Humble suggestions re: women's football

[Thatwasclose]

Firstly let me state that I believe all women should be able to play whatever sport they like including football or any other male dominated sport.

i have two daughters and a wife so I write this with a view that they would never be upset with the way this is articulated.

Here is a suggestion to grown the game that doesn't involve bashing men who don't care for it:

I think women's football would be as big as men's football if as many women supported it I.e similar numbers to men who support men's football

this is not to say men shouldn't support women's football (as there are millions of female fans who love the men's game) but simply pointing out that maybe women's football needs to make a better effort getting more women to support rather than despairing that existing male fans don't care much for their sport.

I only say this because there seems to be a tone / a narrative from all women's football officials/players/journos that almost wants to claim they deserve same number of audience as the men's game and money etc..... but surely if more women went to support their game and they filled stadiums then TV companies would also want their matches live, they would sell more merch etc. Of all articles demanding more respect to the game I never see much  around women supporting other women playing the game and that's curious. 

lastly a more controversial view perhaps - a humble suggestion that maybe the pitch and goal sizes for women's football (and even men at younger age groups) should be smaller because physically most are not as strong as men and yet they have to play under same conditions - a smaller pitch would mean better games in my view with more focus on technique.

if women's tennis is only best of 3 compared to men best of 5 why can't the women's game be adapted so that it becomes a better spectacle and also produces better skilled players?

I am not suggesting there are no restrictions due to lack of opportunities and facilities for females etc but I think the above would go a long way!

 

 

 

[cidercity1987]

They want equality (same with the ladies of Wimbledon).

Stick them in the mens league and see how much they can earn in the 10th division.

[bristolcitysweden]

Women prefer to stay fit and train themselves. Not like men getting fat and watch fit men.

 

[bristolcitysweden]

lastly a more controversial view perhaps - a humble suggestion that maybe the pitch and goal sizes for women's football (and even men at younger age groups) should be smaller because physically most are not as strong as men and yet they have to play under same conditions - a smaller pitch would mean better games in my view with more focus on technique.

Agreed.

[Maesknoll]

Some interesting points, but I have no interest in women's football (or cricket) I only have so much spare time and I'll spend that on watching the men's game, maybe others feel that way and even though it's being heavily promoted, to achieve high support levels women's sport will have to take time and money from other sports, which if they do, well done to them, but I think they'll have a battle on their hands to compete.

[Rob k]

12 minutes ago, Thatwasclose said:

Firstly let me state that I believe all women should be able to play whatever sport they like including football or any other male dominated sport.

i have two daughters and a wife so I write this with a view that they would never be upset with the way this is articulated.

Here is a suggestion to grown the game that doesn't involve bashing men who don't care for it:

I think women's football would be as big as men's football if as many women supported it I.e similar numbers to men who support men's football

this is not to say men shouldn't support women's football (as there are millions of female fans who love the men's game) but simply pointing out that maybe women's football needs to make a better effort getting more women to support rather than despairing that existing male fans don't care much for their sport.

I only say this because there seems to be a tone / a narrative from all women's football officials/players/journos that almost wants to claim they deserve same number of audience as the men's game and money etc..... but surely if more women went to support their game and they filled stadiums then TV companies would also want their matches live, they would sell more merch etc. Of all articles demanding more respect to the game I never see much  around women supporting other women playing the game and that's curious. 

lastly a more controversial view perhaps - a humble suggestion that maybe the pitch and goal sizes for women's football (and even men at younger age groups) should be smaller because physically most are not as strong as men and yet they have to play under same conditions - a smaller pitch would mean better games in my view with more focus on technique.

if women's tennis is only best of 3 compared to men best of 5 why can't the women's game be adapted so that it becomes a better spectacle and also produces better skilled players?

I am not suggesting there are no restrictions due to lack of opportunities and facilities for females etc but I think the above would go a long way!

 

 

 

I've never understood why the women play in the same size goals as men, it makes no sense and gives people something to laugh at which is unfair. 

[bristolcitysweden]

I said it on another thread but when it comes to handball women are as skilled as men if not better and the game far more enjoyable to watch.

[bristolcitysweden]

As long as they can't bring a GPS on the pitch and intrigeration not quite comes to it's right I see a problem

[Cowshed]

26 minutes ago, Thatwasclose said:

lastly a more controversial view perhaps - a humble suggestion that maybe the pitch and goal sizes for women's football (and even men at younger age groups) should be smaller because physically most are not as strong as men and yet they have to play under same conditions - a smaller pitch would mean better games in my view with more focus on technique.

 

There are already differing pitch and goal sizes for male and female football from u7's to under 18's.

 

[exAtyeoMax]

22 minutes ago, Thatwasclose said:

Firstly let me state that I believe all women should be able to play whatever sport they like including football or any other male dominated sport.

i have two daughters and a wife so I write this with a view that they would never be upset with the way this is articulated.

