All change on Soccer Saturday

Don
Joined
23 Oct 2005
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If you have an issue with a pundit then say why. To simply say:

That's just sexist nonsense. The outrage on the usual channels has been embarrassing. Imagine being angry because Nicholas and Thomson are no longer on a show. They talk utter driver with no substance to anything they say. Merson still being on there is the only thing wrong here.

Stop being a drama queen.

I have no issues with women and football, however if Sky are doing this to simply fulfil their PC needs then it's a terrible decision. Call me sexist if you like but throwing in some ex women footballers into that culture of 'man banter. and I just cannot see it working. Obviously, quote me in a years time when Alex Scott is rinsing Geoff and it's just sooo hilarious.

It's cringe worthy enough one of the women match side reporters who tried to have 'banter' with Geoff, there are some good ones though.

There is a load of male pundits that would also be a terrible choice, JFH, Keith Andrews, Lee Hendrie, Patrice Evra etc.

Edit: Also, we are talking Soccer Saturday here right? As that is what I'm referring to and not actual football games and having 2 pundits to talk seriously about the football.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2012
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18,554
Stop being a drama queen.

I have no issues with women and football, however if Sky are doing this to simply fulfil their PC needs then it's a terrible decision. Call me sexist if you like but throwing in some ex women footballers into that culture of 'man banter. and I just cannot see it working. Obviously, quote me in a years time when Alex Scott is rinsing Geoff and it's just sooo hilarious.

It's cringe worthy enough one of the women match side reporters who tried to have 'banter' with Geoff, there are some good ones though.

There is a load of male pundits that would also be a terrible choice, JFH, Keith Andrews, Lee Hendrie, Patrice Evra etc.

Edit: Also, we are talking Soccer Saturday here right? As that is what I'm referring to and not actual football games and having 2 pundits to talk seriously about the football.

Im not bring a drama queen. Im calling you out for a ridicilous sexist comment. You didnt explain why it would be a poor decision. You didnt mention anything about a quota. You just decided to go full sexist mate.
 
Caporegime
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Liverpool -> London
The show was never going to be the epitome of knowledge, insight and thoughtful comment - I got that from Sunday Supplement, but I see that's now cancelled after twenty years for next season grrr. At the silly end of the market we also had Soccer AM, that for years did great with Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy at the helm, but the presenters after were dire.

I can't say I've paid much attention to Alex Scott as frankly the couple of times I've listened to her she came across as a meek little deer caught in the headlights regurgitating a script. A better choice might have been Rachael Brown, the ex England goalie, who seems to know her stuff, comes across well, is quick thinking and can ad-lib too. Micah Richards I've not seen at all so if he's on it I'll wait to see what he's like.

Some people simply aren't cut out for punditry/presenting at all - a prime example is any Athletics show with Denise Lewis or Swimming with Helen Skelton. On the flip side you've got the likes of John McEnroe, Tim Henman, Sam Smith and Annabel Croft on Tennis, Michael Johnson on Athletics, Steve Redgrave on Rowing, Chris Hoy on Cycling, pretty much all of the F1 team on Sky and much that I hate to admit it...Garry Neville :(
 
Man of Honour
OP
Joined
17 Aug 2007
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28,933
Stelling is the key, the panel has changed before and will no doubt change again but Stelling is what keeps this show alive. If he were to decide that its time for him to chuck it in now, then they may as well cancel Soccer Saturday.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2012
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18,554
On a different football broadcasting note - I wish they'd get rid of Alan Brazil from TalkSport, he's simply awful. Spends all day boasting about how much he spends on booze, how often he drinks and talking about how he loves gambling. Couple him with Ally McCoist and it's just tragic. Laura Wood is so much better than them both, she actually does proper interviews etc whilst still keeping it light hearted.

I only listen for 30 mins now on the way to work, anymore is too much.

I cannot stand Alan Brazil so im with you there. Laura Woods does the Mon - Wed shift doesn't she?
 
Caporegime
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Boston, Lincolnshire
I'm hoping these sexist comments are sarcasm...

It has got nothing to do with sexism. I much rather listen to professionals like Roy Keane who were at the top of their game for the insightful knowledge they bring. The women even though they played for a "big club" played at a non league level comparitively. You wouldn't give a punditry job of say the champions league to someone who played for Daggenham and Redbrige or Caledonian partick thistle would you? I am all for equality in the workplace. Some of my bosses are women but they are there through merit not just to fill some quota.

Unfortunately we are in the situation in sports where there isn't a lot of women competing at the top with men. The only thing I can think of is Michelle Mouton who nearly won the WRC championship in 1982. I could listen to her punditry on the WRC all day long because she will have the knowledge as she was top of the game.
 
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Caporegime
Joined
17 Jul 2010
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25,658
Part of the issue is that some of these ‘old white guys’ haven’t played professional football for over thirty years. Some of them have coached in that time but the less said about that the better for some of them! That’s before the Premier League was even a thing. The newer presenters are far more likely to have played this century, maybe even this decade.
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Oct 2002
Posts
26,810
Location
Boston, Lincolnshire
Part of the issue is that some of these ‘old white guys’ haven’t played professional football for over thirty years. Some of them have coached in that time but the less said about that the better for some of them! That’s before the Premier League was even a thing. The newer presenters are far more likely to have played this century, maybe even this decade.

Souness is ancient but I personally love listening to him. Even his bants against Pogba.
 
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