Former Chelsea footballer Jason Cundy has said women’s voices are too high-pitched to commentate football matches.
Cundy, who presents The Sports Bar on Talksport and also Chelsea TV, became embroiled in a row with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.
Morgan, who presents Good Morning Britain, branded the ex-footballer a “sexist pig” for saying he prefers men to be commentators.
Cundy’s comments come after Vicki Sparks made history by becoming the first ever woman to commentate live on a World Cup game.
The BBC Sport journalist took to the mic alongside co-commentator Martin Keown for Portugal’s game against Morocco last week.
“I prefer to hear a male voice when watching football – for 90 minutes of hearing a high pitched tone isn’t really what I would like to hear – and when there is a moment of drama as there often is in football, that moment actually I think needs to be done with a slightly lower voice.”
World Cup: Japan vs Senegal player ratings 22 show all World Cup: Japan vs Senegal player ratings 1/22 Eiji Kawashima - 5 At fault for the first goal and looked unorthodox at best throughout the game AFP/Getty Images 2/22 Hiroki Sakai - 7 Solid in defence and a strong physical presence against the likes of Niang REUTERS 3/22 Maya Yoshida - 7 Strong in defence, but had plenty to do with the threat of Senegal’s Niang REUTERS 4/22 Gen Shoji - 7 Comfortable alongside Yoshida at the heart of defence with most of Senegal’s pressure coming from the wide areas Sergei Bobylev/TASS 5/22 Yuto Nagatomo - 7 Had all kinds of problems with Sarr in the first half, but dealt with him well under lots of pressure and got forward himself Getty Images 6/22 Makoto Hasebe - 7 Led from the front for Japan with all his experience, worked hard and covered a lot of ground REUTERS 7/22 Gaku Shibasaki - 7 One of the few to have real quality and ability with long balls, and showed that with a beautiful cross field pass for Inui’s goal AFP/Getty Images 8/22 Genki Haraguchi - 5 Did well to support his team going forward and tried to get in the box as much as possible, but at fault for the first Senegal goal AFP/Getty Images 9/22 Shinji Kagawa - 6 Looked a danger but didn’t have as much of an impact on the game as he would have liked AP 10/22 Takashi Inui - 8 Got the equalising goal for Japan with a wonderful finish, found space and had time on the ball where others did not EPA 11/22 Yuya Osako - 6 Less of an impact in this one compared to the first game, but held the ball up as best he could AFP/Getty Images 12/22 Khadim N'Diaye - 5 Could do nothing for Inui’s goal, but his poor decision making gifted Japan their second goal REUTERS 13/22 Moussa Wagué - 8 He dealt well with the pressure and got his goal, could be one of the young stars of this World Cup REUTERS 14/22 Salif Sané - 7 A solid presence in the Senegalese defence, and the Japanese goal came from the left which he couldn’t do a great deal about AFP/Getty Images 15/22 Kalidou Koulibaly - 7 Good in the air, and a real leader in the Senegal defence. Limited Osaka’s impact on the game REUTERS 16/22 Youssouf Sabaly - 7 His strike forced the mistake from the Japanese goalkeeper and gave Mane an easy finish early on. Excellent going forward throughout the game Getty Images 17/22 Alfred N'Diaye - 6 Provided little for Senegal, and was the first to be replaced REUTERS 18/22 Ismaila Sarr - 8 Poor in defence, but as a winger did everything you could ask for. Pace, power and trickery AFP/Getty Images 19/22 Badou Ndiaye - 7 Another in a more defensive role in midfield, an area in which Senegal won the battle in the first half in particular REUTERS 20/22 Idrissa Gueye - 7 Offered stability in midfield that allowed the likes of Mane and Sarr to fly forward on the wings Getty Images 21/22 Sadio Mané - 7 The captain has plenty of responsibility in this side, and although