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Laura Williamson: Fergie's harmless joke highlights a more serious matter for women within British sport

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It was Mother’s Day yesterday. I hope you didn’t forget.

Last Friday also happened to be International Women’s Day, which Sir Alex Ferguson marked by joking a senior Manchester United press officer had ‘dragged herself out of the kitchen’ to attend his media conference.

No marks for originality there (and rather good of her, really, given  Ferguson’ s no-show after his side’s defeat by Real Madrid), but no cause to get our knickers in a twist, either.

Sense of humour? Sir Alex Ferguson can also make jokes when he chooses

      More from Laura Williamson...   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Dingley won her battle but the war on bigotry is not over 02/06/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: How Miss Moneylegs is battling back from adversity after missing London 2012 through injury 26/05/13   Last 12 months have been a 'whirlwind' for Houghton as Arsenal Ladies look to add another FA Cup to packed trophy cabinet 25/05/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Peacock hopes to cut a dash and avoid blade row 19/05/13   Laura Williamson: Save me from the swirling madness as Fergie goes viral 12/05/13   Laura Williamson: The battle against doping should also include arrogant ball sports 05/05/13   Laura Williamson: British Athletics needs to seize the moment and cash in... just like Jess, Mo and Co 22/04/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Arsenal struggle to keep Wolf from the door as Germans earn first-leg advantage 14/04/13   Laura Williamson: Looking for some exposure? Maybe try exposing yourself 07/04/13   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

Harmless, throwaway comments like this are, after all, commonplace in sport. If you got offended every time you heard one you would spend your life in an apoplectic rage with steam coming out of your ears.

That is not supposed to sound defeatist, just realistic. In my experience, such words are not, generally, cynically engineered to undermine you or the job you have chosen to do. They are often accompanied by a well-meaning smile or a laugh and are brushed off with a roll of the eyes.

Yet, instead of making you feel like ‘one of the lads’, they have the opposite effect. They underline your otherness; the fact you are so obviously the odd one out in the room.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been mistaken for a secretary or waitress (it pays not to wear black and white to certain events) or assumed to be someone’s girlfriend or wife. You still get a funny look when you pick up the newspaper and read it the right way round, from back to front.

Even getting into unfamiliar sporting arenas can be a struggle sometimes.

‘Where’s the press room, please?’ I will ask.

‘Why?’ says a bloke in a bright yellow tabard.

‘Well, I rather fancied writing a match report.’

‘Oh. Right.’

They’re not being rude or deliberately unhelpful. I just happen to be in the minority. This is, after all, still very much the case in sport, at all levels.

Female success: But Jessica Ennis could be lost to sport when she stops competing

Figures released by the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) last week found more than half of the boards of the United Kingdom’s various sports governing bodies are failing to meet the minimum of having at least 25 per cent female representation, while six boards have no women members at all.

The figure has remained stagnant at 22 per cent since last year and has risen by only one per cent since 2009, despite the stunning impact of British sportswomen at a home Olympics.

This has been described as ‘disheartening’ and ‘shocking’, but it’s not really, is it? I’m actually surprised that one in five board members of the 57 organisations who responded to the WSFF’s Trophy Women report are female. It is definitely a solid foundation to build on.

Inspiration: Gold medallist Nicola Adams was another huge success for Team GB

This is not about having females on boards just for the sake of it, or to use them as pawns in a game of political correctness. UK Sport are funding some 600 elite sportswomen in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics and the Rio Games in 2016, but very few of those athletes will go into coaching or sports administration when they retire from competition.

Why is that? Why are we losing these talented, experienced individuals who could make a valuable contribution to their sport?

It is because most women still do not see sport as a viable career path. Why would they when they will be so hopelessly outnumbered, the lone woman ‘dragged from the kitchen’? This will change only when a female in sport does not feel like the odd one out, when she can turn to the woman next to her and laugh along just like everybody else.

What they said

Doping samples from four Russian and two Belarus athletes at the 2005 IAAF World Championships were this week found to be ‘adverse’. IAAF president Lamine Diack said: ‘Our message to cheaters is increasingly clear that, with constant advancements being made in doping detection, there is no place to hide.’

And this is what I've been doing this week

Flew to Rio de Janeiro ahead of tonight’s Laureus World Sports Awards. You know you’re arriving in a city of sport when Vicente del Bosque goes through passport control at the same time as you...

True great: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is in Rio de Janeiro for the Laureus World Sport Awards

Watched Gareth Bale’s outrageous dive to try and win a penalty against Inter Milan. It was unnecessary and a part of his game Bale needs to address quickly. He can keep saying he falls over to avoid injury but, if referees keep producing yellow cards, he needs to change his approach.

Enjoyed Roy Keane’s outspoken punditry after Manchester United’s defeat by Real Madrid. Good for him for stopping Lee Dixon and Gareth Southgate harping on about ‘intent’; one of my pet hates when people discuss the legitimacy of a red card.

Diver? Gareth Bale's reputation is worsening

Performance of the week

England’s women football team beat Italy 4-2 and drew 4-4 with Scotland in the Cyprus Cup, with a place in the final guaranteed if Hope Powell’s side can win against New Zealand today. The BBC announced last week it will show four FA Women’s Super League programmes this season — a first for terrestrial TV. A good week.

Entertaining: Hope Powell's England side can reach the final of the Cyprus Cup by beating New Zealand

  More... I'm GLAD Bale was booked! Star man will miss Inter return leg after 'dive'... but boss AVB is pleased Bale's 'little AVB': Spurs star's daughter Alba Violet has Gareth 'buzzing' The ghost of Mourinho haunts Inter as they prepare for challenge of in-form Tottenham From Manchester to Milan: Bale back at Spurs for training but Adebayor doubtful for Inter clash






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