th, January 2012 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
