Paul Ince makes a big mistake but opens a debate. Is the Premier League a place for women?

You have to be very careful with what you say these days and Premier League managers who are interviewed straight after a game are rarely in the right frame of mind to be careful with their Ps and Qs.

Full of emotion

Blackburn Rovers manager Paul Ince was full of emotion after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion. He had seen his side get a deserved injury time equaliser after going down to ten men. His striker Benni McCarthy had been sent off for one trip and one handball in the midfield area. It is no surprise that he may have been feeling a little hyper.

Just after the final whistle Ince had a microphone thrust into his face and he was asked about the controversial sending off. The only reason for the media to do this sort of interview is to try to get some sort of newsworthy comment. In other words, they want managers to say something outrageous. They are dreaming of getting another scoop like the famous Kevin Keegan, “I would love it” interview a few years ago.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8p8xppxwA

Unfortunately for the Blackburn boss he made a real slip-up on this occasion. It is one that could see him being hung drawn and quartered by half of the world’s population.

This is what he said:

“The game is hard enough at the moment. The Premier League is a physical league, it is fast and furious, and people are going to make tackles.”

So far so good Incey, we all agree with you up to now.

“Give red cards for dangerous and malicious tackles where studs are up, fair enough.”

Couldn’t agree more Paul.

“It is not a game for women.”

Oh dear! You’re on your own with that one Paul!

Once the ramifications of what he had said had been pointed out to him, Ince quite rightly felt that he needed to explain, apologise for and clarify his remarks. He was quick to point out that he meant no offence to women and that he felt his comments had been taken out of context.

He told the club’s official website: “My comments were taken out of context, for there is no way that I would ever make disparaging remarks about women’s football. In response to a question, I was simply trying to illustrate that the Premier League is a physically tough and very demanding environment.”

Back tracking

Yeh, we know what you meant Paul, but your comments haven’t been taken out of context at all. What you said was what you meant. Maybe instead of back tracking so quickly Ince should have stood by his comments and explained why he doesn’t think Premier League football is a game for women?

The problem is, of course, that in this politically correct world of ours everyone is scared of their own shadow and is scared to have an opinion. Once the possible connotations of what someone has said are made clear, the only sensible course of action is to apologise for it and head for the hills. It is sad that we have reached a point whereby reasoned debate is no longer possible because people on one side of the debate would be too scared to make their point.

Physically strong

I have no doubt that Paul Ince has absolutely nothing against women’s football and like most footy fans he probably enjoys watching it. I also have no doubt that Paul Ince believes that women are not physically strong enough or quick enough to compete with and against men at the level of the Premier League.

I don’t think it is disparaging to women to say that and I certainly mean no offence. It is simply an opinion. That opinion should be debated and people might learn from the debate. Instead, in the current climate, people just feel that they need to apologise and move on.

Women’s football has not quite taken off around the world in the same way that men’s football has. The last world cup in England was well supported and the game is certainly more highly regarded than it has been in the past, but it still hasn’t taken the strides forward that it would like to.

Different game

In many ways women’s football is a slightly different game to men’s football and that is all Paul Ince was trying to say. There is very definitely a place for both games but that place is separate and not together. I would say that the Premier League probably isn’t a place for women.

It was a bad choice of words by Paul Ince, but the subject is one that should be debated. Can women play football with men?