There’s probably quite a small crossover audience between The Anfield Wrap and the Radio Four programme Woman’s Hour.
Or is that me being misogynistic? Maybe I’ve missed a huge demographic as obsessed with cosmetic filling procedures and women’s rights in Saudi Arabia as it is with Jordan Henderson’s ideal position and the Andy Carroll question.
Assuming you’re not a regular listener, here’s a link to the show from last week, in which Pat Nevin and Alan Green discuss sexism in football.
The debate was triggered by the Suarez case, and you may have to grit your teeth during the introduction, but the central point is both a reasonable and a necessary one.
In all the sound and fury surrounding the FA’s ruling, the focus has been on Suarez and Liverpool’s response, while any examination of Evra has been superficial at best.
The press, having largely decided an official version of events is there to be regurgitated rather than probed or challenged, have occasionally attempted to inject some balance in to their reporting.
Unfortunately the main example of this, the Daily Mail’s ‘expose’ centring on a widely-available four-year-old YouTube clip, was as clumsy as some of the coverage which has portrayed Suarez as definitely guilty of offences not admitted, found proven or in some cases even mentioned by the FA commission.
Upon its publication the story caused a stir among plenty of Liverpool fans eager to hold it aloft as a smoking gun but it was far from damning evidence.
Yes, in the clip Evra uses the word ‘niggers’. But if you can’t see why it might be more problematic for a white man to employ the term than a black one, well, let’s just say the Mail know their readership.
Another point would be that Evra was a younger man when the clip was filmed in 2004, a man who had yet to arrive in a country where the term was significantly loaded. All mitigation. All context. All worth bearing in mind. All forgotten in a rush to judgement.
It took Woman’s Hour to point out the more fundamental question raised by Evra’s actions during the incident with Suarez.
Why is there no suggestion in the report or from the FA of bringing a charge based on the inherent sexism in the phrase with which Evra admits he opened the exchange between the players, ‘concha de tu hermana’
As the FA’s report notes, the words translate directly as ‘your sister’s cunt/pussy’ (the report prevaricates over which, and just about comes down on the side of ‘pussy’, which the panel deemed to be less offensive.)
Ah, the report adds, this might be unpleasant but linguistic experts assure us it’s a relatively harmless curse in a Hispanic context, equivalent to something like ‘fucking hell’.
Very probably true. Yet should this matter? After all, in the case of racism, as the report itself states:
“it is the Commission’s task to decide whether the use of the word in England is abusive or insulting. The use of the word in a particular way might be seen as inoffensive by many in Uruguay. The same use of the same word in England might nevertheless be abusive or insulting”
Why should this not apply to sexist language? How do cultural differences explain away the use of the female genitalia in a derogatory fashion but provide no basis for mitigation in a racism case?
I’m not arguing this is all some big conspiracy. I’m not even arguing Evra could necessarily be charged, as the game is so far behind society in this that it barely has the regulatory apparatus with which to frame a case.
If the FA were in uncharted waters in dealing with the Suarez case, they might as well be neck-deep in the Sea of Tranquility when it came to Evra.
So it’s probably easier for them to let it go. And nobody’s too fussed, apart from a few women who won’t go the match anyway.
Meanwhile, Manchester City get 36,000 for a cup semi-final. Everton can’t sell out for the Derby. Empty seats are multiplying at Old Trafford.
You might not be a feminist. You might hold the kind of views Mike Newell expressed and Paul Jewell hinted at (but Harry Kewell, disappointingly for poetry fans, did not). That’s up to you. But I love football and want it to thrive, to grow stronger as a true people’s game – not just 50 per cent of the people’s game.
Just as great strides have been made against racism through organised campaigns and high-profile figures speaking out, so it must be time for fans of good conscience to make inroads into eradicating sexism.
Let’s be honest – while morality has been an important factor behind anti-racism campaigns, the underlying consideration for clubs and national associations has been the profit motive. Black people who are good at football help make the game a better product, and ensure the cash keeps flowing from global markets. Nothing can be allowed to jeopardise that. Fortunately moral good and capitalist aims coincide nicely in this area.
Because women can’t play the professional game, they’re too often sidelined and forgotten, those who do come to grounds taken for granted and those who don’t simply ignored.