fortuitously, got the crucial opening goal AFP/Getty Images 22/22 M’Baye Niang - 8 Good hold up play, combined with pace and power to run into the channels Niang was a constant danger for Senegal AFP/Getty Images 1/22 Eiji Kawashima - 5 At fault for the first goal and looked unorthodox at best throughout the game AFP/Getty Images 2/22 Hiroki Sakai - 7 Solid in defence and a strong physical presence against the likes of Niang REUTERS 3/22 Maya Yoshida - 7 Strong in defence, but had plenty to do with the threat of Senegal’s Niang REUTERS 4/22 Gen Shoji - 7 Comfortable alongside Yoshida at the heart of defence with most of Senegal’s pressure coming from the wide areas Sergei Bobylev/TASS 5/22 Yuto Nagatomo - 7 Had all kinds of problems with Sarr in the first half, but dealt with him well under lots of pressure and got forward himself Getty Images 6/22 Makoto Hasebe - 7 Led from the front for Japan with all his experience, worked hard and covered a lot of ground REUTERS 7/22 Gaku Shibasaki - 7 One of the few to have real quality and ability with long balls, and showed that with a beautiful cross field pass for Inui’s goal AFP/Getty Images 8/22 Genki Haraguchi - 5 Did well to support his team going forward and tried to get in the box as much as possible, but at fault for the first Senegal goal AFP/Getty Images 9/22 Shinji Kagawa - 6 Looked a danger but didn’t have as much of an impact on the game as he would have liked AP 10/22 Takashi Inui - 8 Got the equalising goal for Japan with a wonderful finish, found space and had time on the ball where others did not EPA 11/22 Yuya Osako - 6 Less of an impact in this one compared to the first game, but held the ball up as best he could AFP/Getty Images 12/22 Khadim N'Diaye - 5 Could do nothing for Inui’s goal, but his poor decision making gifted Japan their second goal REUTERS 13/22 Moussa Wagué - 8 He dealt well with the pressure and got his goal, could be one of the young stars of this World Cup REUTERS 14/22 Salif Sané - 7 A solid presence in the Senegalese defence, and the Japanese goal came from the left which he couldn’t do a great deal about AFP/Getty Images 15/22 Kalidou Koulibaly - 7 Good in the air, and a real leader in the Senegal defence. Limited Osaka’s impact on the game REUTERS 16/22 Youssouf Sabaly - 7 His strike forced the mistake from the Japanese goalkeeper and gave Mane an easy finish early on. Excellent going forward throughout the game Getty Images 17/22 Alfred N'Diaye - 6 Provided little for Senegal, and was the first to be replaced REUTERS 18/22 Ismaila Sarr - 8 Poor in defence, but as a winger did everything you could ask for. Pace, power and trickery AFP/Getty Images 19/22 Badou Ndiaye - 7 Another in a more defensive role in midfield, an area in which Senegal won the battle in the first half in particular REUTERS 20/22 Idrissa Gueye - 7 Offered stability in midfield that allowed the likes of Mane and Sarr to fly forward on the wings Getty Images 21/22 Sadio Mané - 7 The captain has plenty of responsibility in this side, and although fortuitously, got the crucial opening goal AFP/Getty Images 22/22 M’Baye Niang - 8 Good hold up play, combined with pace and power to run into the channels Niang was a constant danger for Senegal AFP/Getty Images
Morgan, who is also editor-at-large of the US Mail Online, said: “My only criteria, Jason, is not that they’re male or female, it’s, ‘Do they know what they’re talking about?’
“Your annoyance appears to be that they have too pitchy voices, even though yours is just as pitchy, which seems to make you a sexist pig?!”
Cundy, who also played for Tottenham Hotspur, sought to defend his view.
“Listen it’s nothing to do with her insight, the way she delivers, or her knowledge, or her ability to do the job. It’s the voice.
"For 90 minutes I would rather prefer to listen to a male voice when I’m watching football.
