Mark Cooper 8 Game Ban

[Hitthebar22]

I belive his ban is a discrace , spoke to many today who think same.
Commenting about a man's game with 22 men on the pitch means its a man's game.

I've shouted, get up man, soft [SwearFilter], man's game, man up, etc loads of times at games with male and female officials and will continue to do so.

Justice for Cooper.

Sorry, but you've missed the whole point, and what the issue is and why Cooper was banned. According to the officials, and found to be the case by the tribunal is that he said "what you've got to realise is....".etc. directed at the assistant referee. Pretty obvious. If he'd just said "it's a man's game", nothing would have happened. Personally I think the assistant overreacted. That said I can see why and how things developed. The reasoning behind the ban is perfectly clear in the written judgement, easily downloadable.

[MisterPleasant]

I belive his ban is a discrace , spoke to many today who think same.
Commenting about a man's game with 22 men on the pitch means its a man's game.

I've shouted, get up man, soft [SwearFilter], man's game, man up, etc loads of times at games with male and female officials and will continue to do so.

Justice for Cooper.

Did the many who thought the same also conveniently forget the first bit where he said "You have to realise that..." directed specifically at the female liner? In other words, 'You're a woman, you wouldn't understand'. That's the bit that makes it sexist.

[boyliegladbach]

I belive his ban is a discrace , spoke to many today who think same.
Commenting about a man's game with 22 men on the pitch means its a man's game.

I've shouted, get up man, soft [SwearFilter], man's game, man up, etc loads of times at games with male and female officials and will continue to do so.

Justice for Cooper.

Sorry, but you've missed the whole point, and what the issue is and why Cooper was banned. According to the officials, and found to be the case by the tribunal is that he said "what you've got to realise is....".etc. directed at the assistant referee. Pretty obvious. If he'd just said "it's a man's game", nothing would have happened. Personally I think the assistant overreacted. That said I can see why and how things developed. The reasoning behind the ban is perfectly clear in the written judgement, easily downloadable.

Worlds gone mad.

She needs to man up

[A.B.]

I belive his ban is a discrace , spoke to many today who think same.
Commenting about a man's game with 22 men on the pitch means its a man's game.

I've shouted, get up man, soft [SwearFilter], man's game, man up, etc loads of times at games with male and female officials and will continue to do so.

Justice for Cooper.

Nonsense from AB2

[Bigfathoss]

I belive his ban is a discrace , spoke to many today who think same.
Commenting about a man's game with 22 men on the pitch means its a man's game.

I've shouted, get up man, soft [SwearFilter], man's game, man up, etc loads of times at games with male and female officials and will continue to do so.

Justice for Cooper.

Did the many who thought the same also conveniently forget the first bit where he said "You have to realise that..." directed specifically at the female liner? In other words, 'You're a woman, you wouldn't understand'. That's the bit that makes it sexist.

This is an example of people looking for an 'ism' where none exists. You have given the impression here that a comment to the liner was only given BECAUSE she was female. Am I right in thinking this is what you are saying? If I am, what is your basis of proof?

[Steeley]

Did the many who thought the same also conveniently forget the first bit where he said "You have to realise that..." directed specifically at the female liner? In other words, 'You're a woman, you wouldn't understand'. That's the bit that makes it sexist.

This is an example of people looking for an 'ism' where none exists. You have given the impression here that a comment to the liner was only given BECAUSE she was female. Am I right in thinking this is what you are saying? If I am, what is your basis of proof?

Look at it this way, that comment aimed at a female liner is a really stupid thing to say and is asking for trouble, agreed?

So either MC was very stupid and said a stupid thing that someone could easily take the wrong way, or he said it because she was female, whether intentionally or sub consciously.

[Hitthebar22]

Did the many who thought the same also conveniently forget the first bit where he said "You have to realise that..." directed specifically at the female liner? In other words, 'You're a woman, you wouldn't understand'. That's the bit that makes it sexist.

This is an example of people looking for an 'ism' where none exists. You have given the impression here that a comment to the liner was only given BECAUSE she was female. Am I right in thinking this is what you are saying? If I am, what is your basis of proof?

