Sunderland female footballer tackles Twitter trolls in online sexism row

Picture by: Nick Potts / PA Wire/Press Association Images/ Photo: BT Sport's Lynsey Hipgrave during the UEFA Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, London.
Picture by: Nick Potts / PA Wire/Press Association Images/ Photo: BT Sport’s Lynsey Hipgrave during the UEFA Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, London.

A Sunderland sports woman has hit back at sexist remarks made by Twitter trolls against a female football TV presenter.

BT Sport’s Lynsey Hipgrave was the target of sexist abuse via social media after commenting on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s controversial penalty for Barcelona.

Newcastle-born Hipgrave accused the Argentinian forward of being “disrespectful”, following his sideways pass to team mate Suarez to allow the Uruguayian to complete his hat trick in a 6-1 win against Celta Vigo.

Hipgrave tweeted: “Think that Messi pen is so disrespectful more I see it. Just let Suarez take the pen if you want to be such a good team mate.”

Hipgrave’s opinion was the subject of online abuse when her tweet gained a series of sexist responses that depicted “a small taster of what we (women) have to put up with”.

Rutherford Ravens FC Women’s forward Rachael Smales described her “disgust” in the list of remarks aimed towards Hipgrave.

“I can’t believe that we’re still living in a day and age where people like this still exist! It’s a joke! I thought we were in 2016, not the 1950s”

Many followers leapt to her defence including comedian Adam Hills who wrote:

Sexist behaviour cases in football have become even more evident in recent years with the likes of former Sky Sports presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys being sacked for mocking female Premier League official Sian Massey. Chelsea FC doctor Eva Caneiro received sexist chants from Manchester United fans when the two sides met in March 2015.

Northumberland County FA cut ties with previous vice president John Cummings in November 2014, after stating that “as long as he lived no female would referee in one of his leagues” and “a woman’s place was in the kitchen and not on the football field” during a football referee’s workshop.

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