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Original poster

AIBU to say men who believe this are sexist pricks

331 replies

Oddsocksanduglyshoes · 27/07/2025 00:26

Men who refuse to watch the euro finals tomorrow as it’s women’s football - so what’s the point and refuse to watch, and say this in front of they wives and daughters are misogynistic pricks and their wives and daughters deserve so much better?

OP posts:
Jennyathemall · 27/07/2025 08:15

Velmy · 27/07/2025 02:42

No. The woman's game is decades behind. If you're not specifically invested (and sometimes even when you are), it's often painful to watch.

It's like comparing three drunk lads slurring Chumbawumba at the pub karaoke to the Three Tenors. They're both technically singing, but only one of them are doing it to an exceptional level 😅

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This!
For the same reasons I dont like watching women’s snooker or even tennis sometimes. It’s just boring tbh.

needtostopnamechanging · 27/07/2025 08:17

Women are technically fantastic but I think OP is unreasonable in thinking it’s only men who can be sexist pricks

x2boys · 27/07/2025 08:17

DorothyWainwright · 27/07/2025 07:28

"...to pretend it’s exactly the same is not helpful."

You can't get more identical than 11 people trying to score as many goals as possible in 90 minutes. And then nervous breakdown penalties. That's it.

Well you can different teams have different levels of skill ,even if they are all.playing football
You wouldn't say a Sunday league game was exactly the same, as the FA Cup final.

VilleValo · 27/07/2025 08:22

To not watch as a football fan simply because it's women playing is sexist.

To not watch because the quality is poor and it's like watching schoolchildren play is fair. I tried to get into it but keep cringing at the level of play.

PugInTheHouse · 27/07/2025 08:23

ShesTheAlbatross · 27/07/2025 08:02

Similar is true of tennis though, but you say you prefer women’s? Venus and Serena Williams played a match against the 203rd ranked man (they played a set each) and lost 6-1 6-2. This was the year before the sisters won 3 of the 4 slams between them.

I think there is more of a cultural bias in this than people generally like to acknowledge, although I appreciate you specially have mentioned it.

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The interesting thing is that they have always admitted that this would be the case, they have never tried to say they would be up there with the top men, its a different game and there are allowances for that. I believe it was one of the Venus sisters who said that they wouldn't even make it into the mens top 100.

I find the women's football game is pushed to try and make us believe its the same. People often say they are technically better, but I dont think that is true. They have to use technique more as they dont have the strength/size/power some men do (evident on penalties) so they have to play technically.

Men have that technique also but dont need to always use it, I see it in youth cricket, from a very young age (10ish) there is a significant difference in the boys/girls. We have had girls who play to a really high level in the county but purely down to the fact that cannot hit the ball as hard do not do as well as the boys who only play club cricket, hence why they can play 2 years down, but even then most 17 yr old girls arent a match for 15 yo boys!

DiscoBob · 27/07/2025 08:23

I think people are a bit annoyed about the way the media has been pushing women's football.

Almost treating us a bit daft by alleging it's exactly the same and just as exciting as the men's game. It isn't. There's an element of emperor's new clothes. Like we have to say it's good because it's great that women are doing it.

I find it immensely boring. And wouldn't go out of my way to watch. I'm sure some men are sexist, but women's football is actually fairly niche.

The default shouldn't be that everyone adores it and loves it as much as the mens. The media want it to be true. But most of those women still have to work a day job as the wages for the sport are so poor. It's really nothing similar.

PugInTheHouse · 27/07/2025 08:24

x2boys · 27/07/2025 08:17

Well you can different teams have different levels of skill ,even if they are all.playing football
You wouldn't say a Sunday league game was exactly the same, as the FA Cup final.

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I think this is 100% spot on!

Mysterian · 27/07/2025 08:25

Pastrina · 27/07/2025 07:55

My partner has watched all the games and will watch the final as he thinks it’s a good standard but of voices as others have said, not on a par with the men’s equivalent. Someone suggested the women should play on a smaller pitch and I think will this would help massively in terms of the intensity and impact.

I watch the games as you still get the "ooh, is this going to be a goal...?" excitement, even if the quality is much lower than the men's game.

My ideas for women's football?
Get it on telly! On free to watch channels. I've no idea who most of the players are for England, even less for my team (Liverpool). If it's on, people will watch and start to care.
Make it less comparable to the men's game by making it different. Rule changes that change the basics would have to be done globally otherwise we'd be at a disadvantage when we play internationals but there are some changes that could be done in England:
A five minute on pitch break midway through each half. Make it more appealing to commercial TV and help fitness levels recover.
Rolling substitutions. Keep energy levels higher.
An extra point for winning by 5 clear goals. Been talked about for the men for ages. More incentive in games which have already been 'won'.

Cam1981 · 27/07/2025 08:28

VilleValo · 27/07/2025 08:22

To not watch as a football fan simply because it's women playing is sexist.

To not watch because the quality is poor and it's like watching schoolchildren play is fair. I tried to get into it but keep cringing at the level of play.

Same here. I’m a woman I’m obsessed with men’s football. I’ve watched Euros but the quality is shocking. The penalty shoot out against the Swedes was the worst shoot out I’ve ever seen. I don’t get the hype around the Lionesses. Yes it’s a great achievement but let’s not gloss over they’ve been poor in the last couple of games and luck has helped them get to the final.

