This is not one of those teachable moments. Turns out Kenny Shiels' effort to drag sporting perceptions on the island of Ireland back to the dark ages, by claiming female footballers are "more emotional than men" after conceding a goal, ended up being reframed as a regrettable comment delivered in the heat of the moment.
Oh dear.
Despite Wednesday's apology, the Northern Ireland women's manager guaranteed his five different decades of managerial achievement will be remembered for a perfectly clear view of the opposite sex.
And it was all going so well. As it stands, Shiels will guide Northern Ireland to the Euros this summer despite inaccurately stating, in the aftermath of a 5-0 defeat to England in Belfast, that his players have an obvious flaw – two X chromosomes.
“In the women’s game, I’ve noticed, as I’m sure you’re aware if you go through the patterns,” Shiels began as if searching for instant agreement, “when a team concedes a goal they concede a second one within a very short period of time, right through the whole spectrum of the women’s game, because girls and women are more emotional than men. So, they don’t take a goal going in very well.”
For the record, Lauren Hemp scored England's opener in the 26th minute. The second goal, by Ella Tooney, didn't arrive until the 52nd minute. There was another eight minutes until Hemp's second and England's third with 10- and nine-minute gaps between goals four and five.
Foolish opinion
Never let facts get in the way of a foolish opinion. The expression on media faces in front of the former Derry City manager should have been enough to suggest silence or an apology – which did arrive at lunchtime on Wednesday – but no, Shiels choose to double down on an opinion that would get most men in boiling hot water.
“When we went 1-nil down we killed the game, trying to just slow it right down, to give them time to get the emotional imbalance out of their head,” he continued. “And that’s an issue we have [and] not just Northern Ireland but all countries have that problem.”
Perhaps realising his faux pas or just seeing the stunned looked from the gallery of journalists, Shiels added: “I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
The insinuation being clear and obvious, within 15 hours an apology was sent out by the Irish Football Association where Shiels took an all-too-familiar stance.
“I am sorry for the offence that [my comments] have caused.”
Shiels did not apologise for saying what he believed to be true. Just for the offence that it caused. That should ensure this mess remains a live issue.
The avalanche of reaction to what was uttered threatens to take away from a fascinating international window or it can stand as a timely reminder that women’s sport is still overwhelmingly managed and controlled by an old boys’ club.
