Tonight, the Celtic Women’s team will play in their massive match against Glasgow City, a game which might well decide their title race.
It’s going to be a huge game, and I’d prefer to be preparing to enjoy it on its merits, as a spectacle, without extraneous nonsense getting in the way. But some extraneous nonsense does need to be tackled come what may.
Yesterday, Celtic’s women’s player Jacynta slammed Ian Crocker of Sky for banging on about her personal life on the air.
In fact, he outed her relationship with Carl Starfelt in a breach of her right to privacy so stark I suspect Celtic had a few words to say about it behind the scenes. She was furious, and she was quite right to be furious.
Because, really, that’s nobody’s business at all.
Crocker might not realise it – let’s give him some modest benefit of the doubt – but what he’s done here is indulge in sexism. He’s treating her like some third rate celebrity, some manufactured PR confection, instead of a professional athlete.
This is football, we’re not dealing with pampered socialites here who spin little webs of intrigue against each other and compete for space in the tabloids. Crocker’s focus on who she’s dating … no male in football would be the subject of that kind of tabloidesque commentary. Starfelt himself hasn’t been. So what the Hell is this?
It’s another example of women in this sport not being taken as seriously as their male colleagues. That’s what it is, and although it’s a small example of it it’s something that she’s quite right to be pissed off about.
That and the blatant intrusion and violation of so many accepted norms that was involving in Crocker actually outing their relationship on the air, which is something else no male player would have had to put up with.
Who was being served by Crocker doing such a thing? I mean, I genuinely wonder who amongst the support actually cares about this stuff?
I’ve never cared about the dating lives of the men’s team, except when their wives or girlfriends get involved with the club through charitable endeavours or whatever … what the guys do on the pitch is really all that’s supposed to matter. It’s the same here.
Sky owes her an apology. Crocker owes her an apology.
More than anything else, these people have to give the women’s team the same respect they’d give the ranks of the male professionals. This stuff is for the Sunday morning binraker rags, not Sky Sports … and if this was a man’s private life that’s exactly where they would have left it.
Great article…completely addresses the issue of sexism in football and illustrates how far we have to go. Well done to Jacynta for calling it out and illustrating to other women in the game how to handle it.
Ian ‘can Rangers score the next goal ‘Crocker !’ Oh that Ian Crocker …Or Ian ‘Billy Gilmorrrre ‘ Crocker !
Thought at the time that the remarks made by Ian cock was full of nastiness myself and hardly surprising coming from SLY either.
Both have gone to great lengths to keep there relationship a secret which couldn’t have been easy within the Celtic world, especially when it’s of no body’s business either.
Expecting starfelt having to run the gauntlet of mockery now at the shit hole in a very vulgar manner also now.
Is Ian the cock really that stupid or just another horrible nasty prick that exists within Scottish football still?
Both I would say
Absolutely spot on James, this was unnecessary and un-called for and an apology should be offered at the earliest opportunity. Jacynta is a professional football player any online commentary about her should be about her attributes/stats as a footballer – nothing else! She is entitled to be angry at this treatment as she knows full well it wouldn’t happen to any of her male colleagues. It was blatant sexism even if it was not intended as such. I believe both these players have a right to be annoyed and both should receive an apology in my opinion! Their privacy has been violated because some idiot thought that the personal life of a female footballer was appropriate match commentary material.
Not sure it’s a breach of privacy at all. Granted, it was totally unnecessary and nothing to do with the game Crocker was commenting on, but are articles like this not perpetuating the issue? The sad reality is that footballers are public figures; they provoke a disproportionate amount of interest from the general public.
If recent reports regarding Souness are correct and he was sacked for his miyongynistic comments is Crocker next in the cross hairs. These dinosaurs prattle on, patronising people left right and centre. Jacynta is correct to be raging. His bosses need to be doing something and be seen to be doing something to at least get their public facing staff up to date in how they repond to everyday life.
There’s no room for mysogyny in women’s football. That’s why I always wait until the end of the game when they’re swapping shirts.
Seriously though, 58,000 for a women’s rugby match last week. Sky have potentially alienated ‘half their audience’.
Couldn’t understand at the time why that Sky goon eve brought it up, who cares it’s not as if they are walking down the aisle anytime soon. To be fair my overriding emotion was jealousy towards Carl. I don’t know if that counts as sexism ? Can someone inform me as I don’t know the rules anymore ?
I actually can’t see why he said anything wrong. He said Carl starfelt is here in support of his partner? If it was a big secret he wouldn’t have known. Often during games u see wags in support of their partners and commentators mention it. Who cares? I hardly see it as sexism. What a society we live in now