Sexism not an issue with Irish fans, says Daly

ANDY GRAY and Richard Keys might be stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to the role of women in football but the vast majority of fans attending games here have long moved on according to a leading female Irish referee.

Rhona Daly has been officiating in what is now the Airtricity League since 2003. She received her FIFA badges five years later and took charge of the UEFA Women’s U19 Championship final between England and France last June.

It took a while to be accepted on her merits rather than her gender when she first began to appear at League of Ireland grounds around the country.