Cooper accepts speaking to the assistant referee on the pitch at the time. He subsequently denies using the words "you need to realise...". He accepts saying "it's a man's game", both at the time, and in the referees room afterwards. The FA case was (obviously) that these phrases were used together, as one, at the time, on the pitch, and the implied meaning was obvious - "as a woman you need to realise this is a man's game". If those words were said, bang to rights. Look at rule E3.1 and E3.2. "a reference, expressed or implied..to gender...etc.." The tribunal decided the case on the balance of probabilities, as they are told to. They found it was more probable than not that Cooper used the whole phrase, so it's not about whether the phrase is sexist, it's about whether Cooper said the whole phrase. I think all of it was unnecessary, and I've said before that I think the assistant overreacted, but once it's out there, in this day and age, it's not going to go away. A difficult one for the club - compare and contrast HerGameToo on the club website.

[Bigfathoss]

He directed a comment to the only liner there. Perhaps he meant it in a sexist way and perhaps he didn't. If he says that he didn't then the burden of proof should surely lie with the authorities to prove the case. If they can't, and it is a case of assumption then that is one form of foolishness. If it is a case of assumed sexism unless the speaker can prove it was not intended that way (impossible to do) then it is a dark road we are going down.

[walneyroad]

The fact that he got banned for 8 games is nothing to do with the fact that it was a female liner.
It is more to do with the fact that this is his fourth such offence at mouthing off at officials, and each punishment has been greater than the last, which I think was 5 games. When he does it again - as he no doubt will - it could well be a 12 game ban!

[Hitthebar22]

The fact that he got banned for 8 games is nothing to do with the fact that it was a female liner.
It is more to do with the fact that this is his fourth such offence at mouthing off at officials, and each punishment has been greater than the last, which I think was 5 games. When he does it again - as he no doubt will - it could well be a 12 game ban!

Not quite right because the discriminatory element takes it into E3.2, where it is a mandatory minimum of 6 matches, and the maximum is 12. His previous were all E3.1 - slagging off the officials without any aggravating features. Discretionary ban in those circumstances. His previous can't have done him any good though. Shame it happened.

[Bingley Blue]

He directed a comment to the only liner there. Perhaps he meant it in a sexist way and perhaps he didn't. If he says that he didn't then the burden of proof should surely lie with the authorities to prove the case. If they can't, and it is a case of assumption then that is one form of foolishness. If it is a case of assumed sexism unless the speaker can prove it was not intended that way (impossible to do) then it is a dark road we are going down.

Eh? It isn’t a court of law. Don’t dress it up. It’s obvious what was meant. The only dark road to go down is the one where you deny that

[boyliegladbach]

The fact that he got banned for 8 games is nothing to do with the fact that it was a female liner.
It is more to do with the fact that this is his fourth such offence at mouthing off at officials, and each punishment has been greater than the last, which I think was 5 games. When he does it again - as he no doubt will - it could well be a 12 game ban!

Not quite right because the discriminatory element takes it into E3.2, where it is a mandatory minimum of 6 matches, and the maximum is 12. His previous were all E3.1 - slagging off the officials without any aggravating features. Discretionary ban in those circumstances. His previous can't have done him any good though. Shame it happened.

Last time he was banned for being offensive this time for stating a fact


Justice for Cooper.

[Hitthebar22]

Not quite right because the discriminatory element takes it into E3.2, where it is a mandatory minimum of 6 matches, and the maximum is 12. His previous were all E3.1 - slagging off the officials without any aggravating features. Discretionary ban in those circumstances. His previous can't have done him any good though. Shame it happened.

Last time he was banned for being offensive this time for stating a fact


Justice for Cooper.

That sounds as though you are accepting that he said “you need to realise…..”etc, even though he denied it, and that you are condoning what he was found to have said by the tribunal. I’m sure you are a committed fan of the club, as I am, and I don’t like what’s happened, but time to wise up to and accommodate a changing world. If you are in denial about that, though a supporter of the club, how does what you’ve said line up with what is on the club website - Her Game Too? Maybe time to accept things are different, even though you might not agree with them.

[MisterPleasant]

It will be interesting to see what sanction the NI manager receives for comparable comments: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61094432

[Holkerbird]

I am sick to death of all this nonsense now.
Yes women are more emotional than men. It's in their genes hormones or whatever it is they want to call it.
The same as women aren't as physically strong as men.
We are all different but is getting to the stage where people can't say anything but someone somewhere is waiting to pounce on it and be offended.
When did people become so super sensitive I wonder and want to be victims of an uttered word spoken as an opinion.
I will defend and sympathise with those who are cruelly and painfully picked out and individually abused and hurt but it has just gone to the extreme now.
I bet there's most on this forum who will have unintentionally said something that had it been on a public platform will have upset or hurt someone's feelings and be forced to make a public apology.
My consolation to the way things are going is thank God I am old and not going to be around to see where all this ends up.