Football manager apologises to woman official

A football manager who said the employment of women as football officials was "tokenism for politically-correct idiots" apologised for his remarks today.

Luton manager Mike Newell attacked assistant referee Amy Rayner after his team lost 3-2 at home to QPR on Saturday.

Today he apologised to Ms Rayner, who ran the line at Kenilworth Road during the club's Coca Cola Championship match and said his comments were "out of order".

"I want to apologise publicly to Amy Rayner, and to anyone else I have offended," he told Sky Sports News.

"The comments I made were ill-timed and out of order. I wanted to apologise privately before I apologised publicly, but I could not get hold of Amy Rayner.

"I have not spoken to her, but I have left messages and I will continue to try to speak to her."

But when questioned as to whether he still held his views about female officials, Newell responded: "I am not going to debate my opinions. My intention is to apologise publicly to anyone I have offended, and particularly to Amy Rayner.

"My views and opinions are not for debating."

His comments provoked outrage and FA bosses have said they will examine them.

After the weekend fixture, Newell attacked Ms Rayner's decisions and said: "This is not park football, so what are women doing here?

"She (Rayner) should not be here. I know that sounds sexist, but I am sexist, so I am not going to be anything other than that.

"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.

"This is Championship football. This is not park football, so what are women doing here? It is tokenism, for the politically-correct idiots."

Newell faces an emergency board meeting at the Bedfordshire club this afternoon, and is likely to face questions over the remarks and others attacking club chairman Bill Tomlins.