Clare-Balding Claims Football Fans Are Homophobic And Racist.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301012/Football-fans-homophobic-racist-says-Clare-Balding-claims-women-players-skillful-men.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

While Clare Balding is dishing out labels to male football fans by calling them both homophobic and racist, and then also claiming that women players are more skillful than men, perhaps she should at the same time attach the label sexist to herself?

Incidentally why did the BBC deem it necessary to employ her to host the Boat Race, as if we don't we see far too much of her on our screens now?

[emmie]

duffer isn't name calling, if i had said W***er, that might have been cause for concern, comment.

[Connemmara]

this posting is way off the originality of these postings. Now I see Clare Balding now and again on TV but don't really take much interest in her. The only thing recently she was interviewed on Loose Women and she commented at the interview "I love everybody" which unfortunately gave me the cringing factor and when the camera was on Jane McDonald - she looked as if she cringing too. So I don't warm to her - but that is just my opinion. I do think she has got above her station though!

[emmie]

conne, above her station, how do you do that i wonder...

[FredPuli43]

aog,you say that perhaps Clare Balding should admit to being sexist. Now you object to Gary Lineker being called a duffer. Now, why is calling Lineker a duffer wrong but suggesting that Balding is sexist and lacking in self-perception right ? And all this in the context of comparing presenters, 'hosts', of TV sports broadcasts, too.

The inference to be drawn from saying, of Lineker, "there is no need to name call him" is that your personal opinion may be expressed but em10's may not be, is it not? If not, how do you distinguish between his expression and yours? Or do you claim that you were not expressing an opinion?

[Connemmara]

perhaps an irish saying - her head is up her a rse

[emmie]

Fred, i had trouble trying to understand your response, but thank you anyway, i don't see duffer is offensive, as i mentioned i could have said what i really think of him, but i didn't. x

[emmie]

i think she comes across as very down to earth...

[FredPuli43]

em10, I was wondering why your being critical of Lineker was judged as wrong by aog but his being critical of Balding was not. That we may guess the reason does not, of course, prevent me from asking aog what it was. Whatever our guess is, be it only the same one, it may be wrong

[Connemmara]

Em 10 - as I said in my posting - that's my opinion - you are entitled to yours - whatever floats your boat.

[ChillDoubt]

She's correct with one statement, wildly inaccurate with the other.

That aside, I find her one of the best presenters on TV. Her enthusiasm radiates from her regardless of whether it's sport or a public event and she's always very well informed and avails herself of all the necessary knowledge in order to properly provide informative commentary.

[THECORBYLOON]

So then, anotheoldgit, do you or do you not think there is homophobic and racist chanting at football matches?

[emmie]

i know that overall the women's game will never overtake, be as popular as the men's game, they are not as physical or indeed as quick, but i honestly like watching women's football, whereas the men's game leaves me cold.
As to Gary Lineker, he is dull, his performance at the Olympics was cringeworthy, and Matt Baker makes me want to throw a brick through the telly with his inanities, perhaps he should be put on the bonfire of inanities.

[vulcan42]

em10, above her station is the same as Nora batty once said" She's no better then she ought to be". :o)

[emmie]

vulcan or all fur and no knickers, lol

[ChillDoubt]

I watched England v Holland women's football match a couple of months back and have to say it was the most boring, spirit-crushing, attention sapping spectacle I'd ever witnessed.
I reasoned that if anyone would have a fair degree of skill it would be the Dutch but I was badly let down.
I honestly don't recall a shot on target from either side in the whole 90 minutes.

Worst of all, they didn't even swap shirts at the end!

[Sharingan]

After being called a 'dyke on a bike' by horrible A A Gill I would have thought she would have been careful about generalising. Not all male footballers are racist and homophobic- my gay brother is the super football fan of the family, everyone else prefers rugby for example. I do think women's sport generally is under appreciated and that needs to be addressed but not by alienating men in general. Usually I like Clare Balding a lot, but I think she might have worded this better.

[emmie]

have you watched England men's team lately, they give somnambulism a bad name

[emmie]

probably could have as you say, i prefer rugby anyway...

[ChillDoubt]

She does have a point though.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21974436