Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell has insisted his criticism of assistant referee Amy Fearn following his team's defeat by Birmingham on Wednesday contained no sexist remarks.
After seeing his struggling side, facing relegation from English football's second tier Championship, lose 2-1, Jewell said Ipswich had been denied a penalty on the advice of Fearn.
Responding to a comment from a reporter at a post-match news conference, that "I think everyone to a man thought it was a penalty,", Jewell replied: "Unfortunately to every man, but not a woman.
"Although the referee didn't have a good view, I thought the lineswoman, or whatever she's called, had a great view."
Prospect, the trade union that represents match officials, condemned Jewell's comments as sexist.
But Jewell, who does not expect disciplinary action from the Football Association and will contest any charges that come his way, told Ipswich's website on Thursday: "I absolutely refute suggestions that my comments were made in a sexist way.
"The opening line from a journalist at the start of the press conference was 'I think everyone to a man thought that was a penalty' and I responded by saying 'but not to a woman', meaning the official that was on that side and didn't give the decision.
"I didn't suggest in any way that the official made a mistake because she was a woman. I don't think what I said was sexist and will argue all day long with anyone that says it is."
Jewell explained his remark about "a lineswoman, or whatever she's called" was "a reference to the officials who run the line now being known as assistant referees".
He added: "I'm not expecting any comeback from the authorities and would be disappointed if there is but if that arrives, I will defend it vehemently and will have the full support of the club in doing that."
But Alan Leighton, national secretary of the union Prospect, insisted Jewell was wrong to mention Fearn's gender in any context.
"The comments are clearly sexist and there is no place for them in football. They are sexist because they are based on her gender rather than her performance as an official," Leighton told BBC Radio Five.
"If she had been a man clearly there wouldn't have been comments made about the gender of the individual concerned."
Source: AFP
