Radio Discussion On Womens Football.

[Mince n Tatties]

One ex player was stating that it will never take off in a big way in this country,compared to USA and others,because they will never generate the excitement and controversies that the men's game has.
Some Women's Super League attendance's at weekend.
Brighton v West Ham.800
Liverpool v Bristol City 900
Reading v Everton. 616
Man City v Birmingham 1,800
Spurs v Man Utd 1,200

One 2nd tier game at Portsmouth attracted 87.
Will it really catch on,or not as some now think.?

[Russianrob]

Not merely a question of not catching on but could it even have a negative effect.I am a 60 year old Fulham supporter becoming so fed up with the present attempts to make us embrace womens football that maybe I could disown the male team.It is the same with the Gay issue so promoted that I fear the club will one day inform me that I cannot be considered a true supporter as I am not homosexual.Let me state clearly I am a true Cottager!

[love4ffc]

The growth of women's football in the States is still very slow and still faces several challenges.  The average attendance now a days is around 7K.  Obviously, there are some States and teams that do better then others.  That growth would have taken longer or, may never have happened without the success that the USA Women's National team has had in both the World cup and Olympics. 

Until more men except that the women's game is still the beautiful game and forget that it's being played by women, the women's leagues will continue to struggle and face continued challenges. 

[Sting of the North]

Not merely a question of not catching on but could it even have a negative effect.I am a 60 year old Fulham supporter becoming so fed up with the present attempts to make us embrace womens football that maybe I could disown the male team.It is the same with the Gay issue so promoted that I fear the club will one day inform me that I cannot be considered a true supporter as I am not homosexual.Let me state clearly I am a true Cottager!

What specific attempts from the club is bothering you so much? Because I have noticed nothing that takes away from my enjoyment of following Fulham.

[toshes mate]

To be honest, and bearing in mind prices involved, the men's game would struggle to start up in the current climate. Many sports would be in similar danger of falling apart if media money was suddenly stripped away.  However, I do believe there is a problem with expecting women's football to suddenly be comparative to the men's sport given the history of the game and the past refusals to allow women to even play the game etc.  The gates for their games may improve with time and exposure to the attractions of a career in football become more meaningful to young girls.  Give it time.

[love4ffc]

To be honest, and bearing in mind prices involved, the men's game would struggle to start up in the current climate. Many sports would be in similar danger of falling apart if media money was suddenly stripped away.  However, I do believe there is a problem with expecting women's football to suddenly be comparative to the men's sport given the history of the game and the past refusals to allow women to even play the game etc.  The gates for their games may improve with time and exposure to the attractions of a career in football become more meaningful to young girls.  Give it time.

I do wonder what would happen if the Women's English National Team won their world cup or Olympics?  Would it have the same effect it has had on women's league here in the States?  Would the Women's English National Football League see an up tic in growth and fans?  I personally think it would. 

Also, the other thing that has really helped the women's league here in the States was the creation of the American Outlaws fan group.  They organize match day experiences that include pregame get togethers with tickets included.  They also organize major viewing parties for big matches.  That has really helped the women's league to grow in both fans and viewers. 

[toshes mate]

To be honest, and bearing in mind prices involved, the men's game would struggle to start up in the current climate. Many sports would be in similar danger of falling apart if media money was suddenly stripped away.  However, I do believe there is a problem with expecting women's football to suddenly be comparative to the men's sport given the history of the game and the past refusals to allow women to even play the game etc.  The gates for their games may improve with time and exposure to the attractions of a career in football become more meaningful to young girls.  Give it time.

I do wonder what would happen if the Women's English National Team won their world cup or Olympics?  Would it have the same effect it has had on women's league here in the States?  Would the Women's English National Football League see an up tic in growth and fans?  I personally think it would. 

Also, the other thing that has really helped the women's league here in the States was the creation of the American Outlaws fan group.  They organize match day experiences that include pregame get togethers with tickets included.  They also organize major viewing parties for big matches.  That has really helped the women's league to grow in both fans and viewers. 

I do believe the American Outlaws idea works well when a nation is trying to bolster a relatively recent interest in a sport led by achieving a more successful national team.  The US have certainly rightfully claimed ownership of women's world soccer.  In England we have the problem of somewhat declining interest in the men's national team and quite static attendances for most men's football clubs.  Success at any level does seem to work wonders at getting bums on seats.   

[ALG01]

IMO, I quite like the ladies game but it is much less dynamic than the mens and its biggest disadvantage is for obvious reasons it lacks history. In a few years when it has been professional for longer things may change. The ladies game needs a few more stars and characters and something to ignite the imagination.

but in the end it still looks a bity like high quality park football and that will be an issue until the game develops a bit more.

[filham]

I can just about accept women's football but I am really not going out of my way to watch it, there are may better things to attract my attention these days,

Sorry but what I cannot accept is women's boxing and rugby.

