AIBU to say men who believe this are sexist pricks

They absolutely do. Non league football is currently on a high as the standard is pretty decent and of course costs a lot less to follow.

Nobody other than parents watch kids/youth football for the same reason that many don’t watch women’s football.

It's not just football OP, women have always been far, far more supportive of men, than men are of us, its sport, comedy, musicians, actors etc as well as more serious areas like rights and freedoms.

Doesn’t matter. It’s not about the gap. Are you saying there’s a level below which it’s fine to say you won’t watch but above that is ok? And what’s that level then? League 2, conference, pub sides?

or is premier league the only standard? If your team goes down you’d not watch again?

people generally don’t refuse to watch women’s sport because it’s not as good as the men’s.

All this "it's simply not as good/ fast/ strong/ [insert adjective] as the men's game" is ridiculous when you consider that we don't even try to compare men's and women's hockey teams, or tennis players, or swimmers etc. Of course it's incomparable. So the only conclusion that can be drawn is that many men feel threatened that a traditionally male sport is no longer exclusively for them. Back in the day I used to watch both sexes play tennis. I didn't watch the women because I wanted them to out-male the men. I watched it for the longer rallies, how they played the game differently - really clever. And I watched the men for the 100mph+ aces served, the fast pace. I enjoyed different aspects of the game.

I love football - all football. I can see that if you put the women's England team up against the men's team it's incomparable. Why would you compare apples and pears like that? But I enjoy watching an England team that plays attacking football (even if it leaves them open at the back); a team that fights and battles on when everyone thinks they're beaten; and team that has heart and soul and pride in a way that only women who have been locked out of the game for so long, and have had to work other jobs to support, seem to have. Fewer arguments with refs. Fewer punch ups on the pitch. More gracious in both victory and defeat. It is a different game. I admire and appreciate that difference. And yes, those penalties were shockingly bad - but I've never experienced such edge of the seat excitement and drama waiting to see who would score, rather than who wouldn't 😂

Not that I need any validation, but my dh is every bit as supportive of women's football as I am. Stop trying to compare the men's and women's teams when you wouldn't do so in any other sport. It's both ridiculous and misogynistic.

It’s nonsense comments like this that do the women’s game a disservice.

I'm a teacher, teenage boys spout a lot of sexist rubbish about women's football, pretty much saying they shouldn't play as they can't do it as well as the men. The boys probably pick this stuff up from older men. Yes the game is different but we don't expect men and women to run as fast as each other in athletics either. I think it is sad that the level of support isn't there for the women's game from the male football fans. And their language makes me think it is down to simple misogyny really.

The gap between Accrington Stanley and Liverpool is nowhere near as big as that between Accrington Stanley and England’s women’s team.

If women and men played together in adult teams not a single woman would ever play a professional game. The physical difference is too much to overcome.

The women need their own game if they want to play at any recognised level.

I want them to win but won't be watching because I'm not interested in football.
But if I did watch and refused to watch the men playing, does that make me the female equivalant of a sexist twat Polly
What a load of sexist crap about 'attractive women in shorts'.

The atmosphere is so much nicer than the men's.

Never seen the Tartan Army in Europe then?

Same, even my late FIL who on a good day was a sexist prick watched and enjoyed the women's game. I find it more of an attitude with the 30/40 year old men tbh.

I only watch the premier league team that I support. I have no interest in watching either the men’s or women’s England team

You’re a charm aren’t you @BruisedNeckMeat

Hope you don’t have daughters.

”Well, dear, we’ll never be as GOOD as men, now will we? Cos we’re just not the SAME”.

FFs.

I see this a lot, that the standard isn’t as good.

lower league men’s teams aren’t at premier league standard but their fans don’t mind. You won’t see fans of Accrington Stanley refusing to watch because the team isn’t as good as Liverpool.

As a bloke, I agree.
I've seen the Lionesses play better games than the England men's team ever have (& as a boy I saw the 1966 World Cup win)!

Nah you're reaching. Womens football just simply isn't good football. Totally different level. My husband watches the premier league but wouldn't watch the 3rd division. Same thing.

💯. Though most men I know are impressed with the skill levels and , especially, the lack of fouling , play acting and other nonsense that plagues the mens game.

😂

YABU. I’m female and a big football fan. I don’t watch women’s football. It’s like watching a different game, they are miles behind in terms of quality and while I wish them well, I’m not interested in watching it.

My uncle is a huge football fan, and knows the game pretty well. He loathes women’s football with a passion. Also, he is a prick. I’m not sure the two are connected; he’s never struck me as sexist generally, but he’s overbearing, opinionated, quick to temper and a colossal prick overall.

We’ve been NC since 2022, so I’ve can’t vouch for his feelings on these Euros, but strongly suspect he’ll have spent the whole tournament in a state of belligerent exasperation. Good.

For some reason some men seemed to feel threatened by women's football. It really says a lot about them and their insecurities.

.

Why can't women play with men, is it truly about strength or is it an FA thing. At DD's school she is still playing football with the boys at 14, she doesn't like playing football at all but they are still mixed. Equally, I watched that celebrity charity match and that was mixed. I think many perceptions of women's football are due to lack of investment but if it was mixed then maybe not. If it really is physical differences so be it but throughout school life I think it seems far more about cultural practices.

The FA didn’t lift the ban on women’s football being played on professional grounds and FA affiliated club pitches until 1971. This attitude is the legacy of that. It has taken a while for women’s football to get back up and running. My son and most of his friends will probably watch the match but there is zero fan base from my generation as women’s football hadn’t got going when I was young.

League 2 is different to the premier league. We don’t have to listen to men (or women) spouting off about the league 2 play offs being on telly because the quality is shit. If you don’t like it, don’t bloody watch. No need to throw toys out of pram about it.