https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...-abandoned-sexist-abuse-referee-b2866148.html A non-league match was abandoned on Saturday afer both clubs alleged sexist abuse was aimed at a female referee. AFC Rushden & Diamonds said its game at Coventry Sphinx was cancelled at half-time after the comment was made, saying it would take “the strongest possible action” if the culprit was found to be connected to the club. A club statement read: “A comment of a sexist nature was allegedly directed toward the female match official towards the end of the first half. Attempts to identify the individual were unsuccessful. The Diamonds’ first-team manager Elliot Sandy told the club’s in-house media afterwards that the referee stopped the game for the individual to be removed. The match then resumed but at half-time the official told the team she did not feel comfortable continuing.
As a snap judgement, without knowing the facts, I'd say that one nasty comment should never stop a football match. I played Sunday League, as did many others, and some of the behaviour, language and insults were absolutely dreadful ... ... but no one ever wanted a game abandoned even after a mass brawl. If someone can't handle nasty comments they shouldn't be put in that position. I was a night club doorman, for 11 years, and called things that even made me cringe ... ... but I never asked for the concert to be stopped or even threw anyone out for it. Things are becoming a bit daft, sorry to anyone I've offended with my comments ... ... just please don't make any nasty comments in response.
It depends what was said. If it was just a comment or two, it seems like an overreaction. If it was a barrage of abuse throughout the first half, it's understandable.
“A comment of a sexist nature was allegedly directed toward the female match official towards the end of the first half." This suggests to me it was a single comment rather than a barrage.
Someone standing next to the wan ker mouthing off, should have just smacked him one... Self-policing is best
Whether it was sexist abuse toward a male or female ref they have the immediate sanction of issuing a red card. It shouldn't lead to abandonment because that indicates that the ref has lost control of the game and isn’t up to handling that level. Would she walk off the pitch if the crowd were singing 'the referee's a ****er! - after all, that's a comment of a sexual nature too! I suspect that most of us on here will be from the generation that, whatever was said to us, if we complained to our parents they would say 'sticks and stones...' and tell us to get on with it.
For me there is no place for it in the game. God knows what she has had to put up with to even get there. Cant play without a ref so hopefully there will be more respect next time.
I worked with 18 doormen and the banter towards each other was generally worse, towards ourselves, than we received from our clientele. We had a 'Brobbey', called Clyde, working with us who was exactly as you'd imagine. At the end of one night we were gradully moving everyone outside and he was becoming impatient with a straggler who was deliberately taking ages to finish his drink. Clyde leant on him, eased him out of the door and said, 'Get out of the club'. The lad shouted, 'Get back on your tyre swing!' We all, punters included, stood in stunned silence waiting for the horrific reaction ... ... he just slapped his thighs and let out a massive 'Lenny Henry' style Jamaican laugh. We laughed, all the punters laughed and, eventually the lad laughed, walked forwards, shook Clyde's hand and apologised. No idea if that story has any relevance, just a memory from back in the day.
Male referees have had stick for 150 years , just cancel football. That’ll teach the sexualising bastard twat ****s.
To be fair, and non-sexist, I checked the records for the time of the month when this last occurred. (Massive wink Becs, Bucky, etc.) I went back as far as 1863 but there's no real consensus tbh. We're currently in the phase of a waning moon, but having checked detailed lunar activity, I can find no relevant statistics. After checking football records, Home Office statistics about sexism and the effects of alcohol on the brains of football supporters ... ... I've concluded this is just one idiot being a dick and could've been resolved with a short sharp clout. However, I'll await the subsequent league enquiry, court case and and tribunal before deciding whether the enormous cost was worthwhile.
I've read elsewhere that the word used was slag. A man calling a woman a slag is sexist and misogynistic. It's casting accusations on her sex life and is degrading to her. There are still men out there who hold women in contempt and go out of their way to belittle and diminish them. There’s the argument that all refs get abuse. They do. However the abuse is usually around their actual job. We disagree with decisions, think refs make mistakes, think they are being harsh etc. “The referees a ****er” “are you f’ing blind ref?”, sarcastic cheers when a yellow card is finally given – it’s all job related and not related to the personal characteristics of the referee. I’ve seen a lot of comments over the road about how the woman should grow a thicker skin, she shouldn’t be in men’s football or she should be at home doing the dishes. Lets flip it to a different protected characteristic. Lets assume the ref was a black person and the n word was used. If people were posting that the black person should grow a thicker skin, black people shouldn’t be in men’s football or black people should stay at home and eat fried chicken etc., they’d be accused of being racist and be told to shut up. Being female is a protected characteristic and women shouldn’t be subject to male abuse that diminishes them because of their sex and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes. We need more men to stand up and call out these idiots who think abusing women is fair game. We’ve had very successful campaigns against racism with things like Show Racism the Red Card. We’ve stood up against homophobia with rainbow laces etc. Now it’s time to stand up for the women by challenging degrading behaviour by men.
I totally agree with all that ... ... just don't believe a football match should be abandoned because one idiot shouts 'slag'. Punish the culprit but don't punish the entire crowd.
It makes a point though. If the supporter was removed and the match continued, there would have been very little press coverage, if any. Abandoning the match has caused the issue to hit mainstream news, forums, social media etc. It's sending a message that this behaviour is not acceptable. Male violence against women is on the rise, fuelled by the likes of Andrew Tate and other movements. There's a whole government department trying to tackle it. The Protection from sex-based Harassment in Public act and the Online Safety Act were introduced to try and combat this. While men can see how serious crimes like rape or violent physical attacks harm women, I don't think many of them understand the mental impact the low level male violence has on women. It happens on a regular basis to women - cat calling, lewd comments, unwanted advances, patronising remarks, dick pics, derogatory comments etc. Women are told grow a thicker skin, just ignore it etc., but little is done to educate men that this behaviour is not acceptable. We need more incidents like this to highlight the problem of male violence against women and to encourage the decent men to stand up for women and help tackle it.
I think slag being commentary on the female refs sex-life is probably the least charitable way to view it, an equivalent would be like calling a male ref a wänkër and assuming it is some kind of commentary on him being an actual chronic masturbator. People use these terms out of frustration and anger, and usually not with any specific intent other than to offend or vent, in my opinion. The match being abandoned likely harms women refs overall, any people who would have stereotyped them as being soft, overly emotional or thin skinned will probably feel that has been validated. Just saying it how I see it.
It’s all quite a conundrum and I sympathise with anyone who suffers from any of these things you mention. “It happens on a regular basis to women - cat calling, lewd comments, unwanted advances, patronising remarks, dick pics, derogatory comments etc.” It's a very complicated situation and, sad to say, I think it'll all escalate as everything seems to these days. I deliberately, and rarely, come into contact with strangers , except at matches, but I can honestly say I don't believe the bad behaviour is one way only. My trains home from Newcastle to Edinburgh are often full of drunken women, on hen nights, and everything you've mentioned happens in reverse ... everything except the dick pics, of course, but they're often keen to flash their tits and call you 'misery guts' if you don't join in with 'the fun'. The drunken behaviour and sexist language is regularly crude and within earshot of ordinary people but the women seem oblivious. I usually take myself off to First Class and, if challenged, ask the ticket inspector to sort the carriage before I return to my seat ... ... they never take up the challenge
Rusden’s manager used to be the manager at the mighty Spalding United (my local team). They play tonight and there`s bound to be someone who has heard a whisper as to what went on...if I get to know what was said, how it was said and how things developed then I`ll update on here...knowing the extent of what went on before conclusions are jumped to might help...
