Aside from the famous rant back in 1996 when Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan, ranted at Sir Alex Ferguson, he rarely courted controversy, but all that could be about to change after comments he made at a function came into the media domain.
Keegan, who enjoyed a stellar playing career for club and country and also famously went on to manage England, has passed judgment on what he calls “lady footballers” with language that could be considered demeaning and sexist.
It could also land him in hot water and quite possibly derail his after dinner speaking career.
“I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match because I don’t think it’s the same experience. I have a problem with that,” he’s reported as saying at An Evening With Kevin Keegan OBE, a public event in Bristol, by The Times (subscription required).
“[…] If I see an England lady footballer saying about England against Scotland at Wembley and she’s saying, ‘If I would have been in that position I would have done this,’ I don’t think it’s quite the same. I don’t think it crosses over that much.”
Whether or not those comments are agreed with, and The Times do say that they were met with some applause at the time, Keegan will be only too aware of the way that he’s spoken about issues that are clearly close to the heart for many, and how his comments could be interpreted.
To take a stance akin to ‘football is a man’s game’ is a little outdated now, although there’s a wider issue in play.
It isn’t that women’s football should be seen as equal as the men’s game because that’s somehow ‘correct,’ but moreover, it’s about not giving a voice to those females who are just as competent and capable as men in the same position.
Get a life. Womens football is not the same as mens. End of story.
Is there no one you woke lot won’t try to cancel?
I have been involved in developing girls and ladies football in the area I live, however I tend to agree that the number of women commentating on the the mens game is too much.
The women’s World Cup was excellent, women talking about the women’s game was enlightening, in many ways, way harsher than how the mens game is viewed, loved it.
However, now in the mens game, all the interviewers are good looking women, with a few old pros thrown in. I’m not saying women shouldn’t be involved, but it’s too much.
So on this I’m with Keegan. Also nothing wrong with referring to a woman as a lady.
But they’re not. Completely different standards of skill and competition. Set up a game Ladies vrs Men to provecitconcevand for all. Then people won’t have to tiptoe around egos.
It’s simples really, I’m the same, I don’t want to listen to a woman on men’s football, my choice, so why is it wrong? Same as a man on women’s football. They have their own game, leagues, champs league, Cup and international football, so let them commentate on that, and leave the men’s game to men commentators.