Here is a suggestion to grown the game that doesn't involve bashing men who don't care for it:

I think women's football would be as big as men's football if as many women supported it I.e similar numbers to men who support men's football

this is not to say men shouldn't support women's football (as there are millions of female fans who love the men's game) but simply pointing out that maybe women's football needs to make a better effort getting more women to support rather than despairing that existing male fans don't care much for their sport.

I only say this because there seems to be a tone / a narrative from all women's football officials/players/journos that almost wants to claim they deserve same number of audience as the men's game and money etc..... but surely if more women went to support their game and they filled stadiums then TV companies would also want their matches live, they would sell more merch etc. Of all articles demanding more respect to the game I never see much  around women supporting other women playing the game and that's curious. 

lastly a more controversial view perhaps - a humble suggestion that maybe the pitch and goal sizes for women's football (and even men at younger age groups) should be smaller because physically most are not as strong as men and yet they have to play under same conditions - a smaller pitch would mean better games in my view with more focus on technique.

if women's tennis is only best of 3 compared to men best of 5 why can't the women's game be adapted so that it becomes a better spectacle and also produces better skilled players?

I am not suggesting there are no restrictions due to lack of opportunities and facilities for females etc but I think the above would go a long way!

 

 

 

Some interesting points. Perhaps the pitch and goal should be smaller…don't know. 

Re-watching and supporting - I enjoy the 'blokeiness' of football. The fans, atmosphere and the physicality. I don't know if I'd go to support women's football even if it was as well supported as the men's game. Men's football has something special about it, you don't get it with other sports. Plus there is the history of the clubs/league etc.  I might, one day.

[Maltshoveller]

No interest what so ever

Athletics is the only sport with women in that i will watch

[gl1]

Most straight men I know only watch women's beach volleyball. Can't think why

[Robin101]

Not sure the argument makes sense even if made with the best intentions. 

Professional women's teams would play men's Sunday league teams off the pitch, and would no doubt be stronger, fitter, and more skilled than 99% of amateur men. But nobody calls for amateur men's teams to play on smaller pitches. 

As for tennis, there are many calls for women's grand slam tennis to be played over 5 sets not 3. The view is that it's patronising to suggest women can't play for 5 sets, and reinforces the view that women are the 'weaker' sex.   

It is hard to imagine a future in which the women's game is as popular as the men's, but things are slowly changing. Differner sport I know, but didn't the England women's cricket final draw 1.5million tv viewers? 

[Erithacus]

There's no doubting that women's football in this country has had to break off the strangulation of the FA, who closed the sport down in the early years. It is, and will continue to grow at a fast pace for at least the short term - playing catch-up. How much the growth is due to the top level and the media coverage and not the grass roots game is debatable, but the clear intention is to promote the best teams to produce the best international side.

1 hour ago, Robin101 said:

didn't the England women's cricket final draw 1.5million tv viewers?

Apparently the Lionesses quarter-final game against France last Sunday attracted over 3 million (terrestrial TV, not Sky of course!).

 

But to return to the OP's point, I think the general principle of men supporting the men's game and women going to the women's game is a little fanciful. Clearly, there is a long-established 'culture' of men and sport, whereas women have traditionally had other responsibilities and occupations that would have precluded them from more participation. However, in these more enlightened days, the 'culture' is changing and female support is growing. I don't know if it will reach the stage where attendances are broadly equivalent, but it's a curious feature that the sociologists will probably be examining. Along with the financial types.

Women may not have been used to being an important part of sport in general, but with little daughters now playing and being involved in a club environment as much as sons this will open the door wider. I fully expect that women fans will have a bigger say and have a louder voice in the future. Whether this will achieve an equality with men is to be seen.

 

I've been a keen follower of the women's game for a good few years now and am intrigued how the two facets of the beautiful game are being embraced. In comparing them, it's much easier to see the many similarities, yet we naturally focus on the differences. Where this really strikes me is how the players react at the end of a match. In the men's game, the losers just trudge back to the changing rooms; the winners celebrate then run off into the changing rooms. Women have a different approach: win or lose, the players usually stay on the pitch and meet the fans at the perimeter and talk for a good while (warm-downs not forgoing). They like to share their experiences with family and friends, chatting and posing for selfies. The men don't - and probably for obvious reasons. Is this the thing that women will pick up on and become supporters?

That makes me ponder the thought that would we see women's football as being successful when it replicates the men's in all its aspects? Would we want it to have the same gamut as we have?

