Michelle Owen hits back at criticism from fans over Sky Sports video

Michelle Owen hits back at criticism from fans over she featured in a Sky Sports video showing her having her own Chris Kamara moment.

For old times’ sake…🤣@chris_kammy | @JeffStellingpic.twitter.com/DBg3bH0sjy

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 14, 2021

She wrote: “Here’s full clip, context is everything. There’s a pillar in the way and the action I described just before the sending off proceeded what I couldn’t see.Justifying it for the trolls. As you can see I am peering round a pillar. Thanks most for seeing the funny side!

“I’m checking out for a bit as I’m taking my little boy to see some animals then continuing our charity run. More productive than the small minority that sit on social media being mean. Have a lovely day and thanks for the nice messages.

As Michelle Owen hits back at criticism from fans over the Sky Sports video, some Twitter users defended her, saying that they bet Kammy doesn’t get a trolling when he misses a red card or makes a mistake.

“In my career, in terms of my TV career and Soccer Saturday, that is the defining moment because it could have so easily went the other way,” Kamara told SPORTbible recently.

“But it went the right way and thankfully it did because it’s been watched over 10 million times on YouTube and to this day, people still never get tired of seeing it.

“In my career, in terms of my TV career and Soccer Saturday, that is the defining moment because it could have so easily went the other way,” he said.

“But it went the right way and thankfully it did because it’s been watched over 10 million times on YouTube and to this day, people still never get tired of seeing it.

“I got to Fratton Park at quarter to 12 that day and the cameraman who was doing Soccer Saturday came to me and said, ‘We’ve just been told by the safety steward that we’re not allowed in the gantry’.

“I went round to see the safety guy and the gantry at Portsmouth – because there’s a gap which is probably only about three-foot wide but you have to step over it – and if you’re carrying equipment and you slip you might fall through the hole.

“The health and safety people got hold of this and said, ‘The only people allowed in the gantry today is the commentator and the co-commentator, you’re going to have to do your updates from the corner of the Fratton End’.

“I know the Fratton End well because obviously I played there on two occasions so it wasn’t a problem – there are a few grounds where you might get some fun and banter when we’re off camera but Portsmouth wasn’t going to be one of them because I still get on really well with their supporters – I knew they would be in full acceptance of me being in there.

“So we went down there and health and safety showed us where we had to go with the camera and it was by the corner flag. I still had a reasonable view of the game and then about 14:15 it started to rain.

“Another health and safety officer came and said, ‘Because you’ve got a monitor, if anyone from the Fratton End or the other side down the touchline decides to leave the ground and they come over and touch your equipment, they might get electrocuted’.

“Cameraman says it’s totally impossible but this health and safety officer wouldn’t have it so we had to move another five to six yards back under the roof so we weren’t actually in the rain. It was OK but all it did was narrow my view of the game.

“While the game was going on and I wasn’t getting my link from Carly [production co-ordinator and daughter of Dave Bassett] I could stand by the corner flag and watch the game. As soon as I was doing the link I had to walk 10 yards back to where the corner was.

“Carly says, ‘Jeff’s about to come to you, there’s a couple before you and then it’s you.’ I go back to the camera position and I’m watching this monitor – most of them are six inches by four inches – so they’re not like a proper television screen and you’re not getting a great view but you can still see the game and make out what’s happening.

“Just as I’m next there’s a big shout in the studio by Charlie Nicholas and it’s ‘GOAAAAAL!’ so we won’t be going to Fratton Park, we’ll be going where there’s been a goal. Charlie does his report and in the meantime I’m looking over my shoulder at the game, with a restricted view it’s better than the view on the monitor and Carly says ‘You’re next, don’t worry!’ Jeff does another, ‘There’s been a goal!’ at Cheltenham or somewhere like that and then just as he’s about to come to me, Tommo shouts, ‘GOAAAAL!’

“I’ve looked over my shoulder and Carly’s said, ‘Definitely you are next.’ In the meantime, Jeff has obviously got the teleprinter in front of him and says, ‘Let’s go down to Chris Kamara at Fratton Park, where there’s been a sending off but for who?’

“And that’s when it dawned on me that I haven’t seen a sending off at all, so the famous line was, ‘Sending off? I must have missed that, Jeff.’ And he goes, ‘Kammy are you not watching? I am, now come and tell us what’s happened.’ And I just went, ‘I don’t know Jeff!’

“The lads are obviously laughing in the studio and he [Jeff] goes, ‘Kammy, according to our sources Anthony Vanden Borre’s been sent off for a second bookable offence, get your fingers out and count the number of players on the pitch!’

