Well somebody had to say it. It looks like she's been fast tracked to the being involved at Championship level due to her being a woman, which makes it worse. The world has gone mad. In 20 years, I can see mixed sex teams. We must put an end to it now.

they have got it spot on at the moment

NO MIXED TEAMS AFTER ELEVEN YEARS OLD AND IT SHOULD STAY THAT WAY

imagine arguing with the ref...if it's out like our lass, she wouldn't speak to you for the rest of the match and the subsequent 5 matches you meet up in again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/6140922.stm

Newell faces inquiry on 'sexism'

Luton manager Mike Newell could be in trouble with the Football Association after launching a scathing attack on women officials.

Newell was furious that assistant referee Amy Rayner failed to award his side a penalty in the 3-2 loss to QPR.

He said: "She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here?"

The FA has confirmed it will be examining Newell's remarks.

A spokesman said: "All we can say at the moment is that we will be investigating when we have discovered what was said."

Newell was incensed that Rayner and referee Andy D'Urso failed to award his side a spot-kick when QPR defender Marcus Bignot tangled with Carlos Edwards in the penalty box.

"It is tokenism - for the politically-correct idiots," said Newell.

"We have a problem in this country with political correctness and bringing women into the game is not the way to improve refereeing and officialdom.

"It is absolutely beyond belief. When do we reach a stage when all officials are women because then we are in trouble?

"It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems."

But Rayner has received the full backing of Neale Barry - the Football Association's head of senior referee development.

He said: "Amy Rayner is one of our leading female referees and is one step away from the national list of referees.

"At the moment she is a Fifa assistant referee and the FA have nominated her for the Fifa women's referees list for 2007.

"Amy enjoys enormous respect within refereeing circles and has our full support, as do the rest of our female match officials.

"English football needs more Amy Rayners."

This message board often reminds me of the joke about the prison where the inmates have been together so long that they know each other's jokes off by heart. To save time when funny story-telling, they allocate each joke a number, and every now and then someone jumps up and shouts 'number 36', and everyone laughs.

The key concepts are 'prison' and 'frozen intelligence'.

Apologies to your one or two members who possess wit and ingenuity

So do I! He's a good pundit on the Sky games and he talks a lot of sense. He also showed some backbone with his comments on corruption. But his comments at the weekend were more of the prehistoric shite you get used to hearing from football people.

Christ knows we get more than our fair share of unfit, incompetent male linesmen. Difference is, they are allowed to make a constant stream of crap decisions without having their whole gender called into question. Rayner might have made a bad decision. I don't know, I haven't seen it. Maybe Newell is just looking for an escapegoat because he lost. But "LINESMAN MAKES BAD CALL" is hardly worthy of news.

All that said, his comments were still funny

I wasn't really commenting on whether the posts are 'nice' or not and I'm sure you're all fine upstanding members of the community. What I'm saying is that being relentlessly politically incorrect is as boring as being the opposite.

Back to Mike Newell, who I now think is a total plank : it's hardly worth analysing what he said because it was a clear knee-jerk reaction....but the implication is that he thinks football is some highly intellectual activity which he can understand and women can't. I mean, well, what can you say?

Any way, I'm fine Kev, how are you?