[harvey54]

It's always ticked me off the amount of coverage and hype it gets when it's basically a minority sport. The average Women's Prem gate is about the same as your average Conf....sorry National League crowd. I know which I'd rather watch. Pandering to the pink and fluffy politicos imho 

[RUSSEL85]

1 minute ago, harvey54 said:

It's always ticked me off the amount of coverage and hype it gets when it's basically a minority sport. The average Women's Prem gate is about the same as your average Conf....sorry National League crowd. I know which I'd rather watch. Pandering to the pink and fluffy politicos imho 

BBC tend to push this as it is high on their agenda. Its fine to have it there but it should be a separate tab on the BBC Football site, of Sky etc. 

[Welcome To The Jungle]

The problem for me is comparing the women's game to the men's. They are different games. A mens team would generally beat a Women's team but that's the case in almost every sport. I'm really enjoying the Women's Euros at the moment and wish I was going on Thursday. 

5 minutes ago, harvey54 said:

It's always ticked me off the amount of coverage and hype it gets when it's basically a minority sport. The average Women's Prem gate is about the same as your average Conf....sorry National League crowd. I know which I'd rather watch. Pandering to the pink and fluffy politicos imho 

Womens football is the 4th biggest participation sport in the country after mens football, rugby union and cricket. And other than major tournaments, it is almost never broadcast whereas BT have a non-league game most weeks. 

[Eddie Hitler]

19 minutes ago, harvey54 said:

It's always ticked me off the amount of coverage and hype it gets when it's basically a minority sport. The average Women's Prem gate is about the same as your average Conf....sorry National League crowd. I know which I'd rather watch. Pandering to the pink and fluffy politicos imho 

I wonder if it's TV execs thinking they're getting into the next big thing cheaply.  Darts was huge then went away, snooker rose and fell, cricket has gone from mainstream in the late 70s / early 80s to minority status now.

Or maybe they just want to fill a lot of TV time cheaply and are bigging it up because they've got it.

They can just about get away with women's football in a way that they couldn't with bog snorkeling for example.

[Nogbad the Bad]

7 minutes ago, Welcome To The Jungle said:

The problem for me is comparing the women's game to the men's. They are different games. A mens team would generally beat a Women's team but that's the case in almost every sport. I'm really enjoying the Women's Euros at the moment and wish I was going on Thursday. 

Womens football is the 4th biggest participation sport in the country after mens football, rugby union and cricket. And other than major tournaments, it is almost never broadcast whereas BT have a non-league game most weeks. 

That's because most people aren't remotely interested in watching something of such poor quality, and find the prominence and publicity it is given on BBC radio, for instance, a source of irritation.

 

 

[Welcome To The Jungle]

7 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

That's because most people aren't remotely interested in watching something of such poor quality, and find the prominence and publicity it is given on BBC radio, for instance, a source of irritation.

 

 

3.4 million watched their last game against France...

[Cowshed]

1 hour ago, harvey54 said:

It's always ticked me off the amount of coverage and hype it gets when it's basically a minority sport. The average Women's Prem gate is about the same as your average Conf....sorry National League crowd. I know which I'd rather watch. Pandering to the pink and fluffy politicos imho 

In participant terms womens football is not a minority sport. Unfortunately womens participation levels in all sport versus European nations is low.

Sport for females and males is important and needs to be encouraged. One way of doing this is via the successful women's football team.  The Lionesses are excellent role models for young females to follow interested in sport - football..

 

[reddoh]

7 hours ago, gl1 said:

Most straight men I know only watch women's beach volleyball. Can't think why

most un straight women I know also watch the same games but each to there own :-)

[EnderMB]

I agree completely with you, except on the smaller pitches. While women might not be as strong, football doesn't have to be a game based on strength. It also makes sharing pitches a bit more difficult, which is important at grassroots level.

It's to do with perception, and not with skill. If it was all about skill we wouldn't be watching Bristol City! The FA could go a long way towards legitimising women's football by making it all free to watch, either online or on a freeview channel.

[Nibor]

Is there anything in the rule book that stops women playing "men's" football?

What age are kids split into girls and boys?  Does it help keep girls interested?  Does it stunt how quickly they develop as players?

I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't just have mixed football all the way up - what would happen if we did?

[Cowshed]

36 minutes ago, Nibor said:

Is there anything in the rule book that stops women playing "men's" football?

What age are kids split into girls and boys?  Does it help keep girls interested?  Does it stunt how quickly they develop as players?

I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't just have mixed football all the way up - what would happen if we did?

Is there anything in the rule book that stops women playing "men's" football? In England and most of Europe yes and EUFA/FIFA err on the side of no, but there are National FA's who allow women to play the mens football. 

What age are kids split into girls and boys? 16 rising to 18 next or the season after? Some junior clubs split genders early and separate female teams, most Bristol junior clubs struggle to accommodate this. In Bristol females can play with a mixed team in the HML league (the largest), or a females only league.

Does it help keep girls interested? Splitting genders does. Female football is on the up. Young girls often want to be around their peers to play football rather than males - They are kids after all. Many kids male and female find competitive/organised football hard to deal with emotionally v kicking a ball around in a park without being placed into squads where they may be the only female out of twenty plus.

