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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
MyUmberSeal · 27/07/2025 12:27

I won’t be watching, however, if it was the mens game I would watch.

AppleKatie · 27/07/2025 12:32

RainSoakedNights · 27/07/2025 12:26

But you're ignoring that in Europe, you have probably 4 nations who put the same into their men and women's teams. England, France, Spain and Portugal are the four big hitters in women's football.

In the mens you have Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, etc etc.

Outside of the Euros, in women's you have the USA and Australia.

In the mens you have all of the South American nations, African nations, etc etc.

So there is still nuance to this argument.

So the solution to that is to devalue success? They are in the top two of all those who showed up and they do it despite the raging misogyny and patriarchal approaches to football they face all the time. They might have faced different hurdles to the men’s team but it is ridiculous to say that their achievement isn’t impressive or worth something.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 12:32

RainSoakedNights · 27/07/2025 12:26

But you're ignoring that in Europe, you have probably 4 nations who put the same into their men and women's teams. England, France, Spain and Portugal are the four big hitters in women's football.

In the mens you have Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, etc etc.

Outside of the Euros, in women's you have the USA and Australia.

In the mens you have all of the South American nations, African nations, etc etc.

So there is still nuance to this argument.

You are trying to directly compare men’s and women’s football.
Why? Because it seems like you want to undermine the lionesses achievements. Not a great look tbh.

RainSoakedNights · 27/07/2025 12:33

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 12:32

You are trying to directly compare men’s and women’s football.
Why? Because it seems like you want to undermine the lionesses achievements. Not a great look tbh.

No - I’m saying that those of you saying it’s exactly the same thing are wrong. The women are great. Good for them. Doesn’t mean I have to watch.

RainSoakedNights · 27/07/2025 12:34

AppleKatie · 27/07/2025 12:32

So the solution to that is to devalue success? They are in the top two of all those who showed up and they do it despite the raging misogyny and patriarchal approaches to football they face all the time. They might have faced different hurdles to the men’s team but it is ridiculous to say that their achievement isn’t impressive or worth something.

I never once said that though.

tripleginandtonic · 27/07/2025 12:42

I think yabu. It is slower paced and less physical. I'll be watching , and I bet a lot of men will be too

Newbutoldfather · 27/07/2025 12:44

I would challenge all of you to answer these questions honestly, even to yourselves.

How much would you pay for a pair of tickets for the men’s World Cup final and the women’s?

Ditto for men’s and women’s Wimbledon finals?

Does it make you sexist if you would pay more to see the men?

frozendaisy · 27/07/2025 12:46

There is a huge gulf to saying, women’s football not for me, and saying it’s only women it’s pointless.

There is quite a lot of quiet excitement building up today. If a household has a grunt dad refusing to watch he can go and sit elsewhere why should those who want to watch and support have it spoiled by others. Men’s football is on all the time, well it feels like all the time.

Some women are put off football by the behaviour and atmosphere around the men’s game, there remains a disgraceful amount of racism and homophobia on the terraces. So having a football match, that might not be as thrilling as the men’s, but has considerably less racism and homophobia isn’t such a bad thing. The woman’s game is growing and this argument will be had, has been had, every tournament. Instead of ignoring it people seem to want to drag the team down not get behind them. It’s fucking weird.

Next tournament will be the same, next men’s tournament will bring the same racist tweets, and round and round everyone goes.

The men’s game is bigger but some fans they’re not great are they?

At least the women have already lifted a trophy in living memory, the men haven’t done that, no matter how high they jump or fast they run, it seems there always is a bunch of men from another country who are better at football than England. Some England fans have trouble accepting this.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 12:46

RainSoakedNights · 27/07/2025 12:33

No - I’m saying that those of you saying it’s exactly the same thing are wrong. The women are great. Good for them. Doesn’t mean I have to watch.

Again, I haven’t said it’s exactly the same.
You keep saying I have but that’s just not the case.
And who gives a shit whether you’ll be watching or not. Nobody is forcing you to 🤷🏼‍♀️

Livpool · 27/07/2025 12:47

I really enjoy (men’s) football - I support a Premier League team and have been to games. I haven’t been particularly interested in the Euros this year - I don’t find international football particularly interesting to be honest. In the men’s game I might watch a game if a player from my PL was in it but that is it really. I don’t particularly follow the women’s team for my PL club either, so I don’t know any of the players to ‘follow’.

