Matildas fans slam Seven commentator David Basheer for shocking remark about Katrina Gorry: ‘Would you say this about a male football player?’
Matildas fans criticize Seven commentator David Basheer for shocking comment about Katrina Gorry: ‘Would you say this about a male footballer?’
Fans of Matildas turned on the Seven Commentary team for an ill-advised comment about Katrina Gorry in the second half of Australia’s 1-0 win in their Women’s World Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland.
“Certainly motherhood hasn’t blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure,” said Seven commentator David Basheer as the Matildas midfielder won a tackle.
“She’s a fighter for Australia.”
Katryna Gorry (left) stared at the Matildas in their World Cup opener against Ireland
The comment was met with backlash from fans watching the game on TV.
“As we celebrate women in sport and continue to advocate for equality, what kind of archaic commentary is this, Channel 7?” one viewer wrote, while another described the comment as “shameful.”
A third, meanwhile, wondered if the same comment would have been made about a male soccer player becoming a father.
“Would you say this about a male/daddy soccer player? Stop stereotyping mothers.’
The combative midfielder is a mother of a daughter Harper, who will soon be two.
Gorry, affectionately known as ‘Mini’, gave birth to her daughter solo through IVF, before making a stunning return to football.
Viewers called David Basheer’s comment on social media ‘archaic’
Others wondered if the comment was made about a male soccer player
The 94-cap veteran felt the time was right to become a mom as the coronavirus pandemic forced the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed by 12 months to July 2021.
The Matildas star was playing for Avaldsnes in Norway at the time when she decided to undergo IVF treatment in the country as the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic.
As a result, she does not know the identity of Harper’s father, as fertility clinics in Norway do not disclose the identity of the donors.
Last month, Gorry announced her engagement to fellow footballer Clara Markstedt.
The pair met while playing at Swedish club Vittsjö and got together last year, with Matilda’s teammates Charlotte Grant and Tegan Micah taking up duties as the romance blossomed.