Ex-pros turned pundits Jill Scott and Gary Neville have teamed up with Heineken to highlight sexism and gender bias when it comes to punditry, football and sport in general in a brilliant new advertising initiative.
The Dutch beer brand enlisted the help of the former Manchester United and Manchester City stars to highlight the prevailing and still disappointingly casual culture of sexism and the archaic belief that ‘football is man’s game’, coming up with an ingenious idea to expose those who maintain that prejudice.
Focusing on women’s football and how female players as well as pundits are still treated online, in particular, Heineken simply asked the United legend to swap phones with the recently retired Lioness and City midfielder, with Gary Neville posing as Jill Scott on social media and vice versa.
As you can expect, the results were both illuminating and predictably damning in the case of those still posting outdated, sexist and just plain ignorant views.
Secrets out! Last season, @Heineken asked me to swap socials with @GNev2 to show gender bias on social media. It was fun for me but I think less so for Gary 😂. This season, let’s give sexism the red card, and let’s keep football opinions about football!⚽ #fresherfootballpic.twitter.com/vvKTU0Of5W
Entitled the ‘Social Swap’, the clever new ad is part of an important initiative by the brand to crack down on gender bias in football and sport, in general, expanding on their ‘Fresher Football’ campaign established in May last year.
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Having taken control of each others’ accounts for a select few Champions League games last season — Heineken being UEFA’s official alcohol partner — the two live-tweeted the games as many pundits regularly do and then simply sat back to watch the usual keyboard-warrior chaos unfold.
Pulling out all the entry-level sexism stops you could imagine, ‘Jill Scott’s’ (Gary Neville’s) tweets received all the usual ‘yer da’ responses: “Get back in the kitchen babe”, “You should probably concentrate on the girls’ league”, “Seems like your brain’s gone missing [nice spelling]. Best leave the football to the boys the luv.” and so on.
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In contrast, when people were replying to tweets from what they thought was Neville’s account, Scott’s match analysis received responses like, “The most objective opinion I’ve seen from you”.
Probably the best part about all of this is that we don’t even know exactly which tweets or just how many were actually posted by Neville/Scott during these games or by their punditry imposter.
And that’s exactly the point. So good.
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With the Lionesses still reigning European champions and having gone so close at the World Cup, not to mention the WSL becoming more and more popular by the day, you’d like to think that these antiquated corners of the internet would have gone quiet by now, but plenty of people still have a lot to learn.
In fact, this advert wasn’t even the first time such commonplace sexism in football and on social media, specifically, was exposed in such a satisfying manner this year. We’re sure plenty of you will have seen this incredible advert from a few months ago and, if you haven’t, you’re welcome:
Everton manager Sean Dyche randomly pops up in the music video for Blossoms’ new single – and he’s great
Danny Jones
Did anyone else think they’d ever see Sean Dyche make his acting debut in the role of a Northern crime boss in a silly little music video for the Blossoms?
No, us neither but that’s the bizarre alternate reality we’re living in, apparently.
Blossoms are currently working on the fifth studio album and have already released their lead single entitled, ‘To Do List (After The Break-Up)’, but now they have a new song out as well, with a rather amusing music video to go along with it and somehow Sean Dyche has found himself the star.
The Stockport band teased the curious collaboration in April, giving us just short glimpses of the Everton manager and former Burnley boss with very little explanation – all we know is that it looked funny and it was.
Sean Dyche sends the five of us on a mission in our new single What Can I Say (After I’m Sorry) out Wednesday 1st May ⏰ pic.twitter.com/WcDdfgAD1m
Sean Dyche stars as the boss in the music video for Blossoms’ latest single, ‘What Can I Say After I’m Sorry?’ As you do.
Dyche is still busy trying to finish the Premier League campaign as strong as possible after successfully navigating the Toffees to safety even in spite of their points deductions this season, but it sounds like keeping them up has given him enough time to moonlight as an actor.
Sending the indie five-piece on a mission to collect something of value (yes, that’s all the info we have at this point as the story is still to be continued), it looks like the Kettering-born coach has a larger role to play in whatever this narrative turns out to be.
Playing what can only be described as some kind of semi-Manc mafia figure on the hunt for a very valuable piece of art, i.e. a big giant gorilla statue – one that many Stopfordians spotted being lugged around various parts of the borough –
They also shared a little bit of BTS footage from the shoot for the music video last week. Some lovely head-bobbing and unassuming surroundings here:
As for the track itself, it’s a bit of stylistic change for the lads who’ve mastered their 80s-tinged indie formula over the past decade but it’s an absolute pop and is already stuck in our heads.
Revealing that they’ve collaborated with contemporary funk, disco and electronic icons Jungle on the track, it doesn’t take too long to hear the influences. Look forward to hearing it at Wythenshawe Park this summer.
You can watch the music video for ‘What Can I Say?’ and the ginger-goatee’d football manager extraordinaire in full character HERE.
He’s not the only footballing figure who’s made an entertainment crossover recently either.
So, Erling Haaland is now a character in Clash of Clans… 👀
Bit random, we know, but it's a funny little trailer. 😅
Featured Images — Blossoms (via YouTube)/Virgin EMI
Sport
Tributes paid to former Manchester City winger Ian Mellor, dead at 74
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring following the death of former Manchester City star, Ian Mellor, who has sadly passed away at the age of 74.
Mellor, from Sale in Greater Manchester, played as a left winger for Man City as well as the likes of Norwich City, Brighton, Chester, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford.
With his family and former club confirming the death on Wednesday, 1 May, social media has been awash with people paying their respects to the seasoned ex-pro who sadly died following a long battle with amyloidosis, a rare and incurable disease which affects organs such as the heart, brains and kidneys.
Replying to his son and ex-Liverpool turned Sky Sports broadcaster, Neil Mellor, the club paid their respects to the former Blue who made 50 appearances for the club.
We're saddened to learn of the passing of our former player, Ian Mellor.
Mellor began his career just down the road at Wythenshawe Amateurs before going on to represent City from 1970 to 1973.
A boyhood fan of the club, he scored 10 goals whilst wearing Sky Blue and also went on to win the Charity Shield with them back in 1972.
Eventually nicknamed ‘Spider’ for a good chunk of his career due to his long-legged stature, he remained attached to the beautiful game for years after his retirement and went on to become a committee member for the Former Players Association at City.
Joining the likes of all his former clubs, Chester City said: “Everyone at [the club] is saddened to hear of the passing of Ian Mellor. Sending all our love to you and your family, Neil Mellor.
His son Neil’s goodbye has touched many online too, calling his dad his “hero” and his “everything”.
He also went on to thank locally-based end-of-life care organisation and charity, St Ann’s Hospice, who have facilities all over Greater Manchester and who helped care for Ian in his final days.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family as well as those whose lives he touched through football during this difficult time.
Danny Jones -
15th September 2023 
