AIBU to say men who believe this are sexist pricks

[Oddsocksanduglyshoes]

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The rules are the same but the quality is world's apart.

I'm a football season ticket holder for a men's team but have zero interest in the women's game. I don't watch match of the day or any of the champions league/FA Cup/Europe stuff unless my team are playing (which is highly unlikely because they're shit! 🤣) and only have a passing interest in the men's national team. It's not a crime or misogynistic to just enjoy one particular team.

My dad announced yesterday that he won’t be watching it but added the important caveat “it’s not because they’re women it’s because they’re English and they might actually win”. The only reason he watches the men’s England team is when he thinks they’ll get beat. He actually took me and my sister to women’s football games as kids, in the hope we would get into it. Neither of us liked it anymore than the men’s games he took us to. It’s got to sting to be passionate about football and 0/6 of your kids like it.

I do think men who refuse to watch it and shit on it are sexist. I understand maybe not being as excited as they get about the men’s games, because the men’s games have been mainstream for longer and they probably have more of a history and emotional connection to it.

Nobody saying it is. If you don’t want to watch something then don’t, we all have a choice.

However, it appears to me like there are a a significant number of men (and some women) who aren’t watching it due to misogynistic and sexist reasons and they are being very vocal about it.
Some of the comments I’ve seen on social media have been vile. That’s not about just not being interested, that’s something else entirely.

DH won't be watching, I will with DS , but DH doesn't really like any football, doesn't watch the men's internationals either. DF and DB both big football fans will be watching.

Speed and physical strength yes (because on the whole they are much larger), but talent and skill in any sport is not confined to people who happen to have a penis.

So she's trawling social media for strangers making comments and getting upset about that. What a waste of time and effort. I guess their troll posts worked then.

who says anyone was trawling through social media?
I follow a few football pages as well as local and national news sites and the comments are there to see. No trawling required.

And trolling or not, it’s still unacceptable to post misogynistic comments online. Regardless of your intent.

I won’t be watching.

im very much into football - go to multiple games a year when I have time, I’ve also been to multiple England women’s games up and down the country. But I’m growing to really resent this attitude. The game is not as good quality and the men’s game. That’s a fact. And to try and paint everyone who doesn’t enjoy it as sexist is pretty grim.

You don’t need to trawl sm. The misogynists are everywhere - in the pub, in your office and even in your houses. The front of these mediocre, out of shape blokes whinging about women’s football!

If it would help to re-write this post I would because it’s exactly how I feel.

Good job that’s not what people are doing then isn’t it? 🙄

I agree with this. The attitude from some seems to be - you must watch it even if you don’t really like it, or you’re not supportive of women.

No one says this to men about mens football.

It absolutely is what is pushed in football circles.

I don’t like football, full stop.

But I find they hype around women’s football more annoying than men’s because it’s being pushed that if you aren’t ecstatic about the women then you must be a misogynist.

It really grinds my gears. I watch Liverpool men because they’re engaging and fun.

You turn on a women’s match and it’s bad. I know why it’s bad, and I don’t think it’ll be solved overnight. But that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.

It’s not something I’ve come across so that’s a shame.
The only issue I have is people making misogynistic comments about it. I wouldn’t dream of making people watch it if they just aren’t interested.

Omg what a sexist post

Somehow the women manage to do wayyy better than men ever do

Apples and oranges.

Yes, the England’s women team are incredibly successful and do very well. But put them in a men’s tournament and they wouldn’t get past the groups.

But the women are in the Euros finals! Men never even make it that far