Source: SKY_Sports
Ladies Day, by Georgie
Georgie Thompson knows what it's like to be a woman in a man's world.[LNB] She has been the face of Sky Sports News for eight years, presented Grand Slam tennis and the most manly of sporting activities, speedway.[LNB]But while she makes a living presenting four hours of live rolling sports news a day, bringing you the latest news and big-name interviews, there's one thing she admits to being terrified of... FanZone![LNB]And that from someone that has even speed round Brands Hatch in an A1GP car at speeds close to 200mph.[LNB]Terrified"I'd be absolutely terrified and horrified!" she admits. "I think it's the most frightening in the world![LNB]"I would know better than to think I could do a good job with a mic just because of I've got one stuck to my lapel most days."[LNB]Which is why Georgie is more than happy to get behind the four brave ladies easing the men out of their seats on Ladies Day, Sunday, April 26.[LNB]Kirsty Ann Percival (Arsenal), Katie Medd (Middlesbrough), Nicola Silcock (Blackburn) and Miranda Taylor ( Wigan ) will be flying the flag for the fairer sex, with no shortage of famous female support.[LNB]Click here for the girls' FanZone profiles[LNB]BackingSky News' Kay Burley, Sky Sports News' Natalie Sawyer and Lisa from Soccer AM, have given the girls their backing and Georgie is no different. [LNB]"I think its a really good idea, It's taken a while for women to establish themselves in sports and sports broadcasting, so this is probably the next step!" she said.[LNB]"As someone who does talk about sport for a living - albeit not always football - it's great to see these girls getting a chance to do the same.[LNB]"Fanzone has been male dominant for years and it's important it moves with the times and acknowledges the massive female football fanbase out there. After all, women have the gift of the gab don't they?"[LNB]Which is why Georgie was more than happy to put the girls through their paces, with a fitness programme courtesy of Superchick, the fitness and lifestyle brand that runs female only training workouts in London.[LNB]All four female FanZoners dropped for some cardio training before getting down to the serious business of whipping their commentary technique into shape.[LNB]Which is where Georgie can lend more than her sisterly support.[LNB]Challenge"I genuinely think it's a greater challenge than people anticipate," she says. [LNB]"People just think it's shrieks of delight and howls of disappointment, it's so much more than that - to keep a dialogue going for that length of time is a pretty major broadcasting feat.[LNB]"As a presenter you have moments when the producer tells you the rundown has crashed, the autocue has broken and the scripts have gone out of the window and the ball is in your court, it's your responsibility to make chaos look organised. Working in pairs most certainly takes the heat off though and at least you've got a partner to turn to on Fanzone.[LNB]"To present a programme double-headed can have its own pitfalls though. You don't always know when the other person will speak or what they will say and you have to be prepared to react accordingly. [LNB]"f you've been working with a particular person for a while you get to know their nuances, their idiosyncrasies [LNB]"But the girls won't get that opportunity. They will have to wing it for a nerve-jangling 90 minutes and that is intimidating. [LNB]"But we know women can talk about all sorts for hours on end so maybe here they have a natural advantage over first time male FanZoners."[LNB]RepresentingOn April 26, the four girls will make a small piece of broadcasting history and a giant leap for footballing femalekind.[LNB]And says Georgie, show the world that there is a place for women in the booth - even though the idea has taken a while to catch on. In the hundreds of live games Sky Sports has shown, only one girl has previously given FanZone a go.[LNB]"These four are going to have to give it their all," she says. "They are not just representing their teams, they are representing girls who know their football, everywhere.[LNB]"As girls they will have to prove themselves a little bit more. Its the usual deal, if you make a mistake as a girl, it's jumped on 10 times more than if a boy makes the same mistake. [LNB]"You have to check your facts and do your research - preparation is everything. On a lighter note though Ladies Day is a great chance for the girls to have a 90-minute chit-chat about football without getting interupted by the boys.[LNB]"Who knows with a bit of female intuition and the prerogative to change their minds, maybe the women can call football better than the men can?"[LNB]