Does it stunt how quickly they develop as players? Difficult to answer. Players even at early ages benefit from training and playing with/versus others of the same and higher ability. Its an area which can be improved upon. For Bristol and around the area females do play in the JPL league (standard below academy above normal junior football) in mixed teams, a league where City enter female only teams v males.

[reformed_red]

Regarding the point about equality of pay - male footballers get paid what they do because of the money in the game generated primarily by advertising and sponsorship which is funnelled through the huge TV deals. So it's not sexist is commercial. It will be decades (if ever) that women professionals can commercially attract the pay that the male games can.

Smaller pitches - a bit patronising, but I've not watched much of any women's footy, so can't really comment.

What gets me is the media driven "catch up" that women's football seems to be having with the male game. It won't ever happen. Therefore - I totally get why you suggest women should go support the women's game; build a culture, a fanbase, breed tradition. Could end up being pretty awesome, so long as it's not just a "copy the supporters of the men's game". And I'm sure blokes would be welcome and want to go watch and supportvtoo, just like women do the men's game.

Football clubs have a longstanding and unique tradition that will (hopefully) never be lost. If the women's game wants to be successful it has to have a long-term plan and vision.

[TRL]

1 hour ago, Nibor said:

Is there anything in the rule book that stops women playing "men's" football?

What age are kids split into girls and boys?  Does it help keep girls interested?  Does it stunt how quickly they develop as players?

I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't just have mixed football all the way up - what would happen if we did?

If we did it would fall apart. Most blokes I know would not go out and flatten a woman in a a aerial challenge or go in with a 2 footed challenge  (although many women would do this to men) it would make the game even more of a non contact sport than it is at the moment.

 

What ever way you look at it most women are not physically strong enough to compete with men so huge changes to the physicality of the game would have to be enforced.

Technically there are a lot of women out there that can teach many male pros put there how to control a football.

 

But for me making combining men and women into one team would kill the game.  Keep them separate.. I have to say women's football has come on leaps and bounds in the past 10 years... eventually it may get the following and money and the tv exposure it deserves.  

[Nogbad the Bad]

I don't understand why girls are seemingly being encouraged/pushed to play football?

In my day the boys played football in the playground and,  bar the occasional tomboy, the sporty girls - most weren't particularly - much preferred to play shinty and netball.

 

 

[Cowshed]

3 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I don't understand why girls are seemingly being encouraged/pushed to play football?

In my day the boys played football in the playground and,  bar the occasional tomboy, the sporty girls - most weren't particularly - much preferred to play shinty and netball.

 

 

All kids regardless of sex should be encouraged to get involved in physical activity/play sport.

It is hard to understand any adult who does not see the advantages of encouraging kids to play sport including one with obvious benefits for the individual and society.

[Nogbad the Bad]

1 minute ago, Cowshed said:

All kids regardless of sex should be encouraged to get involved in physical activity/play sport.

It is hard to understand any adult who does not see the advantages of encouraging kids to play sport including one with obvious benefits for the individual and society.

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

[reddoh]

3 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

When I played hockey against the girls they hit the shit out of me football wasn't that physical even back in GG's day.

[TRL]

3 minutes ago, reddoh said:

When I played hockey against the girls they hit the shit out of me football wasn't that physical even back in GG's day.

Hockey is brutal. One of those sports that could be mixed.

25 years since I last played. I reckon I still have some of the bruises handed out by the women.... evil wenches

[Cowshed]

Just now, Nogbad the Bad said:

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

I did read your post. You did not read mine or respond to its points.

Football is a highly aerobic activity, it is social, it promotes team building and above all its fun ... Perfect for many kids.

Kids will do little they do not enjoy, you cannot (it shows in their body language and performance) push children into football, you either like/love it or not.

I am struggling to understand your borderline prejudice against young girls playing football.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing? That is actually ridiculous or a wind up. Females are suited to playing football. Physically and mentally. Physically it could be argued as many endomorph males are unsuited to play football as females ... Should they stop as well?

[reddoh]

13 minutes ago, TRL said:

Hockey is brutal. One of those sports that could be mixed.

25 years since I last played. I reckon I still have some of the bruises handed out by the women.... evil wenches

40 years since I played them and still limping

[TRL]

4 minutes ago, reddoh said:

40 years since I played them and still limping

I would have said grow a pair... But they didn't need anymore targets!

[reddoh]

6 minutes ago, TRL said:

I would have said grow a pair... But they didn't need anymore targets!

shins in my day but still waiting for the other pair to drop.

[LC_]

46 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

What utter rubbish. By that reckoning Lionel Messi, probably the greatest footballer of all time, is too slight to play the game. He should give it up and become a jockey instead?

[Trueredsupporter]

1 hour ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

football is for all. you against City running disability and womens teams because they are not as strong as you think they should be? steady now.

