Welcome Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Clarke

[mike]

Wanted to work in a football environment, but did not like the fact that fans sang sexist songs about her, when she ran on the pitch!, my advice would be grow up.

Her and her lawyers must be laughing there heads off - £5 million if true is unbelievable

Good job that she does not work in the local hospital, she would be suing individual patients for any comment made to her.

Quite right. Why shouldn't an arrogant multi millionaire in a position of power be able to call his employee son of a whore and then publicly humiliate her before giving her a meaningless job. Why should a highly qualified professional who happens to be a female expect to stand on a football pitch and not be leered at and listen to foul abuse. Bloody political correctness gone mad. I'd tell my daughter to grow up if she started moaning about stuff like that.

Oh, and you're quite right, any woman who dares to qualify as a doctor and work in a hospital deserves all the grief they get off patients without expecting anything to be done about it.

[chrisw1]

Fan chanting is one thing - it's difficult to control and in a male dominated sport it is bound to happen.  But a bit of 'get yer tits out' is nothing like the hate filled racism of the past and comparing the two is a bit OTT.

It is when the attitude is shown inside the club that there is a real issue.  Jose acted like a tit and it seems the club didn't deal with it very well.  BUT, I do not like the current claim culture and in my view £5m for losing your job and hurt feelings is bloody ridiculous.  I'm not saying she hasn't got a case, but sometimes people need to get some perspective.  She hasn't lost a limb and can carry on to have a productive career elsewhere.  Why should she be made rich beyond most peoples wildest dreams because she has been treated badly for a period of her employment?  I doubt whether sports Direct employees will be buying Ferraris off the back of their settlements.

[SheffieldVillain]

Wanted to work in a football environment, but did not like the fact that fans sang sexist songs about her, when she ran on the pitch!, my advice would be grow up.

Does this extend to black and asian players who are racially abused, and to gay players who experience homophobic abuse too? Should they just 'grow up' too? Or is it only sexism that is okay?

Also, that wasn't the only part of her claim. She was demoted from her job for the crime of going on the pitch to treat a player who had gone down injured. She was abused (whether it was sexist or not) in public on national television and her professional judgement as a doctor questioned - this is indisputable. Presumably she should just forget that and 'grow up'?

[SheffieldVillain]

Fan chanting is one thing - it's difficult to control and in a male dominated sport it is bound to happen.  But a bit of 'get yer tits out' is nothing like the hate filled racism of the past and comparing the two is a bit OTT.

It is when the attitude is shown inside the club that there is a real issue.  Jose acted like a tit and it seems the club didn't deal with it very well.  BUT, I do not like the current claim culture and in my view £5m for losing your job and hurt feelings is bloody ridiculous.  I'm not saying she hasn't got a case, but sometimes people need to get some perspective.  She hasn't lost a limb and can carry on to have a productive career elsewhere.  Why should she be made rich beyond most peoples wildest dreams because she has been treated badly for a period of her employment?  I doubt whether sports Direct employees will be buying Ferraris off the back of their settlements.

Mourinho questioned her ability to do her job in front of a ground full of fans and then on national television. She was then demoted to a lesser position. That has nothing to do with hurt feelings, it's unfair treatment of an employee, it's damaging someone's professional reputation and it's changing their job for no good reason.

And in an industry where players and managers reguarly get millions of pounds in pay-offs for nothing more than being crap and being sacked, why shouldn't she get the same for losing her job for absolutely no fault of her own?

[chrisw1]

Does this extend to black and asian players who are racially abused, and to gay players who experience homophobic abuse too? Should they just 'grow up' too? Or is it only sexism that is okay?

Do you really think a bit of wolf whistling 'banter' is the same as hate fueled racism?   I use the phrase banter guardedly as I fully appreciate it is not be very nice and of course we could do without it in this day and age, but the terrace chants about female referees and linesmen are generally intended to be good natured (if misguided).  Are they really that much worse than calling a referee a ******?  Are they really any way near as bad as screaming abuse at black players?  Personally I don't think they are.

[chrisw1]

Fan chanting is one thing - it's difficult to control and in a male dominated sport it is bound to happen.  But a bit of 'get yer tits out' is nothing like the hate filled racism of the past and comparing the two is a bit OTT.

It is when the attitude is shown inside the club that there is a real issue.  Jose acted like a tit and it seems the club didn't deal with it very well.  BUT, I do not like the current claim culture and in my view £5m for losing your job and hurt feelings is bloody ridiculous.  I'm not saying she hasn't got a case, but sometimes people need to get some perspective.  She hasn't lost a limb and can carry on to have a productive career elsewhere.  Why should she be made rich beyond most peoples wildest dreams because she has been treated badly for a period of her employment?  I doubt whether sports Direct employees will be buying Ferraris off the back of their settlements.

Mourinho questioned her ability to do her job in front of a ground full of fans and then on national television. She was then demoted to a lesser position. That has nothing to do with hurt feelings, it's unfair treatment of an employee, it's damaging someone's professional reputation and it's changing their job for no good reason.

And in an industry where players and managers reguarly get millions of pounds in pay-offs for nothing more than being crap and being sacked, why shouldn't she get the same for losing her job for absolutely no fault of her own?

Because the payment bears no relation whatsoever to her contracted salary.  That's why.

[Clark W Griswold]

Fan chanting is one thing - it's difficult to control and in a male dominated sport it is bound to happen.  But a bit of 'get yer tits out' is nothing like the hate filled racism of the past and comparing the two is a bit OTT.

