The Football Association has fined two National League North sides after a female official was subjected to misogynistic chanting during a match in January. Darlington and Scarborough Athletic have both received fines of £1,500 after supporters abused lineswoman Emily Carney during the encounter on 2 January.

It's tempting to mock but every club has its share of knuckle draggers. The female linos at the Vic have generally been no worse than their male counterparts - the really useless ones last season were all blokes.

there is a big difference of slagging her off just because she was a woman or because she was totally crap on the day. which one was it and if it was due to her performance she diserves the same a bloke would get. its called equality, but like everytime the word is used some are seemed more equal than others. due to more women refereeing nowadays there only seem women officials in the top part of womens football. once men would do it and seriously doubt you,d hear a word if they got abused by fans and players. from what i heard in the past these lasses are not slow coming forward themselves by any means.

Doh. Like racist abuse is ok, if the person on the receiving end 'deserved it?"

This is what Darlington FC club statement says: "After an investigation following the incident we took disciplinary action, with one fan banned from attending matches due to his abusive behaviour. We wish to commend those fans who came forward with eyewitness accounts, aiding our investigation."

Which one was it? It was the former, according to the long report she was getting abuse from a section of the crowd from very early on in the game, and this just kept on going.

We’re not talking “do you want to borrow my glasses?” type stuff here either.

And while on the subject, you never hear a male ref getting anti male abuse -
Just imagine it -
“Ere mate, shouldn’t you be mending yer car with yer spanner’s?”
“get yer balls out for the girls”

That sort of thing.

Absolutely no one "deserves" abuse but the fact is passions run high at professional football when a lot is at stake. For years linos have copped a few choice words when they have flagged for things the home crowd have disagreed with. I recall as a lad people yelling "linesman did you forget your glasses? Or the song aimed at referee: "Who's your father referee?". In more recent times "You dont know what you're doing". Match officials have always had comments aimed at them and I presume they know this before they go into the job. People will behave like people. Having said that, I firmly believe there is a line to be drawn between banter and abuse be it racial or sexual and this should not be crossed.

Makes me wonder about the mentality of some football fans, in no other sport do the referees wether male or female get the abuse footy refs get, the players of other sports have respect for the referee.

Most blokes abusing female officials have one sex position, man on bed woman on DVD.

Well this is it Ozzy. I wasn’t at this match but others I know did go and I read the FA report thingy. The line was well and truly crossed on this occasion, then in the second half she received yet more misogynistic shout outs from some Sboro fans.

a lot is down to fans having a personality change once they go through the gates at a football ground. have not been to a rugby league ground for some years now but the fans there were equally as bad as football fans where match officials were concerned even if the players on the pitch showed them respect. have a mate who i have been friends with from grammar school who is a season ticket holder with huddersfield giants and was a financial director before he retired being quite an ambarrasment at games where officials were concerned even though his lad was one. doubt i,m the only one on here whose partner has refused to go to games with them again after our outbursts at games.

Completely unacceptable and they deserve every punishment they get.

Yep, I agree about the personality change idea. Happens when some people get behind the wheel of a car as well.