The FA would not have to charge Evra, though that would satisfy the tribalist in many of us. Some recognition that what he said was, as the FA might put it, both ‘abusive and insulting’ might help show that maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day football might start taking all forms of prejudice seriously.
As one of those few women who is in both demographics (and my missus has actually been a guest on Woman’s Hour a few times) I think this is well said.
It’s funny how certain types of ‘offence’ are deemed more worthy of punishing. As I said when all this story first broke – had Suarez (or Evra) made a homophobic slur – would we still be seeing this level of official intervention? I know what my money’s on.
Ultimately all types of discrimination should be cracked down on, but I don’t think the FA is anywhere near competent enough to do that apart from when they need the headlines to have a go at UEFA.
As a woman who enjoys football it’s really disappointing that Evra’s comment has been brushed aside first by the FA panel and then by the media. I find it incredible that the panel didn’t at least warn him as to his future conduct regarding this issue. As it is he was actually given credit for admitting it and somehow this enhanced his credibility in the eyes of the panel.
“Why is there no suggestion in the report or from the FA of bringing a charge based on the inherent sexism in the phrase with which Evra admits he opened the exchange between the players, ‘concha de tu hermana”
There was no suggestion in the report because no-one questioned it as far as they could, if at all. There are actually enough provisions in place to deal with this situation but until the FA actually decide to consistently use them, there’s little point of them even having them.
I grew up living in a predominately male house, and if I didn’t speak sport then I didn’t get spoken to. Now, this is a blessing and a curse. Most men think it’s a good thing but there’s still those that disregard whatever I say because “I’m a girl, what would I know?” And it’s not just football either, I go to matches and Pro 40 or Twenty20 cricket games and I still get asked why I’m there, why I’m not at home doing whatever it is women do?
Whilst progress is being made, the case of Andy Gray and Richard Keys shows that sexism in football is beginning to be taken seriously, the fact that certain chants still echo around stadiums and I for one have had to endure abuse from rival fans shows that as a society, there is still a long way to go and without the FA setting any kind of precedence, it will continue to be this way.
“Yes, in the clip Evra uses the word ‘niggers’. But if you can’t see why it might be more problematic for a white man to employ the term than a black one, well, let’s just say the Mail know their readership.”
I just wanted to comment on the above quote as I was hoping that when people saw that video clip they didn’t all jump on it for the wrong reasons. When I first saw the clip my immediate reaction was not ‘Why is it okay for him to use it and not a white person’. When Evra was asked why he didn’t tell the referee that he had been called a ‘nigger’ he responded saying that this was not a word he liked to use. This video alongside Evra telling Fergie and his teammates that he had been called a nigger by Suarez should have lessened Evra’s credibility as a witness but again no-one mentioned it.
What an interesting article.
I won’t spin you the sob stories about how difficult it is being a female football (amongst other sports) fan, most female fans have been subjected to the banter and the crude remarks. What pleases me most is that a male commentator has had the conviction to stand up for women. I totally agree with Let’s Kick Racism Out Of Football et al. Racism is NOT something that should be acceptable in football, nor any part of modern society. Yet, whilst there is outrage about it, campaigns against sexism and homosexuality amongst others get left by the wayside. Is it right, for example, to condemn Suarez for his actions, yet allow West Ham to parade two “models” around the pitch at their match tonight for the pleasure of their male audience, with no regard as to how the women will feel about it? What sort of example is it to set for the young children there, when young boys are being shown that this is the only capacity in which women are useful to football, and show young girls that being anorexically skinny and plastic is something to aspire to? Now I’m not a feminist by any means, but this strikes me as just one inherently hypocritical example in football, another being excellently pointed out by the author.
Why can’t we simply campaign to kick Discrimination out of football? Probably because it wouldn’t suit the FA, paradigms of virtue that they are.
Brilliant this Steve, I seemed to miss it at the time it came out but glad you sent out the reminder.
Unfortunately it’s not very hard to believe that neither the media nor the FA gave any consideration whatsoever to the remark mentioned above. In the press box at Anfield for a recent game I heard one of my fellow professionals – one who was critical of Kenny Dalglish’s Suarez stance (which is fair enough but he’s often rather openly disrespectful about the man himself) – talk about one of Sky Sports News’ presenters in the most foul manner to another.
I was sat there pretty embarrassed but nobody batted an eyelid and it’s just the worst example of the type of thing you hear all the time.