Aweecupofteaandabiscuit · 27/07/2025 08:42

My DH has taken his DD to see the women’s team of their club quite a few times and his explanation of why it’s a different game than the men’s (though he does say he reckons they are technically on a par with the men’s team) is that it’s a man’s pitch and the women are just playing on it.
The size of the pitch and goals are designed for the men, same as just about everything else in the world. Women are shorter and less powerful than men so the game itself unfolds differently on that pitch.

chaosmaker · 27/07/2025 08:43

There is too much football

Biskieboo · 27/07/2025 08:44

MNdrama · 27/07/2025 03:11

If they're not watching just because they're women, of course it's sexist

If they're not watching because they don't find it as interesting as men's football, fair enough

This. I'm not an avid watcher of sport but when I do tune in it's because I want to see the people who are best at that sport doing their thing. For obvious reasons the people at the top of sport are invariably male; let's face it if there were no separate men's and women's competitions in elite sport, but you instead had single competitions open to all regardless of sex, you'd very, very rarely see women anywhere. In a way I do hate myself for thinking this but when women's sport is essentially the same as the men's (or truly open) version but just slower/at a lower standard...I fully understand why people aren't interested because I'm not either.

Iloveloveisland · 27/07/2025 08:47

I'm a woman and have no intention of watching it. Am I a sexist prick?

KPPlumbing · 27/07/2025 08:48

My dad, a working class hgv driver and lifelong football fan, is loving the Lionesses. He says their team is 'more patriotic' than the men's. I don't know what he means as I've got no interest in football, but I'm pleased he's so behind them.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/07/2025 08:48

OP if you think there’s any doubt that you are right, read the comments on social media about this. It’s appalling.

I watch my beloved club football team play because I support them. Not for the quality of the football (and god Knows I’d have waited a long time to see them play quality football!). That’s how supporting a team works.

taxidriver · 27/07/2025 08:50

it does feel like sour grapes from men

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 08:51

If they are refusing to watch it simply because it’s women playing then yeah, I’d assume they’re a sexist prick.
There’s a lot of them around unfortunately.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/07/2025 08:52

Biskieboo · 27/07/2025 08:44

This. I'm not an avid watcher of sport but when I do tune in it's because I want to see the people who are best at that sport doing their thing. For obvious reasons the people at the top of sport are invariably male; let's face it if there were no separate men's and women's competitions in elite sport, but you instead had single competitions open to all regardless of sex, you'd very, very rarely see women anywhere. In a way I do hate myself for thinking this but when women's sport is essentially the same as the men's (or truly open) version but just slower/at a lower standard...I fully understand why people aren't interested because I'm not either.

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By that rule though, noboody would support Stockport County or Hull City or whatever because they’re not the very best and you might not see the best elite football there every week. That’s not how supporting a team works.

my own football team has had a very checkered history. Still support them avidly.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 08:54

BitOutOfPractice · 27/07/2025 08:48

OP if you think there’s any doubt that you are right, read the comments on social media about this. It’s appalling.

I watch my beloved club football team play because I support them. Not for the quality of the football (and god Knows I’d have waited a long time to see them play quality football!). That’s how supporting a team works.

The social media comments are vile.
I’ve had to stop looking at them as they just make me angry and sad.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 08:56

Iloveloveisland · 27/07/2025 08:47

I'm a woman and have no intention of watching it. Am I a sexist prick?

Depends.
Are you a football fan who is refusing to watch today’s game just because it’s being played by women? Because that’s the type of person the OP is talking about.

TheGrimSmile · 27/07/2025 08:57

They just hate women. It's sad.

R0ckandHardPlace · 27/07/2025 08:58

I prefer women’s football. It’s slower, more considered and easier to follow. There’s far less cheating and histrionics (probably because they don’t want to be accused of being ‘big girls’ if they’re tackled or take a knock). My DH is really excited for the final tonight.

TheFallenMadonna · 27/07/2025 08:59

It's not the not watching women's football, it's the going on about it. The unasked for comparisons and denigration of women's endeavour. Why do they need to share their opinion at all? Don't like it, don't watch it. Otherwise its just a soapbox from which to put women down.

Curiossir · 27/07/2025 08:59

Lifelong male football fan here. The women show more commitment, heart and passion than the men. That's what makes at least as interesting to me as the men's game. The men just dont care as much. The atmosphere is definitely better with friendly rivalry rather than the borderline hate that generally accompanies PL games. The men are generally stronger with more stamina, which showed up a little in some penalty kicks after extra time, but the skill levels are similar now. I'll defo be watching today.

SomethingFun · 27/07/2025 08:59

As we all should know from the last few years on mn men have a physical advantage over women in the vast majority of sports. This doesn’t mean women’s sport is worthless because of the physical differences between men and women. I despair of the cultural soup we live in that parrots that women’s football is like Sunday 5 a side. Listen to yourselves. It’s embarrassing.

Who knows what women’s football would be like if countless millions were spent on it like the men’s. If the FA hadn’t banned women from playing (because the women’s football was more popular than the men’s). If women were taken genuinely seriously in any public sphere that isn’t looking sexy, having babies and caring for others.

I feel so inspired watching women play football. I wish I’d seen more women play sport when I was younger as I might have thought it was for me and not just for men.