Sports commentator Vicki Sparks won praise from football fans on Wednesday afternoon, after making history by becoming the first woman to commentate on a World Cup match, live on a British terrestrial channel.
The broadcaster took the lead role on the BBC’s Portugal vs. Morocco commentary, and was joined in the box by former Arsenal player Martin Keown.
With plenty of experience from working on Five Live, Final Score and BBC Newcastle, Vicki was more than ready for the job and many fans praised her work:
However - yes, you guessed it... - not everyone was pleased. In fact, one Twitter user guessed correctly when he said the site would be an “interesting place” as Vicki made her debut:
So why were some people annoyed, you ask? Because she’s a woman, of course!
According to certain corners of Twitter, allowing a woman to step foot in the commentary box is “PC gone mad”:
Oh dear. Does anyone have a tiny violin?
Thankfully, there were plenty of others willing to put the naysayers in their place:
Female commentators are nothing new in football, of course, and Jacqui Oatley became the first woman to comment on BBC show ‘Match Of The Day’ back in 2007.
Jacqui is also currently in Russia, fronting some of ITV’s World Cup coverage, while numerous female players are serving as pundits for both broadcasters.