What about the women's world cup?!

[Clarew201]

Hi everyone, I read a couple of threads on the sports bit of Mumsnet and realised I was only reading about men's football. The women's world cup starts on 7th June and it's a really important year for supporting and promoting the game for women and girls. For those that don't know, a bit of history is that the women’s game was huge in the UK between the world wars (crowds of 55,000 with 14,000 waiting outside!), and large numbers of working class factory women playing in teams all over the country over many years - becoming household names and raising lots of money for returned soldiers and mining communities. Then the FA banned women from playing, for 50 years. When the FA finally lifted the ban in the 70s, women players faced horrendous treatment and the game has been struggling to come back ever since.

So it's brilliant that football is having a comeback. Here's where it's on in London londonist.com/london/sport/womens-world-cup-2019-football-where-to-watch-london-screenings

Also wondered how long before men will want in, when the money goes up

Not convinced about that one, me neither. I actually think it is a terrible idea.

Very happy to see The Netherlands go through to the semi finals after a great second half.

And team GB have qualified for the Olympics.

Have watched and enjoyed some matches with DD, v refreshing to see, including the pundits etc. Barnstorming third goal from England in the match with Norway.

She commented that the women are more polite to the referee and seemed more sporting towards each other than the men’s matches she’s seen. She’s been to men’s rugby league a lot and referees are respected there too.

They don’t have girls’ football at her school We had a good chat about that.

Keep meaning to get DH to take the DC to a women’s premier league match.

Hats off to the Lionesses!

Resister, I have long assumed the push will come from players from very poor backgrounds. Boys who are picked up from South America and Africa to train with elite European academies. A very very small percentage will go on to earn unbelievable riches, but the majority will be dropped whilst in their teens.

There is now proper money in women's football, nothing like the men but some of the best women are earning good six figure sums. Choice then. Identify as a woman and earn a decent living, or return to more-or-less nothing. With agents to help argue the case, not dissimilar to what has happened with XY DSD athletes.

Oh dear Needmoresleep, yes it could happen ...

Equally the pressure to accept biological males will come from the US and the incentive of college scholarships.

Either way, unless the sports issue is resolved before the Olympics, I think we could see it really blowing up in football.

Though there should be resistance. It appears that the USA womens home shirt has achieved the biggest ever football shirt sales of any shirt in Nike's history, men or women. The match tonight will have 59,000 attendees, and millions will watch on TV. Oprah and David Beckham are signalling their interest. Real Madrid and Manchester United have just founded women's teams. Money will talk, and transwomen would not generate the same interest.

The semi final tonight. DD is on her way. Trains planes and automobiles. Train cancelled, flight delayed, but she has plenty of time. Then another train, some complicated instructions for her AirBnB and then a metro. She says that her flight is full of England supporters. I found the jingoistic approach of the American supporters during the match against Spain deeply unpleasant. Apparently the French agree and will be supporting us. It should be a good, and interesting match.

Good luck to your dd - I am sure she will there on time despite the flight disruption

FIFA's rules on gender eligibility have a historic context in that they were in origin designed to keep women out of waht was defined as a men's sport.

Also notewrthy is the name of the competition. FIFA's rules are written in French and the title is Coupe du Monde Féminine, not Coupe du Monde des Femmes.

That emphasis on feminity carries through to the rules on gender verification ae based on the observation of secondary sexual characteristics by a panel that must include a gynaecologist.

resources.fifa.com/image/upload/regulations-fifa-gender-verification-1454202.pdf?cloudid=ihf3yx6kw3insqt6r0i6

Women's Ashes Series has started today!

...Poor start by England in the cricket.

The rules use the word gender throughout, and don't define it. And talk about "the gender indicated by the player" and "only women being eligible", but then talk about examining secondary sex characteristics.

Did no one tell Sebb Blatter that women can have penises?

We'll see what Australia can do Mockers. Not that hopeful though

Dd is saying that the English are a distinct minority with Americans everywhere. And that it is very hot.

Here's hoping we win.

I love the live reporting from moresleep s daughter

It looks like football works on the asumption that women don't have willies. Any cluctching of personal valuables in the wall is grounds for suspicion then a trip to see Matron and drop them.

Feeling excited about tonight! I still need to dig out my England shirt that I haven't worn since last year's men's semi-final

How confident are we feeling? The US are great but I do think that if anyone can beat them it could well be us...

Thanks. Even though she is at University its quite a big deal for her to travel on her own to a strange City, so we contnue to get regular updates. It has cooled apparently. The English are giving each other shy grins when they spot each other in a sea of Americans. The baguette bought outside the stadium was huge.

Looking forward to watching the match knowing she is there. She plays herself and has followed womens professional football for a while, so knows the names, at least of the players who play in Europe.

It is so nice for her to be able to watch women play, and know that others take it seriously.

I prefer to see the yanks as innocents abroad. They have no experience of international team sport and so have no idea of the etiquette. That said, some of the MLS crowds look great. They are learning.

So hopng that Neville Jr can exploit their great weakness. They are over-coached and, save for the special annoited 'quarterback' type, they play to a gameplan and lack autonomy on the field.

....and would love to see Jody Taylor come on and get a goal.

Why are they called lionesses? We don’t have lions here. Don’t think we ever have.

*Why are they called lionesses?"

The badge for England is three lions [for the men's teams].

The women's teams are called lionesses.

Three Lions on a shirt:

Richard Coeur de Lion and all that jazz.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD I believe it's because the England national team badge has 3 Lions so the Lionesses are the female version.

Disclaimer, I'm Scottish so could well be wrong, our badge only has the one lion but he's rampant

Yes I can see the lions - but why lions? Why are they lions and not some domestic animal. Like the Welsh (joke).

The Dutch badge also has one lion, and the women are called 'Leeuwinnen' aka lionesses

We even have a Dutch Lion football song.