Angry men about womens football

[Ontobetterthings]

I was listening to talk radio and there was a very angry man on ranting away about womens football. He was basically saying put it on a different channel. Noone wants to watch, even his wife agrees. He was out of breath he was that mad. I was quite taken aback. Far enough if you dont like it, dont watch. Why on earth he was this upset I dont know! Whats with this disgusting reaction! How weird!!

Amusingly someone has remixed Graham’s moaning into a bona fide dance tune that makes him sound even more stupid. You can find it on TikTok

Who's Graham? Is he the bloke from the radio call?

Why did women not just tell the FA to get stuffed and create their own league?

I know it was different times, but they managed to get the vote. I suppose the Depression and then WW2 got in the way and then getting over the war - but still, it amazes me that the women playing were so meek and just took it.

As for the constant whining by the men that the womens' game isn't as good. Assuming that is true, does it matter? Nobody puts a gun to your head and makes you watch it, and given the absolute dearth of coverage of womens' sport in the mainstream media, it's nice to see some coverage of women doing well at sport, whether or not you are a football fan.

Men are so insecure, aren't they? It also reminds me of the US-led hate for 400m hurdler Femke Bol. Every time she's mentioned a load of people pop up to put her down and say she's not as good as Sydney Mclaughlin. She isn't, but she is amazingly good - 2nd best of all time. Why do they have to put her down? And in the same way, why do men have to put women footballers down? It doesn't affect them!

Why did women not just tell the FA to get stuffed and create their own league?

Women did continue to play but they had to use rugby pitches because the FA would fine any affiliated grounds or officials (e.g. registered referees) that were involved in the women's game. Because of the lack of support from the FA the women's game suffered. The WFA was set up in the 60s and that lead to the FA eventually rescinding the ban.

He is indeed.

I do find it odd that women's football is relentlessly pushed but other women's sport is ignored.

Because they would have had to build their own stadiums rather than use the men's.

‘Why did women not just tell the FA to get stuffed and create their own league?
’
with what money, post war? It’s not just stadia they would have needed but money for pitches to play on or hire, equipment, coaches, trainers, boots, clothes, then who would organise it? Administer it? And with the FA propaganda machine AGAINST them - women still played, just wit mh no one watching .

If you want an example of an equal forum for women competing against men who have gained respect - look at horse racing or any equestrian sport. Female jockeys race amongst male counterparts and they have achieved so much respect doing so. Tell me another sport that does this? I see only equestrian or horse racing.
the problem is with ‘female’ football is that it’s not seeing the best of the best- and that’s what people what to watch.
Female jockeys and female equestrians have lead the way for breaking this barrier and they are just overlooked and under appreciated.
people want to watch the best and if females aren’t as good as male counterparts then who wants to watch that? Be better- like equestrians have done to gain respect.

Maybe like I watch rugby- I like the view and the delicious thighs.

Equestrianism is one of the most ridiculously privileged sports out there, particularly dressage and eventing, and I say that as someone who owns a horse and who's kids used to compete. Top riders are usually the sons and daughters of riders themselves, or very very rich. It is also totally lacking in diversity.

Also let's be honest, it all depends on the horse. Yes there are great riders who can get a good tune out of anything, but there's a reason that top dressage horses sell for millions of pounds.

The most accessible is racing, and that's very much a man's sport

Isn't tennis the only sport where there is parity of pay but it has taken 50 years of campaigning. And there are still people who say the mens game is more exciting to watch.

It's an easy sell because men's football is already so popular.

There’s no doubt that men’s tennis can be more exciting to watch at times, especially since it’s an individual sport and the intensity is often higher. That said, the standard of women’s tennis has improved significantly in recent years, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing a greater variety of players winning major titles, rather than it being dominated by just one person.

I absolutely believe women should receive equal prize money. However, I also think it would be fair for women to play five sets in Grand Slams, just like the men. After all, they’re competing against other women — not men — so there’s no reason the format shouldn’t be the same.

My dad wouldn’t watch it. He’s old school but definitely not misogynistic. Maybe it’s a generational thing.

My dad wouldn't watch it either and my mum finds lesbians repulsive - her words.

My dad loves football but couldn't bring himself to be happy when his granddaughter got onto the women's football talent pathway. He still made sure we all knew it was a stupid waste of time

And that isn't 'old school'. That is pure misogyny.

Before you ask, I dont have much to do with them.

Football has the highest participation rates of any sport for girls and women. Perhaps that is why it is 'pushed'/covered. Lots of girls and women play it, more than any other sport, so perhaps they want to watch it too?

On the whole, it is quite a cheap sport to participate in. It doesn't need special equipment (cheap boots are fine). subs for grassroots clubs are cheap as chips, and you can practise in the park for free and in your own time. Not like gymnastics/tennis/swimming etc.

Well, didn't 18m people watch the final? Which kind of indicates that the man's views are very out of touch. We watched it (dh, ds, me and dd). I don't think it's necessarily a generational thing. My parents, late 70s, both watched it (my dad is very pro equality). Dh's dad didn't watch it, though does like football, and although not generally a misogynist he trotted out a load of tripe perpetuated by.... misogynists. Which dh called him out on.

I think quite a lot of men see football as their last bastion of masculinity and some are quite threatened by the thought that they have nothing exclusively for them any more. It's less about the game itself for them and more about them feeling emasculated, marginalised and out of touch - that's where the venom comes from. It's the same reason the men's game is still plagued by homophobia - just step onto any football thread about Pride week or 'the first openly gay' male footballer and it's patently obvious.

Does your mum know that it's not a prerequisite to be a lesbian?

Just the fact that there are proudly out women is enough for her to rant. It's all she thinks about when women's football in mentioned.

Tennis has parity of prize money at Grand Slams and some other events (Masters level generally) but most tournaments below that still have bigger prize pools for men than for women. To give an example, last week there was a fairly big tournament in Washington that theoretically was the same level of event for both the men and women. The total prize pot for the men was just under $2.4m whilst for the women it was just under $1.3m.

Lucy Bronze played the tournament with a fractured tibia... take from that what you will 😂

"Very highly paid, entitled"

The England men's side donate all fees/bonuses from the playing for England to charity so they essentially are paid nothing for internationals.

"Consistently fail to delvier"

Johanna Konta was once ranked as the 4th best tennis player in the world but didn't win a Grand Slam. Did she 'consistently fail to deliver'?

"Who remembers 6th or even 2nd place"

I think this is a comment that indicates you are definitely not a football fan, because football fans remember plenty of sides who don't win anything. A great example would be the 1982 Brazil side who are generally considered one of the best international teams ever, despite going out in the Quarter Finals.

"That pride is very much missing in the mens team"

Why do they constantly to turn up for England then? They aren't paid to do so, they get criticised for pretty much any result that is less than a 3 goal win, message boards/social media are generally full of comments like yours every time they play, they miss out on several months each year that they could be spending with loved ones and they're more likely to get injured playing extra matches. Given all this you have to wonder why they bother with internationals unless it's due to the pride of playing for England

Oh my god. Honestly the centering of men in this thread.

Ok- men are brilliant at football, they have loads more viewers and everything about mens football is amazing.

Happy now?

Now let's go back to enjoying the absolutely brilliant England women's team.

The mens football players are paid for playing for England. However it is in most cases a lot less than they are paid by their clubs.