IT took a good 15 minutes or so of watching the Portugal-Morocco game before I worked out the main commentator was a woman.

At first I thought one of the female footballers the BBC have used now and again was the expert voice but she then started describing corners, fouls and what-not, and the penny dropped.

Vicki Sparks is her name and she made history by becoming the first female journalist to commentate live on a football match on British television. She did okay.

Sparks was neither brilliant nor rubbish. Certainly, she was a lot better than some of those we have to endure across both channels but as she’s new to the game, was obviously not quite as slick as some of her more experienced colleagues.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t give this much more thought because, as I don’t live in the 18th century, the idea of a lass taking over from a lad in what is the vital job of talking through a football match has no real affect on my life.

I am not a huge fan of Gabby Logan, a far more familiar face on the Beeb, but it’s nothing to do with her sex but, rather, I find her questioning style a bit too fawning for my taste.

Eniola Aluko has been a bit of a revelation as a pundit in the ITV studio. Again, she’s not the best, but offers far more insight than one or two I could mention, and so good was she at making one particular point that it drew applause from Patrice Evra.

Which just might be the most patronising thing ever to appear on a television screen.

Jacqui Oatley is a fine broadcaster who led the way by being the first female commentator on Match of the Day. This was 2007 and, well, the idea of someone with a womb holding a microphone in the press box brought the best out of some.

Dave Bassett, a football manager, said at the time: “I am totally against it and everybody

I know in football is totally against it . . . when she commentates at the weekend I will not be watching.”

As sporting political statements go, it is some way from making the black power salute at the Olympic Games in 1968. Perhaps Dave was still upset Emily Davison cost him money in the 1913 derby.

There aren’t many women on football shows but there are more than there have ever been, and this isn’t going down well with some.

Jason Cundy, a terrible football pundit on talkSport, has realised that in the absence of having anything informative to say, he comes out with controversial guff and so folk sit up and take notice.

He doesn’t like the idea of women either commentating or giving their opinions on football, which is fair enough. He is entitled to that. However, why Cundy felt the need to go on television – the Good Morning Britain show on Monday morning – to make his argument, only he and whoever makes his decisions for him know.

Women’s voices are too “high-pitched” says our Jason and added: “I prefer to listen to a male voice – I think with their voice it is very different.”

Piers Morgan called out Cundy for being

“a sexist pig” and this rather flustered the spokesman for white van man who spluttered: “For 90 minutes I would rather, prefer, to listen to a male voice. I consume a lot of football, to listen to that voice. It’s like would you prefer to listen to Ed Sheeran or Celine Dion?”

There are cryptologists working all hours in an attempt to decipher the meaning of this drivel. Not even Alan Turing would have fathomed out this one I suspect.

Cundy has since apologised. Most likely to save his job.

What is it about some men and their fear, which is the right word, of the opposite sex being interested in football? The women’s game is the fastest growing sport in the UK.

At weekends you can’t move for girls playing in tournaments.

Lads, this is a good thing, not a threat to your masculinity.

The BBC can be guilty of tokenism.

But if you are the sort of bloke who gets upset by football being described to you by a “burd” then I have only this to say.

You really have to get over getting knocked back by the pretty girl at school.

And Another Thing

OUR own Ally McCoist and Roy Keane are by far and away the best pundits in Russia.

McCoist brings energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, some good lines and his love of football shines through.

While Keane brings, well, himself. Every word he says is worth listening to and his disdain for Ian Wright makes me admire him all the more.

When it comes to the final, McCoist has to be promoted to co-commentator and Keane should be given his own talk show. First guest, Sir Alex Ferguson.