[exAtyeoMax]

1 hour ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You didn't read my post.

There are traditional sports for girls - shinty, netball, hockey etc -which give them the involvement in sport, and exercise required.

Why are they seemingly being pushed to play football, a physical game the majority are not naturally suited to playing?

Perhaps because they want to play football. Plus they play rugby too, these days. When I was at school we weren't allowed to play football, we had to play hockey (which I did enjoy immensely) and netball (not so much). 

[reddoh]

3 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Perhaps because they want to play football. Plus they play rugby too, these days. When I was at school we weren't allowed to play football, we had to play hockey (which I did enjoy immensely) and netball (not so much). 

One of my favourite anecdotes is that my sister was a hooker in Leicester.

 

 

 

she played for Leicester Ladies(as a hooker).

back then the ball went in straight and she had a job to do.

[JammyOne]

Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but I'm so sick of clicking Football on the BBC website and it being filled up with Women's Football. Sometimes I like to take an interest in the ladies football, but mostly I just want to check the news of the real stuff.

[RumRed]

Just now, JammyOne said:

Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but I'm so sick of clicking Football on the BBC website and it being filled up with Women's Football. Sometimes I like to take an interest in the ladies football, but mostly I just want to check the news of the real stuff.

Well the Euros are on and we're doing quite well, in other news a bunch of blokes are pissing about trying to make themselves even more money and there's a lot of pointless rumours and puff pieces.

One's about football and as for the other you may as well read the synopsis of Eldarado.

 

[Maesknoll]

The other thing the BBC are doing now, which I don't personally like, is bringing in more and more women commentators- some of their commentary is of a decent standard, no issue with that, I just can't stand the high pitched squawking when they get excited by a goal or other incident, really spoils the commentary for me and it's creeping into other sports as well.

[exAtyeoMax]

8 hours ago, Maesknoll Red said:

The other thing the BBC are doing now, which I don't personally like, is bringing in more and more women commentators- some of their commentary is of a decent standard, no issue with that, I just can't stand the high pitched squawking when they get excited by a goal or other incident, really spoils the commentary for me and it's creeping into other sports as well.

I find Clive Tyldesley the worst, Johnathan Pearce squawks too. I prefer the less is more approach. 

[Red Army 75]

If people like women's football/ cricket then fine there choice. But me personally I don't. I love football I love watching cricket. But with women's sport it just hasn't got the excitement or quality for me . And the majority of men probably feel the same. I can't talk for women but even females prefer men's sport ( I imagine). One thing that puzzles me . How does it financially survive ( league based ) . Is it government funded. Because the gates are pathetic for how it's portrayed. Congratulations to England women cricket and football teams. But u can't force people to like something 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

19 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

If people like women's football/ cricket then fine there choice. But me personally I don't. I love football I love watching cricket. But with women's sport it just hasn't got the excitement or quality for me . And the majority of men probably feel the same. I can't talk for women but even females prefer men's sport ( I imagine). One thing that puzzles me . How does it financially survive ( league based ) . Is it government funded. Because the gates are pathetic for how it's portrayed. Congratulations to England women cricket and football teams. But u can't force people to like something 

You can't necessarily talk for men either.  Why do you feel so bitter about it?  Women are entitled to play whatever sport they like, and the fact that there is little or no inter-competition with men, even in sports where strength isn't a factor, is largely due to sport being run by and for men over decades, if not centuries.  I enjoyed the women's competition at Wimbledon this year far more than the men's, and across most of the events at the olympics women's sport is just as entertaining as men's (and the sooner they get rid of the absurd and degrading beach volleyball the better).

i used to play hockey (laughably described on this thread as a woman's game) to quite a high standard, and got absolutely battered in the occasional game against women.  Yes women's cricket and football is not up to the men's standard yet, but it's getting better and I don't think patronising threads like this do anything except highlight the problems that some sports have in promoting equality.

[Red Army 75]

Not talking for anyone as I said. Statistics of attendances speak volumes. You like it. Good  for you. But because I don't I'm bitter and patronising because my view isn't politically correct. Get a grip 

[Cowshed]

26 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Not talking for anyone as I said. Statistics of attendances speak volumes. You like it. Good  for you. But because I don't I'm bitter and patronising because my view isn't politically correct. Get a grip 

Statistics of attendances  (?) do not speak volumes unless you add variables e.g Women's football has not been established for over a hundred years and has not been subject the blanket coverage the mens game has. The coverage and resource the women's game gets is minute in comparison, however resource is a difficulty at grass roots level for all.

As another poster put it sport is for all regardless of gender or disability.

 

[Septic Peg]

Ok, here's the woman's perspective. 

