The Dawn of a New Era?



Pair of Pricks & a Trophy.



Throughout the past week, and the past few days especially, it’s been nigh-on impossible to ignore the self-described "banterous" and rather primitive actions of the, now former, Sky Sports live football presenters (and commentator in the case of the latter) Richard Keys and Andy Gray. Sadly, the fortune of the sport itself looks to temporarily decline as a consequence of their juvenile actions, however this isn’t simply a sporting matter. The action taken by Sky Sports was thoroughly just, regardless of whether it’s a common occurrence down a local pub or not. The fact of the matter is that the pair’s comments have only served to bring a premature end to what could have been a prolonged timeframe endured by the sport without the much maligned sexist stigma attached to it.

Sexism in Sport.

I am in no way saying that sexism doesn’t exist as banter, but the axiom of banter is that it operates on a playful level and is in no way suited to offend or undermine, this however, has succeeded in achieving both. One of the main issues that I take with all of this is that the acts of two individuals have been generalised across an entire population of people, to whom football is a way of life, by the media. To say that sexism is still rife in English football is entirely vacuous. Since the playing days of footballers such as Andy Gray, the game has come a long way, and that’s gone largely unnoticed. You only have to view the efficiency in which other, past issues surrounding the sport have been largely removed. Racism for instance has been vastly eradicated from football over here in comparison to other countries which are yet to replicate such a feat, and that’s an achievement that should not be underestimated.

The Knock-on Effect.
The other main issue that I take with this story is the exploitation of assistant referee Sian Massey. Obviously she’s the victim in this microcosmic situation of sexism itself, but isolating her as a character that people should empathise with benefits her in no way whatsoever. Massey is a professional; she’s knowingly pursued a career in the sport when, as in all walks of life, she understood the possibility of such moronic displays of sexism. The entire purpose of removing sexism from the sport is so that professionals of both genders can be treated equally. In placing Ms Massey on a pedestal, the very people who seek to destroy the issue of sexism have, ironically, served to create a new gap of inequality. Sexism encompasses the entire female population; making Sian Massey a figure of prominence in the issue simply heightens the severity of it. As a person who assumedly has a genuine passion for the sport, I’m sure the last thing this assistant referee needs is a cause of further exploitation to possible discrimination that she may experience in her line of work.

It's a Bit of a Gray Area.

Now, I know that it’s a topic that’s largely up for debate and I for one believe that sexism is a topic that can be banterous between both genders in equal measure, but Keys’ defence in particular has shown remorse. The remorse can’t be found in the substance of his apology, but it’s extremely prevalent in the accidental hilarity of the style of his apology. Unfortunately for Mr Keys he sought to stupidly blame Rio Ferdinand, Sky Sports, Karren Brady not answering her phone, "dark forces at work", and probably everything else Jedi-related too. The only dark forces I’m yet to see "at work" however, were the presenter's ape-like knuckles scraping the ground of the Sky Sports studios during his "did you smash it?" remark aimed at Jamie Redknapp in relation to having sex with a previous girlfriend of his. Gray on the other hand has finally seen sense and chosen only to break his silence on the issue in an effort to blame Sky’s decision being based on the notion of paving the way to giving football on Sky a fresher, younger aura.

Sexism Isn't Just a One-way Street. 
As the former presenter stated and as I myself previously said, sexism can occur in equal measure from each gender to the other. It’s purely subjective to the individual it’s aimed at, some may treat the issue with great severity, whilst others may simply shrug it off. This won’t be the death of football in any way, shape or form, but it won’t be the death of sexism either. The fact of the matter is that, as with all issues, sexism won’t ‘die’, but it appears that both the perpetrators and the defenders of these most recent actions have served no further purpose than to intensify such problems.