If there are misogynistic idiots at the very top of the game and then its media arm then what chance for change other than to wait for a new, more educated, generation to come through? Otherwise, who’s going to root them out?
Actually I’d like to add that I don’t want to tar everyone in the press with that brush, You meet plenty of enlightened and intelligent people in this line of work, in fact many of those who cover LFC you will know of and have met and they are great people.
Just thought the example might interest you anyway.
Another excellent post from one of only a handful of sites I have felt able to visit during this whole hideous mess. I am so proud of the intelligent and well thought out articles that have been written and defended under the most egregious attacks from the wider world.
I also agree with the above posters. It is often tough being a female football supporter. Even with my most enlightened male friends, I have had to work harder to get a level of respect than the average Sunday Supplement believing, TalkSport listening male or even Paul Merson would be offered.
It’s been especially tough recently as a female Liverpool supporter – in the eyes of many now my opinion not only carries less weight than my male counterparts but is now casually racist to boot. Awesome. Well played faux-self-righteous media narrative. Well played Sky Sports and your nauseatingly over hyped SuperSuperSuperSuperSundayEvenThoughIt’sStokevAstonVilla style of promoting the game – hugely culpable in creating the current demand for frenzied sensationalism.
And, actually, on the matter of women and sexism in football Sky Sports do play an interesting role. Sky Sports News in particular have appointed a significant number of female presenters and journalists in prominent roles. This has to be a good thing. Right? Helpful in getting some respect and equality based on our skill and knowledge. Right?
Well, no. Lets take Claire Tomlinson, for example, who has worked in football for the vast majority of her career with high profile positions with the FA and Arsenal and on programmes such as Goals on Sunday, UEFA coverage and now as a ‘Through The Night’ Sky Sports presenter (I’ll come back to that point). She speaks eloquently and intelligently (for a Spurs fan) on all aspects of the game and I think would be up there with someone like Gabby Logan for respect within the industry.
She came to mind as last week she tweeted:
‘Just got called “an old bitch” on @SkySportsNews. Of course, I can only deny the ‘bitch’ bit! #Aren’tsomepeoplecharming!’
And, out of interest I just did a Twitter search for her name. Here are the top three results:
From the charming Louis Walmsley of Derby:
‘Fucking hell Claire Tomlinson has gone right down hill!’
The charmingly monikered @GrandmasterGash or Frankie Wall, as his mother would call him, writes:
“Sky Sports News presenters r like most unreal bunch of Females on my telly Except Claire Tomlinson she old an grey Do they have a calender??”
And finally, Neil McCole a ‘Footballing Maestro who can Zing it better than Scholesy’ yet seems to have been tragically overlooked and left to languish in pub football adds:
“Claire tomlinson gt off my @SkySportsNews screen! Equal oppertunities and all that bt yr jst a bt ugly compared to the rest #comebackgeorgie”
These three gentlemen, with their fleeting grasp on spelling and grammar, not only think up these brilliant one liners but make sure get them out to the wider audience they deserve. I’m sure their male friends laugh heartily and re-tweet this Wildean wit to each of their tens of followers.
In another part of Twitter though, Georgie Thompson’s @timeline currently starts with:
“@OfficiallyGT Roses are Red, Violets are blue. You’re Georgie Thompson, I’d definitely do you. #romanceisdead”
Now, she may have a personal connection with @PeterGaunt11 (Home advantage always makes a difference on FIFA..) and his 47 followers and this is the start of a beautiful friendship. I somehow doubt it.
Georgie Thompson’s timeline is filled with similarly themed comments. Vastly different to Clare Tomlinson’s. They are both successful professionals who are intelligent, knowledgeable and good at what they do. I’m going to take a wild and possibly unfair guess that @GrandmasterGash, unlike Georgie Thompson, does not hold a 2:1 in Broadcast Journalism. Both women deserve to be where they are on merit. Right?
No. One is the new face of F1 coverage. The other presents ‘Through The Night’.
I think we may still have some way to go, girls…
I would like to finish this very cathartic mini-rant by thanking all contributors to this site and to the podcast for their continued excellence. Sanity in a very infuriating madhouse.
One thing does strike me though. Look along the faces at the top of this page. Notice anything?
This a big point that needs much more exposure Steve. Well said.