 

So I used to kick a ball about when I was a kid. I didn't do it competitively (ie school teams etc) because I had no time (I had other commitments) and because I wasn't brilliant tbf. But I could hold my own and if I had joined a team, I probably would have developed my game and got better. I used to play centre back or LB so wasn't bothered about clattering anyone...

Plenty of my girl mates would play competitively, inc one who played for Rovers with the boys iirc and she was such a great footballer.

 

I admit, I watch the fellas game more than the birds because of the accessibility and coverage. That's not knocking the women's teams. The women's game is just as skilful. I hope that with development and success (such as the Lionesses at the Euros), women's football can be brought even more mainstream and more women can choose to take up the game if they want.

 

[exAtyeoMax]

9 minutes ago, Septic Peg said:

Ok, here's the woman's perspective. 

 

So I used to kick a ball about when I was a kid. I didn't do it competitively (ie school teams etc) because I had no time (I had other commitments) and because I wasn't brilliant tbf. But I could hold my own and if I had joined a team, I probably would have developed my game and got better. I used to play centre back or LB so wasn't bothered about clattering anyone...

Plenty of my girl mates would play competitively, inc one who played for Rovers with the boys iirc and she was such a great footballer.

 

I admit, I watch the fellas game more than the birds because of the accessibility and coverage. That's not knocking the women's teams. The women's game is just as skilful. I hope that with development and success (such as the Lionesses at the Euros), women's football can be brought even more mainstream and more women can choose to take up the game if they want.

 

I would've loved to play footie at school - it was strictly hockey and netball for us but I must say I loved hockey. Actually being able to participate in a team game, hurtling up and down a sizeable patch of grass brandishing a stick was amazing, I would've loved to play football too - and probably been just as bad at it. Playing hockey against the boys was hilarious as they'd occasionally rugby tackle you if they forgot the rules…

[chipdawg]

16 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I don't understand why girls are seemingly being encouraged/pushed to play football?

In my day the boys played football in the playground and,  bar the occasional tomboy, the sporty girls - most weren't particularly - much preferred to play shinty and netball.

 

 

Football is the most popular sport in the world. Stands to reason that it's popular with girls as well as boys so why shouldn't they be encouraged to play it? And if they want to play hockey or netball or shinty, they should be able to do that too. The only reason a girl wouldn't be as 'good' at football as a boy is because they haven't had access to the same opportunities to receive coaching and to play. That seems to be changing now. The only difference in theory are physical attributes and that is a) not something that is applicable when kids are younger and b) something we're told shouldn't matter in the modern game, i.e. Skill trumps strength. That seems to be changing now. 

What I would agree is futile is the way they're trying to promote the women's professional game. It's in competetion with some of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world and the product is going to be far inferior. I guess there needs to be some degree aspiration for young female footballers, but unless you can differentiate the product from men's football and not just go "Look! More football! But with girls", it's doomed to failure imo 

[Red Skin]

21 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

That's because most people aren't remotely interested in watching something of such poor quality, and find the prominence and publicity it is given on BBC radio, for instance, a source of irritation.

 

 

BBC have an obligation to represent minority interests and be at the vanguard of promoting things like woman's football decade of the way it is funded.  Its also probably cheap.

I have no interest soap operas and a multitude of other programmes but I don't find them irritating.  I just don't watch them.

My daughter plays girls football and it is a much more enjoyable experience than when I watched my son.  The girls are skillful and committed, but a part of it is probably because comparatively speaking a more successful team than my lad's.

They are different, but I find them both enjoyable.

[Rob k]

1 hour ago, chipdawg said:

Football is the most popular sport in the world. Stands to reason that it's popular with girls as well as boys so why shouldn't they be encouraged to play it? And if they want to play hockey or netball or shinty, they should be able to do that too. The only reason a girl wouldn't be as 'good' at football as a boy is because they haven't had access to the same opportunities to receive coaching and to play. That seems to be changing now. The only difference in theory are physical attributes and that is a) not something that is applicable when kids are younger and b) something we're told shouldn't matter in the modern game, i.e. Skill trumps strength. That seems to be changing now. 

What I would agree is futile is the way they're trying to promote the women's professional game. It's in competetion with some of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world and the product is going to be far inferior. I guess there needs to be some degree aspiration for young female footballers, but unless you can differentiate the product from men's football and not just go "Look! More football! But with girls", it's doomed to failure imo 

The goals should be smaller as women are smaller, I don't see many 6ft 4 plus women playing the game 

[Cowshed]

10 minutes ago, Rob k said:

The goals should be smaller as women are smaller, I don't see many 6ft 4 plus women playing the game 

But plenty taller than Banks.

[Welcome To The Jungle]

2 minutes ago, Rob k said:

The goals should be smaller as women are smaller, I don't see many 6ft 4 plus women playing the game 

If every game was finishing 5-4 or something you could argue that, but the womens game typically follows the same trends as the mens game with 1-0 and 2-1 being very common scorelines. If you made the goals smaller then 0-0 would be more and more common. If anything your suggestion is patronising to women.