It is when the attitude is shown inside the club that there is a real issue.  Jose acted like a tit and it seems the club didn't deal with it very well.  BUT, I do not like the current claim culture and in my view £5m for losing your job and hurt feelings is bloody ridiculous.  I'm not saying she hasn't got a case, but sometimes people need to get some perspective.  She hasn't lost a limb and can carry on to have a productive career elsewhere.  Why should she be made rich beyond most peoples wildest dreams because she has been treated badly for a period of her employment?  I doubt whether sports Direct employees will be buying Ferraris off the back of their settlements.

Well said sir, refreshing to see a balanced and logical view.

[chrisw1]

Fan chanting is one thing - it's difficult to control and in a male dominated sport it is bound to happen.  But a bit of 'get yer tits out' is nothing like the hate filled racism of the past and comparing the two is a bit OTT.

It is when the attitude is shown inside the club that there is a real issue.  Jose acted like a tit and it seems the club didn't deal with it very well.  BUT, I do not like the current claim culture and in my view £5m for losing your job and hurt feelings is bloody ridiculous.  I'm not saying she hasn't got a case, but sometimes people need to get some perspective.  She hasn't lost a limb and can carry on to have a productive career elsewhere.  Why should she be made rich beyond most peoples wildest dreams because she has been treated badly for a period of her employment?  I doubt whether sports Direct employees will be buying Ferraris off the back of their settlements.

Well said sir, refreshing to see a balanced and logical view.

I'm sure I'll be labelled as a raging sexist, but it is the over reaction and excessive compensation claims that I don't really like.  Do we really want to go down the American compensation culture route?  I guess sadly we are already there.

[dave.woodhall]

Does this extend to black and asian players who are racially abused, and to gay players who experience homophobic abuse too? Should they just 'grow up' too? Or is it only sexism that is okay?

Do you really think a bit of wolf whistling 'banter' is the same as hate fueled racism?   I use the phrase banter guardedly as I fully appreciate it is not be very nice and of course we could do without it in this day and age, but the terrace chants about female referees and linesmen are generally intended to be good natured (if misguided).  Are they really that much worse than calling a referee a c***?  Are they really any way near as bad as screaming abuse at black players?  Personally I don't think they are.

They're aimed at demeaning someone because of what they are rather than what they do, which to me makes them every bit as bad as racism. I can remember when that was just 'banter' as well.

[PeterWithesShin]

I reckon there's a good chance the payment was so high because Chelsea didn't want her spilling some beans. They may well see the X million as worth it to keep some dirty laundry from being aired.

[chrisw1]

Does this extend to black and asian players who are racially abused, and to gay players who experience homophobic abuse too? Should they just 'grow up' too? Or is it only sexism that is okay?

Do you really think a bit of wolf whistling 'banter' is the same as hate fueled racism?   I use the phrase banter guardedly as I fully appreciate it is not be very nice and of course we could do without it in this day and age, but the terrace chants about female referees and linesmen are generally intended to be good natured (if misguided).  Are they really that much worse than calling a referee a c***?  Are they really any way near as bad as screaming abuse at black players?  Personally I don't think they are.

They're aimed at demeaning someone because of what they are rather than what they do, which to me makes them every bit as bad as racism. I can remember when that was just 'banter' as well.

Dave - I understand what you are saying but disagree with you.  A builder wolf whistling a lady walking past a building site is not comparable to someone screaming racist abuse.  It may be neither are acceptable in this day and age, but I do think the intent is very different.

[peter w]

If Chelsea really did cough up five million then she must have had a very strong case. That's all. No need to make her the villain here.

A bit like MON, then?

[Drummond]

That's easy to say for someone who isn't on the receiving end.

Someone who isn't abused constantly and then failed by her employer.

An employer who then allows one of its most senior employees to abuse her in public, demote her for doing her job, and let the whole world think she's shit. And then fails to apologise in any way.

The club have done that now. Finally.

[Ger Regan]

Does this extend to black and asian players who are racially abused, and to gay players who experience homophobic abuse too? Should they just 'grow up' too? Or is it only sexism that is okay?

Do you really think a bit of wolf whistling 'banter' is the same as hate fueled racism?   I use the phrase banter guardedly as I fully appreciate it is not be very nice and of course we could do without it in this day and age, but the terrace chants about female referees and linesmen are generally intended to be good natured (if misguided).  Are they really that much worse than calling a referee a c***?  Are they really any way near as bad as screaming abuse at black players?  Personally I don't think they are.

They're aimed at demeaning someone because of what they are rather than what they do, which to me makes them every bit as bad as racism. I can remember when that was just 'banter' as well.

Dave - I understand what you are saying but disagree with you. A builder wolf whistling a lady walking past a building site is not comparable to someone screaming racist abuse.  It may be neither are acceptable in this day and age, but I do think the intent is very different.

I disagree strongly, and to be honest I see the intent as irrelevant, it's the perception that's important. Some of my female friends have discussed this in the past, and this sort of thing can be extremely intimidating for a woman walking on her own. Similar to say a group of guys on a night out doing similar to a woman on her own, they might only see it as "banter", but to the woman, it can often be extremely degrading, or even terrifying.

[Stirchley Villain]

This would have been a non story from the start if she wasn't female and good looking. That's sexism for you...