A TOP Hampshire football official has hit back in the debate about women becoming involved in the beautiful game.

This week, Luton manager, Mike Newell, opened a major can of worms which his criticism of a female assistant referee.

Mr Newell, who was later reprimanded by the Championship League club for his comments, was branded as "sexist" by some groups for his comments.

Hampshire FA's referees development officer, James Lisher, said every female official in the county is given "equal opportunity" to break into the professional and semi-professional game.

Emma Nuttall and Megan Partridge, both 18, are two teenage referees hoping to do just that. And neither has been thrown off-track by Newell's outburst.

Southampton-based referee Emma Nuttall, 18, who has taken charge of Saints and Bournemouth academy games, Wessex League Football and Women's Southern Premier League reserve football, said: "Comments like that bring out the best in you and make you want to show females can be as good as or better than men. Wendy Toms ran the line in the Premiership and that shows women can get there.

"To get a female in the middle soon would be even better.

"A player told me last season that women shouldn't even be involved in football at all," Emma added. "Comments like that hurt but they just show that we will have to get up there into professional football just to shut people like that up."

Bath University student Megan, who comes from Romsey and has also taken charge of Saints academy games, said: "Mike Newell's comments were disgraceful.

"How people react to it will depend on what type of person you are, but personally I will just ignore comments like that.

"I have had great support from the FA and people around me and as long as there is that support there it is okay.

"If you are a female and you have got to the stage where you are a referee in the first place, you obviously have something about you."

She added: "I hope to referee as high up as I can.

"I'm hoping to start refereeing at university. I do really enjoy it so maybe in the future we will see how far I can go."

Paul Creeden, spokesman for Hampshire FA, said this season there are 52 fully-qualified female officials, ranging from 15 to 52 years of age, currently officiating across the county.

Though 52 is a small number compared to the 1,500 registered male officials - though not all are officiating - that number is increasing.