I do think there is a lot of disparity between the men’s and women’s game though. The investment just hasn’t been there until very recently - it only seems hyped up for the international tournaments. It’s also a slower game - which I honestly don’t enjoy as much.

I am female by the way and have tried to watch some matches and just haven’t got into it yet. The only person I know who has been following - randomly - is my FIL. He doesn’t watch or support any men’s team but will watch the women’s. Before he is declared a pervert - he said he enjoys it as it isn’t as fast paced and he finds it easier to keep up. So for the same reason, he enjoys and I don’t.

missmollygreen · 27/07/2025 12:47

Loads of women are not interested in mens football but are enjoying the women's football.

Are they sexist pricks too?

frozendaisy · 27/07/2025 12:51

Newbutoldfather · 27/07/2025 12:44

I would challenge all of you to answer these questions honestly, even to yourselves.

How much would you pay for a pair of tickets for the men’s World Cup final and the women’s?

Ditto for men’s and women’s Wimbledon finals?

Does it make you sexist if you would pay more to see the men?

Wouldn’t go to an England game unless it was corporate seats as it has the potential to get violent but would go in the stands to the women’s game,

Would pay equal for tennis tickets not a problem. Happy to sit in the stands for either male or female or mixed games. That’s the thing with tennis you can have mixed it’s not quite so divided.

fishingfor · 27/07/2025 12:52

I won't watch it just as I wouldn't watch a Mens Division Two game on tv. It's a lower standard of football and I'm used to watching the top teams.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 12:52

Newbutoldfather · 27/07/2025 12:44

I would challenge all of you to answer these questions honestly, even to yourselves.

How much would you pay for a pair of tickets for the men’s World Cup final and the women’s?

Ditto for men’s and women’s Wimbledon finals?

Does it make you sexist if you would pay more to see the men?

Honestly, I’d pay more to watch women play sport. I feel more of an affinity to women and women’s sport.

I know you’re trying to make the argument that men’s sport is ‘better’ but I would suggest it’s different. I enjoy watching women’s football and I much prefer the atmosphere at a women’s football game compared to watching a men’s game.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 27/07/2025 12:53

missmollygreen · 27/07/2025 12:47

Loads of women are not interested in mens football but are enjoying the women's football.

Are they sexist pricks too?

Depends. Do they cite sexist and misandrist reasons for not watching men’s football?

frozendaisy · 27/07/2025 12:54

missmollygreen · 27/07/2025 12:47

Loads of women are not interested in mens football but are enjoying the women's football.

Are they sexist pricks too?

If they discount men’s football because the players have a penis, say they have had long enough, clearly rubbish, can’t win a thing, they are only men. Then yes.

If they chose to watch women’s football without dismissing the mens team’s right to exist, then no.

Delphiniumandlupins · 27/07/2025 12:59

frozendaisy · 27/07/2025 12:25

Yes I agree with this but you play who you are faced with and as has proven in the past smaller teams knock out bigger teams all the time.

Every tournament there is a hardcore group of grunts who think England are the best team in the world which is objectively wrong because “hello empty trophy cabinet” - England (men) are a lot of people’s favourite team but best team?
Best on paper? Best on rankings? “Still and empty trophy cabinet”

Winning on the day matters regardless of who you face, and if everything goes as paper ranking at some point to win, usually to get into the final, you have to be able to beat every team on any day.

You could say when England won the World Cup in 1966 there were only really a handful of other football powerhouses at the time. But no one diminishes that. (Partly because without it England would have nadda).

I think that's an interesting point. Most English football fans would happily watch a recording of the 1966 World Cup final, but that winning team would be nowhere near as fit as current top league teams. Were they as skillful or as fast? How would they fare against the current English team? Or against the current U16 team?

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 27/07/2025 12:59

I'm a man, and I won't be watching it whereas I probably would the mens final.

