Those of you that follow English football might have noticed that there was a female linesman running the touchline in the Wolves vs. Liverpool game on Saturday afternoon. I must admit that my eyebrow rose slightly at the unfamiliar sight.

We’re all aware of the old saying: “Football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans; rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.” Well not only do I believe this holds true for the competitors, but I also do for some of the broadcasters. Archaic broadcasters at that.

According to the Daily Mail:

[Sky Sports football pundits] Andy Gray and Richard Keys were forced to apologise after sexist off-air comments about assistant referee Sian Massey were made public. [The duo] ridiculed Massey’s ability to understand the offside law before Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Wolves on Saturday.

The pair offered a generic apology, which Sky has since released on their behalf. They’re clearly ballsy characters, as they offered nothing themselves when they were on air last night for the Blackburn vs. West Brom game.

I’ll be the first to admit that from the limited exposure I’ve had of Gray and Keys, these two ‘blokes’ know their sport well. They’ve been involved in Sky’s football coverage since the English Premier League’s inception back in 1992. But after hearing about this, I realised that their level of arrogance quashes any ounce of humility these two experienced men might have. Clearly the old-fashioned plonkers have some work to do in getting over themselves.

“Speaking to each other in the studio before the game, believing their microphones were off, Keys had said: ‘Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her [Massey].’

Former Scotland striker Gray replied: ‘Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women don’t know the offside rule.’ To which Keys said: ‘Course they don’t. I can guarantee you there will be a big one today. Kenny (Liverpool manager Dalglish) will go potty. This isn’t the first time, is it? Didn’t we have one before?’”

The outlandish bigotry at play here is somewhat amusing; purely coming from two codgers who are so passed it that Sky’s make-up team must be cursing their employment. They represent everything that is wrong with TV pundits: they offer nothing for the progressive thinkers, preventing any talented ‘fresh daisies’ from furthering a career in broadcasting. There’s not much for the youthful presenters to shoot for when the old continue to claw on to their positions for all they’re worth. Move on.

People say that the football powers are completely resistant to change within the game; calls for goal line technology are the obvious embodiment of the growing pains of the progressivists. However, the fact that females are included in officiating men’s football in the UK is proof of an evolving sport. Massey correctly called Raul Meireles onside in the build up to Fernando Torres’ first goal, when the initial thought that he was a mile off. This was a call that we have seen botched on countless occasions and yet ‘she’ was spot on. How’s that for a metaphoric middle finger?

Sky should see this as an out to employ some younger, more inspired football pundits to replace the bygones. Enough with the obsolete bullshit already. I recommend this chap.

To listen to the audio of their ‘off air’ gaffe click through to Caught Offside.

[Sources: Daily Mail; Daily Mail]

Main image via The Daily Mail.