“I consume a lot of football – to listen to that voice. It’s like, would you rather listen to Ed Sheeran or Celine Dion? We all have a choice.”
Morgan hit back: “Jason, you’re sounding ridiculous!”
Cundy’s remarks have sparked outrage on Twitter – with people accusing him of sexism.
“If any woman knows what she is talking about, has the knowledge about the game, then nothing, absolutely nothing should stop her from commentating. Its as simple as that,” said one Twitter user.
“This is a case of a man saying he doesn’t want to listen to a woman because she’s a woman. Which is undeniably sexist,” added journalist Rebecca Reid.
Follow the Independent Sport on Instagram here, for all of the best images, videos and stories from around the sporting world.
• Cundy told ITV: ‘High-pitched tone isn’t what I want’ • Presenter later says he was wrong and had been ‘an idiot’
The former Chelsea and Tottenham defender Jason Cundy has apologised after his claim, broadcast on national television, that female football commentators are too “high-pitched”.
The TalkSport presenter offered up his opinion on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, before being labelled “a sexist pig” by the show’s co-host Piers Morgan.
Evra challenged over clapping fellow ITV pundit Aluko's World Cup analysis Read more
Vicki Sparks became the first female commentator for a live World Cup match when she presented Portugal’s Group B clash against Morocco from Moscow last Wednesday.
However, Cundy was not a fan and told the programme: “I found it a tough listen. I prefer to hear a male voice. For 90 minutes listening to a high-pitched tone isn’t what I want to hear.
“When there’s a moment of drama, which there often is in football, I think that moment needs to be done with a slightly lower voice.”
Cundy is the latest former footballer to find himself in hot water for appearing to patronise female pundits, after Patrice Evra clapped an opinion aired by Eni Aluko on ITV last week.
Play Video 1:01 Patrice Evra criticised for 'patronising' applause of Eni Aluko – video
The ITV reporter and presenter Jacqui Oatley responded on Twitter: “Frustrating that this “female commentator” debate is still such an issue, 11 years after my first MotD game and 8 years after I did 7 live World Cup commentaries on 5 Live.
“Voice/style preference is always subjective – to say it ‘shouldn’t be allowed’ says more about the critic.”
SBS presenter Lucy Zelić hits back at abuse for World Cup pronunciation Read more
Cundy insisted he was not questioning the expertise or otherwise of female presenters, adding: “It’s nothing to do with her insight, the way she delivers it or her knowledge or her ability to do the job – it’s the voice.”
On Monday night he went further and offered an apology via Twitter. He wrote: “I want to sincerely apologise for the comments I made on Good Morning Britain. I came away realising just how foolish and out of order they were and how I deserved the backlash I have received.
“There are times when you have to hold your hands up and admit you are wrong and have been an idiot – and this is definitely one of those times. I regret the comments and also the hurt and anger they caused. I realise there is absolutely no place for these demeaning attitudes towards female commentators and I’m truly sorry.”
A former Chelsea footballer has claimed that women are unsuited to commentate on football matches because their voices are too high.
Jason Cundy said moments of drama in big games require a lower tone of voice. He was talking about Vicki Sparks, a BBC journalist who became the first woman to commentate live on a televised World Cup match in the UK, for the Portugal vs Morocco game last Wednesday.
Cundy, a presenter for Talksport radio and Chelsea TV, said: “Listen, it’s nothing to do with her insight, the way she delivers, or her knowledge, or her ability to do the job. It’s the voice.
“I prefer to hear a male voice when watching football - 90 minutes of hearing a high-pitched tone isn’t really what I would like to hear, and when there is a moment of drama as there often is in football, that moment actually needs to be done with a slightly lower voice.”
He added: “I consume a lot of football… as a point of preference, what I prefer to listen to when I’m watching a football match is a male commentator.” Cundy likened it to music tastes, saying: “It’s like, would you rather listen to Ed Sheeran or Celine Dion? We all have a choice.”
