Team GB women's footballers reveal dismay at commentators getting names wrong

Team GB have revealed their anger at commentators getting their names wrong in matches and say it will provide them with extra motivation in their quarter-final against Australia today.

Great Britain's 1-1 draw on Tuesday was shown live by Eurosport using a feed provided by the Olympic Broadcasting Service, whose commentator referred to GB’s top scorer, Manchester City striker Ellen White, as “Ellie” throughout.

He also mistakenly called Holland and Arsenal superstar Vivianne Miedema, “Abbie Miedema”, and referred to Phil Neville as the England head coach, despite him stepping down from the role in January.

And GB's players believe the errors are far from isolated incidents, claiming broadcasting is yet to catch up with the strides taken by the game in recent times.

“It is disappointing and I think that's a common theme within the women's game,” said GB midfielder Kim Little. “As the game's become a professional sport, the things around it need to keep improving, too, as well as broadcasting and the media, the kind of level of expertise, when commentating on games.

“I think, because the women's game is not as widely watched yet as the men's game, there's not as many commentators who know the game as well, and are obviously employed to do so. So yes, it's disappointing, but hopefully, voicing it, and the people that are making the mistakes are made aware of it so that that side of the game can continue to improve."

It is understood Eurosport will now staff today's match with their own commentary team in a bid to avoid a repeat, but the GB team say they will use the incident as fuel in their bid to reach the last four.

Asked if the squad were now jokingly calling White, who scored GB’s first three goals in Japan, by the name of “Ellie”, winger Rachel Daly replied: "I think there's a Linda Bronze in there as well. And, maybe a Catherine Weir? It's frustrating.
“It's not difficult to get players' names right. It's quite frustrating and disappointing, but it's just another bit of fuel to add to the fire and we just focus on us, and stay grounded. It is what it is at the end of the day."

Technical issues have plagued much of Eurosport's coverage, with several of the football matches not including any commentary feed at times, and commentary from other sports mistakenly played over the top at others.

On the pitch GB head coach Hege Riise has urged her side to be courageous now the knockout stages have arrived, saying: “Now it’s that knockout stage, [it’s about] how brave we are going into that, and I think we are brave enough going forward as well.

“They know what it will take for us to go all the way so they all bought into that and I feel like we have done a great job.”