Gray’s sexist remarks didn’t surprise me, says Byrne

ONE of Ireland’s best-known women footballers says she wasn’t shocked by Andy Gray’s sexist remarks.

Arsenal and Ireland goalkeeper Emma Byrne believes that the sacked Sky Sports pundit was simply caught out expressing views of women in football which are still prevalent in the game.

“I can’t say I was shocked really,” she says. “Those kinds of views are still bubbling beneath the surface.

“I was more surprised that he was caught out. I thought they would have known better. But I wasn’t too surprised by what he said because female officials in the men’s game are still not common.

“The reason I’m not extremely annoyed about it is that it actually bores me. I’m so used to listening to that kind of thing. It’s just tiresome and I thought it would have been fizzling out by now.”

She also thinks the decision to sack Gray could even make matters worse.

“I think it’s a bit of an over-reaction to be honest,” she says. “I know what he said was wrong but it wasn’t meant to be aired.

“Andy Gray was very popular and people might not want to see him go. People might even hold it against female officials. That’s how people are.”

The 31-year-old is a member of the Arsenal team which, in April, will be one of eight clubs contesting the new, summer football Super League in England. And, at international level, the multi-capped ‘keeper is looking forward to the qualifying campaign for the European Championships in 2013.

But despite making a full-time living from football at the Emirates, Byrne believes that women’s football — for players and officials alike — still faces an uphill battle to achieve anything resembling parity with the men’s game.

“I do think progress is being made, certainly in the women’s game where there are a lot more female officials,” she says. “It would be very rare that we would come across male officials at our games now. But, in the men’s game, it’s still extremely hard for female officials to break in. That’s just how it is. It’s a constant battle for women footballers to try and gain respect. It’s definitely getting better but we’re resigned to the fact that no matter what level we’re playing at, we’re still proving ourselves. I’ve just had to accept that.

“But it’s not like that in a lot of countries. In places like America, the Scandinavian countries and Asia, the women’s game is highly respected. People there would be really quite shocked by what’s happened.”