Sky Sports

FANS have been left stunned after finding out Bianca Westwood’s age.The popular sports reporter has this week blasted Joey Barton over his sexist comments suggesting that women are not qualified to talk about men’s football.
Bianca Westwood stunned fans with her ageCredit: INSTAGRAM @biancawestwood
Bianca in her mid 20s, with former boyfriend Ronnie O’SullivanCredit: Getty
Bianca has been a trailblazer for women in sports media and has built up a massive following through her years of working in football.
She had been a star reporter for Sky Sports from matches up and down the English football leagues since 2000, but left the broadcaster earlier this year.
She has since joined up with talkSPORT and is reporting from around the grounds on matchdays.
In response to Barton’s shameful comments, Bianca insisted that she should be more than qualified to speak about football.
READ MORE ON JOEY BARTON
Bianca revealed that she has been watching football for 40 years and that the first visit she made to see her beloved West Ham was before the former Newcastle and QPR midfielder was “even born”.
She wrote: “Who is qualified to speak on football then? I’ve been watching football for 40 years, my first game at West Ham was before Joey was even born.
“I’ve been watching hours and hours of football.
“I worked behind the scenes at Sky for 10 years before I was even given a shot on camera, watching my male colleagues who maybe weren’t as good as I was, getting chances I was never given.”
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Bianca is a fan favourite for her coverage of footballCredit: Rex
Bianca, who dated world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in her mid-20s, also revealed in an Instagram post earlier this year that she was 49 years old, and fans could not believe her age.
One fan said: “You certainly don’t look 49. You look bloody amazing.”
A second commented: “You could pass for mid-late 30s easy.”
A third wrote: “You don’t even look 40 never mind nearly 50.”
Barton claimed that women should not comment on men’s footballCredit: PA
Another added: “There is no way you’re nearly 50.”
Bianca continued her response to the retired footballer, who actually turned 41 in September, as she claimed that he actually had a problem with “particular pundits”
She was often on camera for Sky SportsCredit: Instagram / @biancawestwood
She added: “I don’t really understand what we need to know, how long we need to work behind the scenes before we are allowed on camera. To be a pundit, the laws are the same.
“Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman can both read the game, are you saying they can’t offer an insight?
“Sounds like to me that Joey has a problem with particular pundits who haven’t done enough in the game, but how does he know? And how do we quantify that?
“There’s EFL players who are commentating, co-commentating on Champions League games.
“So what level – as far as Joey Barton is concerned – do you have to get before you can be an expert on the ‘men’s game’?”
Barton’s comments have received a huge backlash after the former Bristol Rovers boss said he does not think women pundits should be allowed to comment on the men’s game.
Laura Woods has spoken out about Barton’s comments
Barton tweeted: “Women shouldn’t be talking with any kind of authority in the men’s game. Come on. Let’s be serious.
“It’s a completely different game.
“If you don’t accept that. We will always see things differently.
“The women’s game is thriving. Fantastic to see.
“I cannot take a thing they say serious in the men’s arena.”
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He further tried to goad Bianca and Laura Woods, who has also slammed his comments, today by writing: “Both of you follow me. And not the other way around. So, Why the silence?
“Do you both have something to hide?” More

JAMIE CARRAGHER has suggested Pep Guardiola is “terrified” of Roy Keane after his stinging attack against pundits.The Manchester City manager launched a scathing attack against a number of pundits, including Sky Sports duo Gary Neville and Carragher.
Pep Guardiola blasted Sky Sports pundits earlier this weekCredit: Getty
But Guardiola did not mention Roy KeaneCredit: Sky Sports
Prompting Jamie Carragher to suggest the Man City boss was ‘terrified’ of KeaneCredit: Alamy
Ahead of Man City’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, the Spaniard blasted them after they suggested his City team had grown complacent.
Guardiola said: “Gary Neville knows how difficult it is otherwise he would’ve won four Premier Leagues in the best period of Manchester United.
“Maybe they accuse us of complacency because they felt complacency at United.
“Maybe they felt it. This team so far, no chance. Jamie Carragher didn’t win one title.
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“I don’t have anything to say about the pundits, honestly. It’s not about that complacency. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think it’s about complacency.”
Carragher bit back at Guardiola on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the comments.
However, he went back for seconds when featuring on the latest episode of The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, courtesy of Sky Bet.
He said: “[Guardiola] obviously said what he said [about me] in the press conference and it was one for the papers that comes out at 10:30pm at night, but I was sent it an hour or two before.
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“I knew it was coming, but I thought it was that siege mentality – have a go at someone, he said something about the crowd last week.
“If you go back to this time last year – I don’t know if it was the same sort of time – but [Man City] played Tottenham at home. 
“They were getting beat 2-0 and then they won 4-2, and he came out and had a bit of a go at people.
“It feels to me like he’s a little bit worried about Arsenal, the fact that he’s done that and he feels he needs to give everyone a kick up the backside.”
He then joked: “The only thing as well I noticed is he must be terrified of [Roy Keane]. He didn’t mention Roy, did he?”
Keane himself had some sympathy for Guardiola and his outburst, and insisted his rant came about due to the use of the word complacent.
He said: “He’s [Guardiola] using the word in his press conference about being complacent.
“They’re all fit, they’re obviously giving bad goals away and they a lot easier to play against.

