To be annoyed at fair pay in women's football comment

[dizzy125]

Just finished a mini party for my son's birthday. Few close relatives. Not live in bf had a packed day but has been helpful..went to buy some buffet food and bought a really nice birthday gift. We both collapsed on sofa after last guest left and he's had a few whiskys and he starts telling me a story about an Australian top level women's football team who got beat by a male under 19s football team 7-0 and the match was meant to be to showcase fair pay for women in football.. bf was of the opinion that women didn't deserve equal pay in football because they don't play at the same level as men. I am usually outspoken and happy to discuss big topics about women's rights and the world in general and he knows this and In every way my bf is a modern man..cooks, cleans, is a good dad but consistently he comes out with dumb comments about feminism and women's rights. And I'm baffled how he can think so little of women. I said to him 'I'm too tired to argue about women's right to equal pay right now' and he got angry and said 'you get too emotionally involved'. AIBU or was he being a dick.

They should at least be paid enough that they don't need to take other jobs and can focus on football full-time and the teams should be able to afford top-flight coaches.

There's a lot of history involved in this, particularly that in the UK, women were banned from playing on FA football grounds in the 1920s - until then, women's football had been very popular, more so than the men's game.

There's a clear correlation between investment levels and levels of success and we should be investing for the future if the game, not just its current state. You can see that at club level as well as international level, where the clubs which invest more in their women's teams are the ones winning the cups.

I do believe the top level players should be paid the same as the men - equal pay for equal work. I don't think that the top level fees in the men's game should be as high as they are, though.

equal pay for equal work

Do you think teams in the lower divisions should be paid the same too?

Snoozy, players at the lower leagues are not at the same level as the top level 🙄

Always surprised when people don't recognise the underlying structural inequality. As Ebear says, women's football was effectively banned for decades.

Up until this year, the media didn't bother showing games. Brands didn't bother making women's replica kit. That's where the money comes from.

It's like having two great products, one is sold by Tesco and the other isn't. And blaming the one not distributed for not making enough money.

Can we just acknowledge that either way, women's football is ten times better to watch than men's footy? I'm a huge premier league football fan, but women's games are so much better! The passion is there rather than the arrogance.

That was always the way until 'the menz' banned it in the 1920's! Women's football was THE most popular game.

I have to agree. I wouldn’t pay to see women play when men play better. Mind you I’m not a sports fan so maybe I’m missing something.

@Helloitsmemargaret in you Tesco metaphor it’s not about the products though is it? The brand that is less successful is less successful because it hasn’t put in the effort into developing its business. It’s not enough to merely have a good product. With things like sports it’s different. No amount of branding is going to make a bunch of average players really good. But I’m wider business proper business strategy (including branding) can make the most inane shit (just look at McDonald’s or Nike) wildly successful.

Players who represent their country should be paid the same, regardless of their sex.

Club level is a far more difficult situation. After being banned for so long, women's football is only just starting to catch up. Last season was the first time that all WSL1 clubs had players on full-time professional contracts.

The £20 maximum wage for male footballers was abolished in 1961 when women's football was still banned for another 10 years.

Players who represent their country should be paid the same, regardless of their sex

100% agree.

Lots of internalized misogyny on here, as per. The women's game is different to watch, not worse.

Some people really need to educate themselves on the history of women’s football before they dismiss equal pay.

Women’s football used to be huge, much bigger than the men’s game. And what did they do with the money? They gave huge amounts to men, soldiers and miners in particular. And then men decided to ban women playing because it wasn’t ladylike.

That’s why women are arguably not as good as men, they had to start over from scratch after being sabotaged, so actually I think men owe women’s football a lot and expecting some money to be invested so that the players can play full time isn’t not “unfair”.

Boggles really?! Or is it maybe that the product buyer has a narrow expectation of what would sell, by only using data of what has sold?

The reason that 11 million people were able to enjoy this year's game is because the BBC have an obligation to be representative. Now people know that there is an audience, the money is already flowing in - Barclays sponsorship of the WSL for example which for the first time will allow players to be full time professionals, with the time and resource to be coached to a higher standard.

Look at Federer and Serena Williams. They play very different styles of tennis but are equal in being top of their game. And equally as entertaining.

100% agree AngelsSins.

Short history lesson
www.fourfourtwo.com/features/womens-football-banned-england-50-years-fa-world-cup-history

Or people could look up Clare Baldings tv documentary 'when football banned women'