“Just then it dawned on me that I’d seen Anthony Vanden Borre walking across to the pitch where Avram Grant [Portsmouth manager] was but what happened was he deliberately handled the ball but didn’t wait for the second yellow card – as soon as he did the handball he just walked towards the touchline. I wasn’t the only one in the ground that didn’t know he’d been sent off.

“Immediately the director, a woman called Karen Wilmington, came on the line and went, ‘Watch the game will you, that’s what you’re being paid for!’ I went, ‘Sorry Karen but I didn’t see him get sent off.’ That was it, I worried about it even though the lads were having a giggle in the studio and on the way home I phoned the producer, Ian Condron, to apologise and he went, ‘You can just about get away with it’ because it’s you.’

“The next morning – this is before I was doing Goals on Sunday – I got a phone call asking could I get to Yorkshire television in Leeds because Fox Sports in America had seen what was going on and there were a few radio stations around the world so it turned into a massive plus.”

As mentioned, Michelle Owen hits back at criticism from fans over the Sky Sports video – see reaction below…

Oh no Michelle! 🤣 Haha, this was brilliant, you’ve now joined Kammy in the Sky Sports News ‘missed a sending off’ hall of fame, at least you had the good excutof a massive pillar in your way! ❤️

— Mark Stubbs (@markstubbs01) April 14, 2021

@NickCatterall: Ignore the trolls, that’s just a great bit of humourous tv. It’ll go alongside the Kammy moment in future “clip shows”. On a slightly more serious note, in these times of no crowds, couldn’t Walsall seat the media in a better location, where they can see all the pitch?

@LeeJClark76: I bet @chris_kammy don’t get all the trolling when he missed a sending off, it was just a laugh and how it should be. Don’t let them get to you, they have nothing better to do unfortunately. UTV

@s9pke: This is brilliant… it humanises pundits, Kammy done it and it was funny… so now a female does it she gets trolled… Chin up Michelle, let them have their moment and ignore them 👌🏻

@danrowe86: This was absolutely hilarious and I loved it! I love your banter with Jeff and this is a highlight of that. You shouldn’t have to justify yourself. You’re a brilliant reporter and my favourite one on Sky Sports. Big fan of your Bristol City podcast too. Keep up the great work!

@CromTheOne: 😂😂😂 you’re in good company Michelle, you’ve not earned your stripes until you’ve missed a sending off 🙌👍🙌 sad to hear that you get trolled, I hope you know that many, many more people think that you’re fab ⚽️⚽️⚽️

@geordie809: Honestly cannot believe people trolling you over this as if their lives are perfect don’t let it bother you, just know you are bloody good at your job and you are doing more than just watching a football match the arseholes

@colinowens83: You handled that brilliantly, I miss things watching matches as a fan, so trying to juggle all a reporter needs to juggle is unfathomable to me. If it was a guy it’d be brushed off as comical, for you it’s immediately ‘can’t hack it’ – as the saying goes – F*** the begrudgers!

@LeeW1875: As if people are trolling you over this. Ridiculous, I’ve been to Walsall and there are a lot of restricted views! Also without crowd reaction I can be hard to tell if the players got a red or just walking off for a sub. I thought it was funny to be honest.

@kevin_hurst: Michelle that’s brilliant I’ve been in hospital since last Thursday with brain seizures and that’s cheered me up a bit really hope you don’t mind at your expense. Ignore the trolls

@adilangley: Why would people troll you over that but find the kammy one hilarious? People really need to get out more. Keep doing what you do. By far one of the better presenters that I’ve seen

@tomseyms: People who don’t simply see the funny side of this are exactly the sort of people you dread being stuck at a party/pub/general life with. Killjoys with the inability to laugh at themselves. They really aren’t worth your time.

@Jimdufc83: Don’t let the idiots get you down.

@markstubbs01: There’s no person more pathetic than someone who posts a mean comment to hurt someone just to make themselves happy, you go and have a awesome day with Zac and keep on going with your charity run, you’re helping while they’re doing nothing

@JonMainy: People are so pathetic to slate you for that. When Kammy does it people find it to be brilliant and “TV gold” but when a female reporter does it then it’s an excuse to hammer her.

@AFKAD8: Take no notice, Michelle. You’re very good at your job

@SimonDe88794792: I can’t believe people are sad enough to give you stick over that Michelle, pathetic. You’re a cracking broadcaster & I always enjoy hearing from you, keep up the great work & you’re in great company with Kammy 😃

@BennyHodge92: Ignore the haters michelle. I want a kammy and michelle double act now.

@baldytel: The beauty of this is the fun. Jeff brings out what sport should be is fun. Love how The Kammy Effect of still there and we can all smile and move on while the trolls ponder the meaning of life 🤦

My view last time I was at Walsall. I feel your pain. pic.twitter.com/2za84l7OV5

— Tommy Daly (@TommyDaly02) April 14, 2021