[chipdawg]

14 minutes ago, Rob k said:

The goals should be smaller as women are smaller, I don't see many 6ft 4 plus women playing the game 

a) to what end? More goals would surely equal more entertainment (not that 'more goals' happens)

b) as with the men's game, the short-arses probably aren't going to end up as keepers. And there's many a sub-6ft goalkeeper in the men's game, including Bristol City's current number 1

[054123]

On 7/31/2017 at 20:17, Thatwasclose said:

I think women's football would be as big as men's football if as many women supported it I.e similar numbers to men who support men's football

this is not to say men shouldn't support women's football (as there are millions of female fans who love the men's game) but simply pointing out that maybe women's football needs to make a better effort getting more women to support rather than despairing that existing male fans don't care much for their sport.

I think this is a very important factor.

I was listening to (insert name of disgruntled female five live presenter here) after the France game, bemoaning the lack of support for the team and the paraphernalia in supermarkets etc. and i thought surely it starts with you? Which team does she or her girlfriends support week in week out like i do with City? How many women have flooded the Netherlands to support the team?

My wife played football and we're keen supporters of the national team, but thats where it ends. The truth is people just arent that interested in it because it isnt  a great standard.

 

[Trueredsupporter]

3 minutes ago, 054123 said:

I think this is a very important factor.

I was listening to (insert name of disgruntled female five live presenter here) after the France game, bemoaning the lack of support for the team and the paraphernalia in supermarkets etc. and i thought surely it starts with you? Which team does she or her girlfriends support week in week out like i do with City? How many women have flooded the Netherlands to support the team?

My wife played football and we're keen supporters of the national team, but thats where it ends. The truth is people just arent that interested in it because it isnt  a great standard.

 

maybe with time and coverage the womens game could be like the states. but does it matter? the opening post is a bit odd. more people go fishing than play football. so what if the banks are not covered with thousands roaring (scaring the fish) the anglers on !!! I am enjoying watching an English football team not being crap. hopefully that will lead to more playing football instead of getting pissed up fat and wobbling round town in their later years.  

[Rob k]

25 minutes ago, Welcome To The Jungle said:

If every game was finishing 5-4 or something you could argue that, but the womens game typically follows the same trends as the mens game with 1-0 and 2-1 being very common scorelines. If you made the goals smaller then 0-0 would be more and more common. If anything your suggestion is patronising to women.

If you really want to move the game on, and having a daughter im all behind it, then try and help the one area where the game is still seen as a joke which unfortunately is the goalkeeping. Nothing patronising about it, it would help. 

[Trueredsupporter]

1 minute ago, Rob k said:

If you really want to move the game on, and having a daughter im all behind it, then try and help the one area where the game is still seen as a joke which unfortunately is the goalkeeping. Nothing patronising about it, it would help. 

apart from the Scots getting battered by England the euros have shown there are not that many goals being scored. England have conceded one.

[054123]

2 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

maybe with time and coverage the womens game could be like the states. but does it matter? the opening post is a bit odd. more people go fishing than play football. so what if the banks are not covered with thousands roaring (scaring the fish) the anglers on !!! I am enjoying watching an English football team not being crap. hopefully that will lead to more playing football instead of getting pissed up fat and wobbling round town in their later years.  

I think the point is, whilst there is a chance that there is some male conspiracy to choke women's football, there is also the chance that women on the whole just arent that bothered either.

Mens football is a far, far better standard and both men and women would rather watch this.

Its is what it is, no sexist conspiracy.

[Trueredsupporter]

Just now, 054123 said:

I think the point is, whilst there is a chance that there is some male conspiracy to choke women's football, there is also the chance that women on the whole just arent that bothered either.

Mens football is a far, far better standard and both men and women would rather watch this.

Its is what it is, no sexist conspiracy.

most of the population are not bothered about football look at Bristol!!  asked earlier should City close down their women and disabled teams because hardly anybody watches them??? isn't football more than that?

[054123]

3 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

apart from the Scots getting battered by England the euros have shown there are not that many goals being scored. England have conceded one.

The goalkeeping is awful and this is right through out the game and i cannot explain why.

I have friends who have played at national level and coaches who coached to the second tier and they all privately say the same.

Again, i could not begin to tell you why when anatomically, we're pretty much the same.

[EnclosureSurge]

15 hours ago, RumRed said:

Well the Euros are on and we're doing quite well, in other news a bunch of blokes are pissing about trying to make themselves even more money and there's a lot of pointless rumours and puff pieces.

One's about football and as for the other you may as well read the synopsis of Eldarado.

 

Spot on. It must be laborious having to click twice - twice! - to get to the real football news.

