An Australian radio presenter left the network after comments he made on the country’s women’s football team – who were qualified as misogynist and disrespectful.
Marty Sheargold said on the radio station nationally triple M that the Matildas players reminded him of the “girls of the year 10” and implied that their matches were boring.
He apologized earlier on Wednesday and was to be back in the air but did not appear in his usual time slot.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), the parent company of Triple M later said that Sheargold and the station had agreed to “separate each other”.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sheargold said that he fully understood the gravity of his remarks and that he would like to “sincerely apologize to the Matildas and the wider organization”.
The company declared that it “assumed its responsibility seriously to listeners, shareholders and customers and that its programming should line up with the standards and expectations of its audience”.
“At the moment, it is clear that this is a moment of reflection and examination. Triple M, and the wider SCA network, will continue to take all the necessary measures to support the staff,” said The company’s content director, Dave Cameron, in a press release.
Earlier, the Sports Director Body said that the remarks “reduced extraordinary achievements” of a team that was semi-finalist in the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
During its hiking show on Monday afternoon, Sheargold intervened during a sports bulletin-which discussed Australia’s defeat against the United States during its second consecutive defeat in the Shebelieves Cup.
“Do you know what they remind me of? The 10th year girls,” said Sheargold, laughing at his co-hosts.
“All the intestine struggles and all the problems of friendship … Now I’m sorry to undermine all the sport, but that’s what I think.”
When her colleague mentioned the Shebelieves Cup by name, Sheargold interrupted saying: “Oh, she believes in what? They are better men.”
And when a benchmark was made to Australia organizing the AFC Asian Asian Cup next year, he said “Oh my God – the Asian Cup”, before criticizing the event with a Obscene comment. He then asked his co-host: “Do you have a sports sport?”
Sheargold’s comments later became viral.
The Minister of Sport Anika Wells described comments “rude, boring and bad”.
“The most watched television event in Australia was the Matildas World Cup semi-final; Tillies’ quarter-final is the second most watched event in Australian history,” said Wells.
Australian Olympia Ambrosia Malone, which represents its country in hockey, has also criticized Sheargold.
“All that I could think of is the young girls sitting in the car with their parents, perhaps on the way to or from their own training sessions when he heard this,” she wrote on the networks social.
“I am sure that many of them would have been injured and confused … I was incredulous.
“Is it apparently acceptable on the afternoon radio for the general public ??? How”
Football Australia said he was “deeply disappointed with unacceptable comments” which “do not recognize the deep impact they had on Australian sport and society”.
“This incident is a brutal reminder of media and personalities have to promote respectful and constructive discussions on women’s sport and its participants,” he added.