It's not because they're women specifically, but more that the women's game just isn't that interesting to me. It's naturally slower paced, and generally less skillful. (And yes, I get that that's because fewer people watch it, so there's less money in it, which means that women get less opportunity to train, which means it's less exciting, which means fewer people watch it , and so on and so on.)

I find the same with Tennis, but with the sexes reversed. The women's game is so much more entertaining to watch, because it's less about sheer power, so when Wimbledon comes around I tend to only watch the women's matches.

Rugby on the other hand I tend to enjoy both the male and female games equally.

ClaredeBear · 27/07/2025 13:01

my husband is a huge sports fan and he is fortunately very enthusiastic about elevating women’s sport. I, on the other hand, am not a sports fan, but I might watch women’s sport because I feel it’s more relevant to me So I suppose I can understand men not watching women’s sport - but I would not tolerate them being derogatory or and supportive of women in sport particularly around young girls.

ClaredeBear · 27/07/2025 13:06

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 27/07/2025 12:59

I'm a man, and I won't be watching it whereas I probably would the mens final.

It's not because they're women specifically, but more that the women's game just isn't that interesting to me. It's naturally slower paced, and generally less skillful. (And yes, I get that that's because fewer people watch it, so there's less money in it, which means that women get less opportunity to train, which means it's less exciting, which means fewer people watch it , and so on and so on.)

I find the same with Tennis, but with the sexes reversed. The women's game is so much more entertaining to watch, because it's less about sheer power, so when Wimbledon comes around I tend to only watch the women's matches.

Rugby on the other hand I tend to enjoy both the male and female games equally.

All of this is true and we have a professional (female) footballer in the family who says the same thing. I can’t contribute much to the conversation as a non sport fan but my husband seems to appreciate sport at any level (as long as it’s a level playing field). That’s an interesting take on tennis.

SomethingFun · 27/07/2025 13:18

If you genuinely only want to watch the fastest or the ‘best’ at whatever sport it is, you probably won’t be watching English men or women do it at all so that argument doesn’t really hold up.

I have been to the men’s and women’s euros. I would say the enjoyment factor was the same for the matches where I didn’t particularly mind who won. The atmosphere for the women’s was more family friendly. The women’s was hugely cheaper - £150 a ticket for the men’s, £25 for the women’s.

Usually as a woman watching women play sports you see a tiny amount of women on tv unless there is an Olympics or commonwealth games. A couple of tennis players, a gymnast or two etc. Watching the football I get to see 22+ women of different ages, sizes, strengths and weaknesses and it’s really inspiring. I wish there was televised and publicised tournaments like this when I was younger. I learned early on, like many/ most women that sport wasn’t for me, it was for boys and men. And that’s what I hear in a lot of these comments tbh.

Yabberwok · 27/07/2025 13:22

The women's game could benefit immensely from one alteration. Making the goal smaller. Mary Erups is one of the best positional keepers I've seen in over 50 years of watching football and playing keeper. I watched a show real and she made some difficult saves look easy by being in the right place. But she's been beaten by shots that an average male keeper 4 or 5 inches taller would have saved. Some of the goals in this tournament are poor simply because women on average are shorter than men.
Make the goal smaller would enhance the game... England wouldn't score a penalty but...

Newbutoldfather · 27/07/2025 13:25

@SomethingFun ,

‘The women’s was hugely cheaper - £150 a ticket for the men’s, £25 for the women’s.’

But that 6:1 disparity means most (including women) don’t agree with you!

If women really wanted to watch women’s sport, you would see full stadia and blackmarket tickets at extortionate prices.

Supply and demand, as expressed by price discovery, tells you what people really think, as opposed to what they say, which is often virtue signaling.

Buffypaws · 27/07/2025 13:28

The euros have been sellout matches
there is quite clearly a dedicated fandom

Swiftie1878 · 27/07/2025 13:28

YesImaman1100 · 27/07/2025 11:49

The point being that these are interchangeable / same thing.

All women's football is a lower standard than male equivalent.

Edit: I'd add that the continual barrage of media doesn't help either, being Scottish it's almost as bad as being reminded that England won something 60 years ago.... English media are annoyingly biased and excitable

Edited

They are NOT interchangeable! You can get great quality women’s football, but this tournament has been dreadful.

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