50th episode with Ian Wright
Ian Wright calls out the sexism facing women in football as the 50th guest on The Game Changers podcast
Ian Wright is outspoken about the challenges facing female sports pundits as he talks to Sue Anstiss for The Game Changers podcast which will be released on Tuesday February 16, 2021.
Asked about the negative vitriol many women face Ian says: “I'm embarrassed by it…. I feel for them because they’ve got no wiggle room. When they're on the television, if they say anything wrong they're taken to the cleaners. People want them cancelled and it's unfair.
“When women come on, they know that they are under amazing pressure because people are looking to find fault with anything they say. So they're very, very prepared.”
“I was on with Lianne Sanderson the other day it was a joy. She knows so much. They've made me up my game. When you listen to what they say, they make you have to research more. And that's what it's about. So they shouldn't be put off by it because they're doing the work to be on there. They deserve to be on there.”
A big supporter of the women’s game, and a Barclays Football Ambassador, Ian is a special guest for the 50th episode of The Game Changers which shares the stories of trailblazing women in sport. Previous football guests have included Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Steph Houghton, Emma Hayes, Jill Scott, Casey Stoney, Eni Aluko and Gabby Logan.
Ian talks about his trip to watch the Lionesses play in France at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 commenting: “What I do love about the women's game is the ambiance of the fans. It's a whole different vibe to the way the fans behave in the men's game. It's much better, more friendly - it feels lovely. And it's the kind of atmosphere where you can bring your daughters too.”
Within the podcast Sue and Ian also discuss female coaches in the men’s game, the importance of sponsorship and visibility for future growth and the potential impact of a home Euros in 2022. Ian reflects: "I see great skill in the women's game. I see great skill in the men's game. And I love them both in equal measure.”
As well as supporting this episode, Barclays, the biggest corporate supporter of women’s sport in the UK, have announced that they will be sponsor the new series of award-winning podcast which launches on March 2, 2021. Guests in the new series include Lucy Bronze, Jess Fishlock, Dawn Scott and Jessica Creighton.
The Game Changers is hosted by Sue Anstiss MBE, a trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust and the co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective. It’s free to download wherever you stream podcasts including apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify and ACast. You can also listen here: http://podfollow.com/1464596772
You can also listen to all episodes and find out more about the 49 guests at www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/gamechangers
For more information, imagery, quotes or interviews please contact:
Sue Anstiss on 07973 236393 / sue.anstiss@fearlesswomen.co.uk
Jenny Scott on 07970 952656 / jennyscottcomms@gmail.com
Editors’ notes:
In 2019, Barclays announced the biggest ever sponsorship of women’s sport in the UK, becoming the title sponsor of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, Europe’s first fully professional women’s football league. Along with this ground-breaking support for professional women’s sport, Barclays also invested in the FA Girls’ Football School Partnerships, with the aim of ensuring all girls in England have equal access to football in schools by 2024.