“That’s why he probably was more annoyed with that word.”
City have now failed to win any of their last four Premier League matches, which has seen them drop six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Man City’s next five games More

JOEY BARTON has been slammed by TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods over his comments about female pundits.Former Manchester City and Newcastle star Barton went into a tirade on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming women are not qualified to talk about the men’s game.
Joey Barton disparaged female pundits and said he could ‘not take them seriously’Credit: Alamy
Laura Woods hit back at one of the comments Barton madeCredit: Getty
His tirade on X included saying that women commentating on men’s football was the same as him “talking about knitting or netball” – and called those who disagreed with him “eunuchs” and “fart parcels”
Barton, 41, has agreed to be interviewed by Sun columnist Piers Morgan on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV tonight.

Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 522, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US and enjoy his explosive interviews here

The controversial star’s comments have received a huge backlash after the former Bristol Rovers boss said he does not think women pundits should be allowed to comment on the men’s game.
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Barton’s tweeted: “Women shouldn’t be talking with any kind of authority in the men’s game. Come on. Let’s be serious.
“It’s a completely different game. If you don’t accept that. We will always see things differently.
“The women’s game is thriving. Fantastic to see.
“I cannot take a thing they say serious in the men’s arena.”
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Hours after his initial tirade Barton doubled down on his comments and called out Manchester City’s social media manager.
Barton also responded to several men taking issue with his comments by calling them “eunuchs”.
He also posted images of children’s dolls such as Action Man without any genitalia to emphasis his point.
TNT Sports presenter Woods leaped to the Man City media manager’s defence after Barton stated his desire to rid football of influencers.
Woods tweeted: “Usually avoid these conversations as I don’t like adding more oxygen. But throwing young vloggers to the wolves is wrong.
Sky Sports’ Simon Thomas also criticised BartonCredit: Sky Sports
Barton previously showed support for the #HERGAMETOO initiative
“I started my career vlogging and I’ve always got on with Joey. He also sent me a lovely good luck message for TNT in June. Does that make him a eunuch too?🤔
“Joey’s entitled to his opinion. If he feels that strongly about women in the men’s game he could ask for a private conversation with the broadcasters & state his case.
“These tweets only encourage a pile on for the women getting on with their jobs. Or was that the intention?”
Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas responded to Barton’s remarks by posting two emojis showing a person facepalming.
Another Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pike also made a show of support to City’s social media manager.
She wrote on X: “Proud to be a woman working in football, for a club that champions women across all departments.
“Man City’s Social media manager is a highly talented individual, who does an exceptional job across social channels and im proud to have HER represent our club.”
Barton later repeated his opinion on women commentators, describing their contribution as “nonsense”.
The former Man City star said: “Stand by everything I’ve said on women commenting and co-comms on the men’s football.
“Like me talking about knitting or netball. Way out of my comfort zone. Some of the men are bad enough! We have gone too far.
“You cannot watch a game now without hearing the nonsense. Any man who says otherwise is an absolute fart parcel.”
Barton’s posts come after he had previously thrown his support behind the #HERGAMETOO initiative.
Other Sky Sports brodcasters are pitched in to accuse Barton of sexism.
Dougie Critchley wrote: “Remarkable decision to end your top level management career at 41 with a tweet.
“Condescending, backwards, sexist.”
Sky Sports presenter Michelle Owen said: “Let’s hope you’re not looking for punditry work if that coaching thing doesn’t work out…”
One fan said: “Laura Woods, Kelly Cates, Robyn Cowen , Betty Glover, Eilidh Barbour and Kelly Somers are a few of the best in the game.
“They know their football, they understand it fully in depth and are extremely knowledgeable and informative to listen to. This tweet is so wrong Joey.”
Read more on The Sun
Another added: “Who is this clown?”
Barton is one of football’s most controversial characters, and served time in prison in 2008 for assault. More