[Welcome To The Jungle]

9 minutes ago, Rob k said:

If you really want to move the game on, and having a daughter im all behind it, then try and help the one area where the game is still seen as a joke which unfortunately is the goalkeeping. Nothing patronising about it, it would help. 

But then you would get less goals. You cannot get away from that. Yes the standard of keeping isn't as good, but neither is the standard of shooting. It balances out

[054123]

1 minute ago, Trueredsupporte said:

most of the population are not bothered about football look at Bristol!!  asked earlier should City close down their women and disabled teams because hardly anybody watches them??? isn't football more than that?

 I dont get your point?

A huge portion of the population are bothered about football, even in Bristol!

If you took a poll asking what their hobbies/interests were, football would be in the top 5 things listed. How they consume it is the worrying factor, but to the powers that be it doesn't matter as long as they consume something.

Again, the point raised is that women dont support womens football to any significant degree. You cant moan on public radio about the game not getting a fair billing when the presenter themself as a woman, makes no effort to support her local team or follow the national team.

I am not obliged to follow disabled/womens/junior football, just because i devoutly support Bristol City FC. 

[Natchfever]

12 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

most of the population are not bothered about football look at Bristol!!  asked earlier should City close down their women and disabled teams because hardly anybody watches them??? isn't football more than that?

I dont believe anyone is suggesting that. What I think many on here are saying is that womens football gets an inordinate amount of coverage considering the quality of the product on offer, and the reporting of it is frankly patronising when achievements are compared to those of the mens game.

Its a free cpountry - if it was all that then people would go and watch it. The fact that in the main they dont is because of the quality compared to alternative sources.

Instead of bigging up the top level of womens football and pretending its something that it isn't, more girls and women should be encouraged to play sports full stop.

[Trueredsupporter]

1 minute ago, 054123 said:

 I dont get your point?

A huge portion of the population are bothered about football, even in Bristol!

If you took a poll asking what their hobbies/interests were, football would be in the top 5 things listed. How they consume it is the worrying factor, but to the powers that be it doesn't matter as long as they consume something.

Again, the point raised is that women dont support womens football to any significant degree. You cant moan on public radio about the game not getting a fair billing when the presenter themself as a woman, makes no effort to support her local team or follow the national team.

I am not obliged to follow disabled/womens/junior football, just because i devoutly support Bristol City FC. 

the overwhelming majority of the population don't watch or play football. they do not.

the womens game v the mens is hardly matured as its been pro for ?? not very long at all and maybe given time it could match the states  where attendances can be bigger than the mens game. but it doers not really matter. football is now very popular as a sport to play for females as well. its growing this is brilliant. that has been done off little coverage by the media v the mens game and hardly the same £££££ put into it. one way of growing womens and girls football has to be promoting the success of the ladies v blah goals are too big, keepers are crap all negatives. Growing game England doing well Lucy Bronze looks to be a world star centre backs look like they could defend v tanks  thats brilliant well done the women.

Seriously  City had a full back with less skill than that Lucy Bronze has in the starting eleven last season falling over the ball and running it out of play. A women who can play. Top marks. Positive positive positive.

and still nobody has answered should City  shut down the ladies and disabilities teams because hardly anybodu watches them!!!

[Trueredsupporter]

2 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

I dont believe anyone is suggesting that. What I think many on here are saying is that womens football gets an inordinate amount of coverage considering the

a handful are saying and getting shot down.

local coaches will say there  has been a big rise in girls playing football. all over the country that how its going isn't it? isn't that a great thing? worth covering? all yes from I.

[054123]

4 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

the overwhelming majority of the population don't watch or play football. they do not.

the womens game v the mens is hardly matured as its been pro for ?? not very long at all and maybe given time it could match the states  where attendances can be bigger than the mens game. but it doers not really matter. football is now very popular as a sport to play for females as well. its growing this is brilliant. that has been done off little coverage by the media v the mens game and hardly the same £££££ put into it. one way of growing womens and girls football has to be promoting the success of the ladies v blah goals are too big, keepers are crap all negatives. Growing game England doing well Lucy Bronze looks to be a world star centre backs look like they could defend v tanks  thats brilliant well done the women.

Seriously  City had a full back with less skill than that Lucy Bronze has in the starting eleven last season falling over the ball and running it out of play. A women who can play. Top marks. Positive positive positive.

and still nobody has answered should City  shut down the ladies and disabilities teams because hardly anybodu watches them!!!

Enough people watch football to support a multi billion pound industry and wins almost all ratings wars when the big games are on. That is all you need to know.

In respect of the other teams, no they shouldnt be shut down, but dont complain that very few people choose to watch them, they're not obliged to.

I like to watch what i believe to be good films, not every piece of crap put out there simply because they are there.

And still nobody has answered as to why woman in this country dont wish to support the womens game. As i say the 5live presenters were very vocal in their angst, but i'm pretty sure have made no effort to follow there local womens team.