Barnet’s Irish boss Dean Brennan the first EFL manager charged by FA with making sexist comments to referee

Alleged offence relates to remarks made to Kirsty Dowle

Dean Brennan, Manager of Barnet  (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Barnet’s manager, Dean Brennan, could be banned for six matches after becoming the first EFL manager to be charged by the Football Association with making sexist comments towards a referee.

Brennan has been charged with an aggravated breach of FA Rule E3.1 for offensive remarks allegedly made to Kirsty Dowle during Barnet’s League Two defeat by Shrewsbury in September.

Brennan was sent off by Dowle for dissent midway through the first half, which is understood to have triggered an angry response from the manager. Dowle noted Brennan’s comments in her post-match report, triggering an FA investigation, which has concluded with the charge.

Brennan is alleged to have acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards Dowle. He has been charged with aggravated breach for allegedly making reference to her gender.

Cases of alleged sexism are rare, and there are few precedents. The Dorking Wanderers owner and manager, Marc White, was given a six-match touchline ban last summer for offensive remarks about women he made on a podcast.

Speaking to Under the Cosh before a National League South fixture, White said: “More women refs now, so you have to pay a bit more respect, do you know what I mean? You have to pay a bit more respect, like help them park.” The FA charged White with an aggravated breach of rule E3.1 in May and a six-game ban was imposed the following month.

The FA introduced a minimum five-match ban for proven cases of discrimination in 2013 after the Luis Suárez/Patrice Evra racism case, with the tariff increased to six matches in 2019.

The minimum sanction applies to offences involving racism, homophobia or any other form of discriminatory language or behaviour. The ban can be increased depending on aggravating factors, or potentially reduced if there are strong mitigating factors.

The FA declined to comment. Barnet were approached for comment.

Guardian