Euros women's final

I see that the conversation has become much more, appropriately, political but I just wanted to say I was off for a walk this morning and recalled the women celebrating their win and I just could not stop smiling. It is only one thing, and not the event that makes it all better, not the one thing that changes everything, but it is such a great "one thing".

@Needmoresleep
Excellent points. The stadiums issue will continue to limit fan involvement and I don't know the answer. With the price of land so high, I don't see how new grounds can be built more centrally or closer to the parent club's location, either.

I am not sure I agree. Lyon were the first Club to really invest in women's football and dominated the game for a long time. Barcelona, PSG, Duisberg and others have followed. The skill level of Spanish players is very high, and the game against Spain was perhaps the toughest. Many, including DD, felt that (luckily) the better team lost. Scandinavian countries, Iceland being an interesting example, have really invested in grass roots football for girls which has paid off as all five Nordic countries qualified.

The UK is lucky in that it has a strong club structure. That is where the scouting training and development happen. But using Chelsea as an example, as they are current champions and arguably our dominant team. Where the hell is Kings Meadow? (Their ground - yes I know but unless you live in Kingston it is a pain to get to with a capacity of less than 5K.) Several big clubs have only just added women's teams others still don't have them. And despite the huge media reach that the big clubs have, publicity is often absent. Newcastle has recently been a positive exception, but Howe has a track record of promoting women's, wheelchair and other football from his time building community support at Bournemouth.

And look at which clubs offered their grounds for the recent UEFA tournament. All, or certainly almost all, the England matches were sold out. A missed opportunity for the people running the men's game to really support the women.

Looking ahead at Chelsea fixtures. They have their first match in two years at Stamford Bridge on 18 September. but keen supporters will be on a tour of less accessible Britain: Borehamwood, Crawley, Birkenhead. That is if you can get tickets in small capacity grounds.

The FA has invested a lot in women's football and that is the main reason England won. Starting at the top, the Super League has minimum wages and pays a lot more than pretty much every other European league, down to youth work.

I fucking loved this.

I'm still buzzing too much to write anything more competent!

100 years after DKL, 50 years since the ban was lifted and about 10 years of professionalism still dwarfed by the sums of money in the men's game.

Just awesome - well done England!

It is so refreshing to hear the words "women and girls" spoken naturally, with no caveats or tantrums, on all TV channels, radio and in the the MSM.

Wow. So, they've allowed us fifty years of football before throwing women under the bus again.

Well they are trying to/thinking of it. We need to make sure they don't even if that results in legislation to force the position. Hopefully, Nadine Dorries' shot across the bows and veiled threat of bringing in legislation if the sporting bodies don't see sense plus this incredible win and the support for it will make the FA realise they would look like complete and utter fools if they pressed ahead with including men in women's sport.

Single sex spaces, services and sports are high on the agenda at the moment only a complete numpty without a brain cell could fail to see the direction of travel and the pitfalls of including men in anything for or about women.

I hope they will call it the Mens euro whenever that’s on again.

There were advertising banners up saying "it's not women's football, it's football".

The point is that football is by default considered male and that the prefix of woman's football marks it out as some football subcategory, which it is not, it's football. Just like we says the Euros and the womens Euros - suggests male default.

I Disagree. 'Football' and 'women's football' works for me. We've been arguing on here for ages that the women's sport needs protection, while the men's should be changed to 'open'. This should be the case here as well, so women's football is exclusively for women, 'football' is inclusive and should include men, transwomen, and and transmen if they want to risk it and aren't taking any banned drugs.

DD is getting very frustrated by the new males fans

Let's be fair here, nearly all the fans are 'new', both male and female. I regularly watch my local PL women's side, and the crowds are pathetic - a couple of thousand if it's famous opposition, lower if it's a 'lowly' team. The crowd has at least as many men as women. Many adult men attend with their daughters.

I recommend women to give it a go. The prices are low, the crowd are friendlier than the men's crowd (although I enjoy the rowdiness of the men's game too), it's easy to get in and out, and you aren't treated like an inconvenience.

Wow. So, they've allowed us fifty years of football before throwing women under the bus again.

I haven't missed the point.

You don't have to agree with me: that's fine. But my point was perfectly, er ... on point!

Eh ?

"As a woman who has been supporting England Women for 20 years – I was in Helsinki for the last final when the Germans beat us 6-2 (I have my closure now 😍) – I'm not a big fan of "It's football". I think it opens the door for transgender women (men, in my opinion) to infiltrate women's teams.

So ..... its "Women's Football": keep it exclusively female!"

I think you've missed the point. The point is that football is by default considered male and that the prefix of woman's football marks it out as some football subcategory, which it is not, it's football. Just like we says the Euros and the womens Euros - suggests male default. The point is about removing this assumption that football is by default male.

😆

Sorry had to share this, it did make me laugh.

But don't you raise an eyebrow at the Linacres and Beckhams jumping on the bandwagon.

Ian Wright has long been a supporter of women in football, but have either of the other two ever reached out in support during the dark times when women struggled for support. I also would not trust Linacre to know what a woman was, if there were a clash between speaking out for single sex sport or preserving his "liberal" credentials. He is sort of TVs version of Keir Stamer.

Chelsea women, despite being one of Europe's very top clubs, still play at a tiny ground near Kingston with a capacity of less than 5,000. Season tickets sold out within about half and hour and it is very difficult for supporters to get to see the team play. I would feel more comfortable if Linacre and Beckham were talking about the issues the game faces, than they simply issuing patronising tweets now the England team have done well.

So emotional about yesterday's win. What a game and what an achievement.
I do hope the spotlight on what an all women's team can do will help curb the infiltration of inadequate males into the sport but the FA really need to prioritise fairness and sportsmanship over hurty feels.
Actually fuck Starmer. Seriously, hypocritical slimeball.

Oh, completely agree. Men's Football. And Women's Football 🙂

Maintaining the female fan base might become an issue.

I and my daughter are interested just not fanatics about it so when there's bad behaviour or event clash, we'll drop out.

And I think most women dip in and out of sport and we need to normalise this behaviour instead of seeing it as lack of interest.

We might be more of a screen based fan type...

I was trying to work out why I felt so emotional about it and then I remember things like this not the nine oclock news sketch

It’s amazing how much more inspiring it is to watch athletes of your gender perform

Yes!

(although I would say sex, not gender, don't get me started)

I am heavily into cycling and have been watching the new women’s Tour de France Femmes which finished yesterday. It’s amazing how much more inspiring it is to watch athletes of your gender perform. Every stage I’ve watched has seen me grab my bike and head off out. I’m not normally emotional about sport, but I’ve had tears in my eyes every time they cross the finish line.

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

I find women’s football much more enjoyable to watch than men’s. What a fantastic achievement and how wonderful to see so many amazing women all together

@SweetSenorita
I agree, for similar reasons but want Men's football to be called just that - men's football.

I don’t watch football, but I’m so incredibly pleased about women being shown to be so strong and capable.

I am heavily into cycling and have been watching the new women’s Tour de France Femmes which finished yesterday. It’s amazing how much more inspiring it is to watch athletes of your gender perform. Every stage I’ve watched has seen me grab my bike and head off out. I’m not normally emotional about sport, but I’ve had tears in my eyes every time they cross the finish line.

As a woman who has been supporting England Women for 20 years – I was in Helsinki for the last final when the Germans beat us 6-2 (I have my closure now 😍) – I'm not a big fan of "It's football". I think it opens the door for transgender women (men, in my opinion) to infiltrate women's teams.

So ..... its "Women's Football": keep it exclusively female!