[KJS]

 Women's Football bores me to tears!

[cottage expat]

To be honest, and bearing in mind prices involved, the men's game would struggle to start up in the current climate. Many sports would be in similar danger of falling apart if media money was suddenly stripped away.  However, I do believe there is a problem with expecting women's football to suddenly be comparative to the men's sport given the history of the game and the past refusals to allow women to even play the game etc.  The gates for their games may improve with time and exposure to the attractions of a career in football become more meaningful to young girls.  Give it time.

Good points !

[ffcne]

And the women want the same pay as the men.
I did enjoy the World Cup but the BBC are just trying to ram it down your throat
constantly.
BBC embarrassing at Sports Personality .Greatest sporting moment
Womens Netball Team winning a gold medal at Commonwealth Games. 064.gif

[Staffs White]

As someone mentioned previously the biggest issue is women's football lacks the history of the men's game. Most of us have seen highs lows and indifference over many many years, following FFC

Because of the time and emotion we've all invested over the years we have that attachment and a bond with the men's team that most of us just don't have with the women's team.

With the busy lives we all lead I'm not sure most of us have the time to follow both teams as active match going supporters either.

Will it change over the years probably yes, but it's got a long way to go to close the gap to get anywhere near the men's game

[bill taylors apprentice]

Women's football will never achieve mass popularity anywhere close to the men's game for the same reason youth football doesn't.
Its just not good enough and no amount marketing will change that fact.

Of course occasionally everything falls right and you get a cracking game such as some of the recent Women's World Cup games but people weren't queuing to watch youth football after recent England success at various age levels and the ladies game is in the same boat

[Sgt Fulham]

It is really not my cup of tea. The quality is bad and it's shoved down your throat. Women have many good attributes and skills, but playing football is not one of them. We do not need to be the same, but celebrate our differences as they are the reason we made it as a species. There is an audience for womens football, but it will never be mainstream.

[70sPimlico]

Women have many good attributes and skills, but playing football is not one of them.

I'm going to be polite and just call you a dinosaur. Our club has 4 girls teams. Some of the girls coming through are frighteningly good. Give it 4 years and watch the girls coming through.
The FA changed the way youth football was run about ten years ago. It was done on the back of English players not having the sufficient skills to compete at the top level. Our game was dour, long ball with little technique. You may have enjoyed it.

The young exciting gifted players you see now are the direct result of these efforts.

Right now, you have a small band of 11 and 12 year old girls who have as good a technique as the boys they compete with. If you stood on the sidelines at a grass roots game, you would be somewhat shocked and wouldn't make that misguided and lets have it right, downright rude comment

[filham]

It is really not my cup of tea. The quality is bad and it's shoved down your throat. Women have many good attributes and skills, but playing football is not one of them. We do not need to be the same, but celebrate our differences as they are the reason we made it as a species. There is an audience for womens football, but it will never be mainstream.

So right, I am in favour of equal opportunity for women but we must not lose sight of the basic fact that men and women are different and better at different things. To suggest they are equals on a football pitch is ridiculous.

[The Rational Fan]

Women's Football bores me to tears!

If FFC want me to support the women's team more than the men's, they only have to make Big Sam coach of the men's.

[Sgt Fulham]

Women have many good attributes and skills, but playing football is not one of them.

I'm going to be polite and just call you a dinosaur. Our club has 4 girls teams. Some of the girls coming through are frighteningly good. Give it 4 years and watch the girls coming through.
The FA changed the way youth football was run about ten years ago. It was done on the back of English players not having the sufficient skills to compete at the top level. Our game was dour, long ball with little technique. You may have enjoyed it.

The young exciting gifted players you see now are the direct result of these efforts.

Right now, you have a small band of 11 and 12 year old girls who have as good a technique as the boys they compete with. If you stood on the sidelines at a grass roots game, you would be somewhat shocked and wouldn't make that misguided and lets have it right, downright rude comment

You can call me what you want, your response is based on emotion rather than reason. It's clear that I mean that women can't play football well in relation to the standards seen in professional men's football. I'm sure you are aware of the games that prove this quite clearly.

As to your comments about 11 and 12 year olds, I'm glad the girls are good, but that's before puberty. I'm sorry if my facts are rude to you, but that's on you, not me.

[FFC1987]

The best thing woman's football can do is distance itself as far as possible to the men's game and stop pretending they are the same particularly in pay related instances. The more it rebrands itself away from the shadow of the men's game and brand itself as something completely different, in my opinion, a slower but more tactical game at times, with great end to end football exhibited at the World Cup, the better it will become in popularity and in turn, income revenue.

There is a market and an arena for the woman's game, I watched the FA cup and the World Cup but make no mistake, it won't ever compete with the men's game.