Would sexist football manager Mike Newell have complained about women referees if his side had won their match?
Would he have been praising Amy Newell’s Rayner brilliant on-line decision 
making skills, the off-side rule and all that, had Luton been triumphant?
An ungracious Newell had great difficulty accepting Amy’s decision as linesman when she refused to give Luton a penalty, and they lost 3-2 to Queen’s Park Rangers.
He makes no bones about being a chauvinist, saying:
“She should not be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. We have a problem in this country with political correctness and bringing women into the game is not the way to improve refereeing and officialdom.
“It is absolutely beyond belief. When do we reach a stage when all officials are women, because then we are in trouble?
“It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have, but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems.
“This is Championship football. This is not park football, so what are women doing here? It is tokenism, for the politically-correct idiots.”
I can’t see why Newell has difficulty with women being fair referees, they have to pass the same tests as men, I’m sure they work harder to prove themselves in this male domain. And plenty of women enjoy a game of footie too, though it doesn’t appeal to me, due to my lack of skills on the pitch.There are 10,000 FA affiliated women’s teams and 133,000 registered female players.
So Newell deserves all he gets and I hope he faces an FA’s disciplinary hearing. He needs reminding that their Code of Conduct does not condone this unprofessional behaviour, as these rules clearly demonstrate:
Newell has quite clearly fallen foul of these rules, I just hope his bigoted views do not elevate him to hero status by others who would prefer to see football pitches as a male-only enclave. Westminster was like that at one time, but then maybe Newell objects to women MPs too, or even women voting!
“So Newell deserves all he gets and I hope he faces an FA’s disciplinary hearing.”
I was with you all the way Ellee, until you said this. An FA’s disciplinary hearing? But for what? For stating an opinion? For stating an opinion that caused offence, or was ‘sexists’?
Come now Ellee, is it becoming the ‘British’ way to punish people for what they say, as opposed for what they do? Is the subject of women in the mens game become a taboo subject? And those who break such taboos, are they to be crucified?
The very fact that you want Newell punished for holding objectionables views, actually ends up proving Newell right. Indeed, Newell may well have a valid point – intimidation, whether we like it or not, is part and parcel of the game of football. Wimbledon would never have won the FA Cup without it – in a game were the only thing that matters is winning.
How do we know that Amy was not intimidated by 2000 screaming QPR fans standing a few feet behind her? Football grounds are intimidating places at the best of times – I should know, I’ve been a Millwall supporter all my life, even when it was unfashionable to be so, during the 80s and 90s.
Newell might be a sexist, but, does that mean we should punish him for his views? I think in a free country, we shouldn’t.
No excuse for it. His argument should have been about the quality of her decisions, not that she’s a woman. Although she did have a stinker of a game. But it’s worth keeping in mind that Newell is the man solely responsible for alerting the authorities to illegal ‘bungs’ in football. An ongoing inquiry led by Sir John Stevens will hopefully put an end to this and see at least one Premiership manager serve a prison sentence. So even though he’s still living in the stoneage, he isn’t all bad.
Disgraceful man, vilifying women this way. It will be interesting to see Amy’s next game.
I am always astonished that there are anything like enough refs and linos to go round, frankly. Running around a pitch while being abused by two teams, and the crowd, doesn’t strike me as much fun.
Hehe… I love that “Accept Defeat with Dignity” clause from the FA’s code of conduct. Reckon the likes of Mourinho and Wenger have had a read of that one lately? :-p
I agree with most of the above comments. I think Newell’s a bit of an idiot for saying what he said but throwing the book at him for it seems a bit funny. Chauvanism is a fairly unattractive personality trait these days but, unless this is North Korea all of a sudden (and John Reid probably wishes that it was, to be honest) then people should still be allowed to possess unattractive personality traits….
It would be strange if Newell got punished by the FA for speaking his mind right after that ghastly Griffin bloke got let off the hook for doing the same thing – but in a much more offensive way (I realise that one body is the FA and the other is Her Majesty’s courts, but you get my drift…).
What an unsporting man! Amy’s gender has got nothing to do with her ability to do the job. Here in Italy referees get called all kinds of names, “cuckold” being the favourite insult.
Correction for you – her name was Amy Rayner (and you can delete this if you like)
Mike Newell is entitled to his opinion and shouldn’t receive any disciplinary action.
I think women can do just a good a job as men. If they pass the same tests why shouldn’t they be allowed to referee football?
Why can’t we have mixed football teams too? if women are good enough why shouldn’t they be able to compete with men? I would like to be in those showers…
Tim, Thanks, I have amended the name, but I won’t delete your comment. I did know it was Rayner at the time, it was just a slip up.
I do believe Newell has since apologised and this topic will be discussed on Newsnight tonight.
I live in a house with three men of varying ages whose behaviour totally changes when a football match is on TV. Now what is it in their genes that causes this transformation, that makes them lose control? I suspect the same happened to Newell after his team lost. In his position, he should be more restrained and set a good example for younger fans, he has to be responsible for what he says if it breaks the FA Code of Conduct and is offensive to women. I can’t imagine Courtney making such sexist comments.
Wayne, I don’t think your reason for wanting a mixed football team will persuade the FA to consider it seriously, the mixed showers will have to remain a fantasy.
Cheezy makes a good point about Griffin and free speech. At the end of the day, it’s certainly a great thing to have. I’m not being politically correct about this, and I am not a feminist, but I do believe in equality and fairness and showing consideration to others.
I wonder what he could have said if she had given the decision the other way?
Managers are such bad losers now.
Well I can always hope…
That obviously isn’t my real reason. I think if women are good enough they should be able to play on the same skill level as men.
Wayne, I’m hopeless at footie, the odd time I have played in a mum’s match, my arms were all over the place trying to catch the ball, like netball. So I really admire women who have got some skill here. At the end of the day, the female body is not muscular like mens and physically we do not have the same strength, so it’s only fair that we play separate matches – unless it’s for fun!
Anyway, men take themselves – and football – too serious, it is, after all, just a game, a group of men chasing a ball…..
Bit of a silly boy is Mike. Mind you he has a wife and five girls. That might explain something.
Jeremy, They obviously haven’t trained him very well!
Calm yourself! – remember football managers don’t exactly talk a lot of sense after a match in which they’ve lost although I do think he has let the cat out of the bag regarding his chauvinistic views. I was at the match – I’m a sad Luton Town supporter – and thought the assistant referee actually had a good game. I myself have written to the Luton Chairman complaining of Mike Newell’s remarks but he has now apologised both publicly on television and in the press so let’s leave it at that. I know the press love this sort of controversy and will want to play it up but let’s put it to bed and move on to more important matters.
“Anyway, men take themselves – and football – too serious, it is, after all, just a game, a group of men chasing a ball…”
BLASPHEMY!
Norman, I agree that as Mike Newell has now apologised, and it’s unlikely he will behave publicly in this way again, that we can put the matter behind us.
Wayne, It was just a wind up!
well duh!
“We are so lucky to have free speech in the UK”!!
Well, given what has happened to Mike Newell (and his team) since those dark November days one cannot help feel very, very sorry for him. He was clearly under ENORMOUS stress.