Blackburn manager Paul Ince insists his remarks that football was “not a game for women” following his side’s 2-2 draw away to West Brom at the weekend were taken out of context.

A furious Ince slammed referee Mike Jones’ decision to send off Rovers striker Benni McCarthy for two bookings on Saturday, following what he saw as “two nothing offences”.

After the 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns, Ince was quoted as saying, “The game is hard enough at the moment. The Premier League is a physical league, it is fast and furious, and people are going to make tackles.

“Give red cards for dangerous and malicious tackles where the studs are up, fair enough. It is not a game for women.”

In an attempt to clarify those comments today, Ince told the club’s official website he would never criticise the women’s game.

He said: “My comments were taken out of context, for there is no way that I would ever make disparaging remarks about women’s football.

”In response to a question, I was simply trying to illustrate that the Premier League is a physically tough and very demanding environment.”