To feel bad for the Lionesses ?

[whatdidshedotogetahillnamedafterher]

Whether footy minded or not I cannot help but feel bad for the Lionesses today with no person of note to support them. The Spanish Queen can go.It feels like an own goal to me letting the Ladies down. Not a good look for our country I think.What do you think?

I've always though that having politicians and royal family at major sporting events was such a dick move anyway, why spend all that public money so they can watch sport in person?? I'd have more respect for all of them if they went to their local to watch. You can be a supporter without actually flying across the world and spending thousands of tax payers money.

To be fair, Aus is a 24 hour flight and a long way.

BUT if it was the men's team in the final, I'm 99% sure William and others would be there wherever it was.

I am a huge fan of the Royals, but sadly OP I have to agree. Not one single member of the Royal family being arsed to show up at the WOMENS FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINAL when ENGLAND are in it, is a disgrace.

You can bet they would have been there if it had been the men!

What message is this sending to everyone??? Women are not as important as men. Fuck that. The women play better than the men! Anyone can see that!!!

There is many, many people who think that a royal travelling on a long haul flight doesn't look good either.

I doubt that the lionesses are going to be that distraught over not seeing a royal family member in the audience that it affects their play.

I doubt very much the team are going to be thinking William isn't in the stadium watching us. They have more important things to think about like winning.
Had he gone, so many of you would have been on here banging on about the cost the environment and 'it's only a game'.
I would like to see them win even just to be able to tell the mysognistic brigade where to shove. it "It took women to win the world cup where men have failed."

I feel sorry for them too.

I've seen far more on whether any royalty will/won't go than about how well they've done.
I doubt they care, either way, but it would have been nice to see build up like the men's get. Analysing their game, what they might do differently etc. Not who might watch them.

Imagine if when Andy Murray had got to the Wimbledon final all people had to wonder about was which royal would watch him.

The team won’t give a shit.

And it’s considerably more complicated for a British royal to go to a commonwealth country than it is the Spanish royals.

The Spanish queen is also being accused of being political for going in some quarters because of the issues going on with their coach - it might not have been a good idea for her to go after all

Once again. No member of the RF jumped on a plane to attend the Men’s Rugby WC final in 2003 and only a junior member of government attended.

I don’t know why people are determined to put a downer on today and feel slighted. There is no fact based evidence that they would have done anything differently for men - the men haven’t been in a football final for nearly 60 years and RF / senior government didn’t attend the rugby final.

You cannot organise a state visit at the drop of a hat either.

Yep I think it’s a poor show and that the RF are wheeling out the climate thing when it suits them. Feels like he just couldn’t be arsed.

Can’t believe they couldn’t find a lesser royal to send!

If he's gone he would no doubt be slated for taking an unnecessary flight.

As Prince William is president of the FA I do think it’s wrong that he isn’t there.

I agree & he would defo be there if the men were playing

@Aprilx to be fair, people make a much bigger deal out of big football tournaments than they do about rugby. I don't care much for either but if England is playing you can't escape it, whereas rugby receives much less attention.

In the current era of climate change, I absolutely stand by the Royal Family and the government in not flying to Australia for a football match. I bet if they'd gone everyone would be whinging about their hypocrisy at travelling "all that way for a bloody football match".

They don't have an issue flying all over for holidays.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

'You cannot organise a state visit at the drop of a hat...'

The date of the final has been available for MONTHS. The Royal Family should have reserved that date in the diary, and made preparations to go. As for comparing it to 2003 rugby. Straw Man argument. Football is way more popular in the UK, and this is a MASSIVE MOMENT for the team AND for England, to have a team in the WORLD CUP FINAL.

But heyyy, they're only girls right?!

Whether you like it or not, or agree or not womens football is growing but as a sport (not a political statement) it is still nowhere in the same league with the same following as mens. There are no team sports, mens or womens, in the same league as mens football. It might be one day but right now it isnt.

Doesn't take away from what any team outwith men football achieve. The lionesses have played well and wish then all the best today from Scotland and hope they do well.

If it was the mens team I'd be supporting Spain 🤣. Which partly shows why there isnt the same following and prestige as there isnt the same strong following of your countries team and competitive rivalaries around the sport yet.

FUCK! Spain just scored!

This cannot be said enough.

@frippu

And they get plenty of stick for flying abroad for holidays, off many members of the public who also go abroad a lot.

Imagine if a royal family member went all the way to Australia for a 90 minute football match?

@historygeek · Today 10:40

Let's not make the massive achievement of these women about the presence (or not) of one man

Fairy snuff. I'll shut up now.

To be fair the OP has a very valid point.

Yes what these women have achieved shouldn’t be validated by the appearance of a man but someone should be there to show the official support from the country. They could have send Kate or anyone but someone should be there in an official capacity, especially considering it is the final and if they win it’s a historical moment.

Yes it does receive less attention. But I would say the Men’s Rugby in 2003 received about a commensurate level of attention as the Women’s football in 2023. People are still making claims based on absolutely no evidence that they would have done something different for men’s football. Personally I very much doubt that Prince William would have jumped on a flight to Australia with three days notice.

He would be damned if he did and damned if he didn’t to be honest.

And I repeat my question did a member of the Royal Family go to New Zealand to watch the English Roses in the final of the Women's Rugby World Cup last year? Because if the didn't that would be a real fingers up to those ladies and yes I get it no one gives a fuck about womens rugby because it's rugby and not fucking football

The RF have an elephant-sized carbon footprint and operate at vast cost already, William regularly takes long haul flights and travels everywhere by helicopter. If we are going to have a RF (and I don't think we should but for the time being, we do) and they are supposedly representing the country, this will entail travelling to and attending events when considered appropriate. And what that means for the member who is President of the FA, is that he should be in Australia.

There isn't even the excuse of a busy schedule that requires him to be elsewhere. He is on an extended holiday break. And the video of him is lame and even rather cynical: 'Sorry I can't be there' (actually you could) with his daughter wheeled out with her football to try to make him look good.