Man Utd Women's Team Given Tier Two Status

[Spike]

Or ya know, women could form their own clubs, rather than having the big ol' boys clubs throw them a bone. To be quite honest the USA does women's football right. It's the 'Chicago Red Stars', not the 'Chicago Fire's Women's team'.

[Guest]

A bit of topic but apparently mark Sampson threatened a female referee amoungst other stuff. He really is a cowardly bully. Bet he wouldn't say anything to a man.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

Or ya know, women could form their own clubs, rather than having the big ol' boys clubs throw them a bone. To be quite honest the USA does women's football right. It's the 'Chicago Red Stars', not the 'Chicago Fire's Women's team'.

I think at the moment they need to for financial reasons. Hopefully as more money gets into the women's game they can start to form their own clubs. Women's football popularity has increased a lot in England. But it still has a long way to go. I went to an England women's match in about 2011 and there was about 3000 people there. Against Russia a few months ago there was about 15000 I think. If England host the next euros they will play their games at Wembley which they will probably sell out. They got 55000 for a friendly against Germany. So it has come a long way

[Spike]

6 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

I think at the moment they need to for financial reasons. Hopefully as more money gets into the women's game they can start to form their own clubs. Women's football popularity has increased a lot in England. But it still has a long way to go. I went to an England women's match in about 2011 and there was about 3000 people there. Against Russia a few months ago there was about 15000 I think. If England host the next euros they will play their games at Wembley which they will probably sell out. They got 55000 for a friendly against Germany. So it has come a long way

It's sad they have to leech off the popularity of the men's sport. 

[Happy Blue]

The world has gone to shit!!  ..women should only be allowed out the house to get the kids from school, get more beer from the shop and to work at the strip club! 

[Honey Honey]

8 hours ago, Spike said:

Or ya know, women could form their own clubs, rather than having the big ol' boys clubs throw them a bone. To be quite honest the USA does women's football right. It's the 'Chicago Red Stars', not the 'Chicago Fire's Women's team'.

If they did that then they would have to look to government or lottery funding for the top level facilities like most sports, even the men's game sometimes and certainly historically. Whereas this way an established organisation can provide the start up needs in return for benefits to their brand.

Having seperate team names is pointless for England. Many female spectators have a deep bond to men's clubs, passed down through the generations by community and family. There are great benefits to extending that bond for both those who are potential spectators (to grow the game faster and cheaper) and for young girls who want to share the dream of playing for a particular club name, wearing a particular shirt and its communal meaning locally.

[The Artful Dodger]

12 hours ago, Cannabis said:

Absolutely. 

Until Manchester United have a a team for women, BAME, the disabled, people aged three month all the way up to sixteen, a walking football team, a team for the deaf and blind, a team for albinos, a team for LGBT members and a team for the homeless how can they truly expect to represent the local community?!

You're like a Stewart Lee joke.

[Spike]

You're having a joke if you think a Premier League football club still represents a community.

[DeadLinesman]

Can’t wait for the WSL players to kick off about equal pay in the next 5/10 years.

[Panna King]

The women team got banned for Man Utd at the start because Ryan Giggs was about  

[Stan]

34 minutes ago, DeadLinesman said:

Can’t wait for the WSL players to kick off about equal pay in the next 5/10 years.

Steph Houghton gets £65k/w.

 

How does it work then for male players that get paid less than her...?

 

 

[Guest]

Not related to United but Womens football is completely mistreated. People were happy about the Bundesliga having the first female referee, I wasn't. People were angry a female manager was not allowed to take charge of Santiago Morning, I wasn't. Why? It has nothing to do with me being "sexist" but rather me not believing they have a place in the mens sport because its a "mens sport". Instead of trying to work in our side, why not invest in Womens football and try to get it as popular and as good as mens football? Right now its not very good and not so popular, and if we want to give women a place in the sport, then work on improving their side of the sport. I'm saying this as a full supporter of equality, and I think the best thing to do is to improve the womens game instead of throwing it to a side and giving women a chance in the mens side of the game.

I have nothing against female linesman or anything like that, just first officials and managers because it drives me up the wall that they are doing nothing to not improve their side of the game. With investment it could become just as interesting.

[Stan]

5 minutes ago, Blue said:

Not related to United but Womens football is completely mistreated. People were happy about the Bundesliga having the first female referee, I wasn't. People were angry a female manager was not allowed to take charge of Santiago Morning, I wasn't. Why? It has nothing to do with me being "sexist" but rather me not believing they have a place in the mens sport because its a "mens sport". Instead of trying to work in our side, why not invest in Womens football and try to get it as popular and as good as mens football? Right now its not very good and not so popular, and if we want to give women a place in the sport, then work on improving their side of the sport. I'm saying this as a full supporter of equality, and I think the best thing to do is to improve the womens game instead of throwing it to a side and giving women a chance in the mens side of the game.

I have nothing against female linesman or anything like that, just first officials and managers because it drives me up the wall that they are doing nothing to not improve their side of the game. With investment it could become just as interesting.

 

[Guest]

Just now, Stan said:

 

I don't see whats so funny about that. I support equality and want to see the womens game promoted. Having women in the mens game isn't promoting equality in my eyes.

[nudge+]

6 minutes ago, Blue said:

I have nothing against female linesman or anything like that, just first officials and managers because it drives me up the wall that they are doing nothing to not improve their side of the game. With investment it could become just as interesting.

Don't see any logic here, really. Why would a female linesman be ok but not a female manager or a female referee?  They are looking to have a career at the highest possible level, not to do a much less paid job on some weird idealistic notion of improving "their side of the game"; and if they are good enough, how is it even an issue?

[Stan]

how can you support equality and then say you weren't happy with female officials making it to the top level ?

Also, you clearly haven't done much research. Funding has increased wholesale for the women's game and it is more popular than ever.

https://blog.pitchero.com/the-growth-of-womens-football

Quote

 

Women’s football has evolved massively in the UK and around the world, especially over the last few years; and the figures back that up.

Growing attendance figures, groundbreaking broadcasting deals and a more equalitarian society have raised awareness at the top end of the sport, and participation amongst grassroots teams.

So what are the reasons for this popularity increase? We’ve delved into the factors behind the ever-changing state of women’s football and why the future's looking brighter than ever.

Attendance

In the last couple of years, attendance at women’s football matches has shot up. Fuelled by a spectacular performance by England at the World Cup 2015 in Canada, interest in the national side has never looked stronger.

The FA Women’s Super League has also continued to grow and last year saw a record growth in attendances across the top two divisions. 

According to the FA, last year in WSL 1 the average attendance was up by 5% from 2015. In WSL 2, there was a 30% rise in spectators from 2015. 

Attendances have also risen every year for the FA Cup final, something which has no doubt been aided by the move to England's premier Stadium, Wembley, in 2015: 

2013: 4,988 (held at the Keepmoat stadium Doncaster)

2014: 15,098 (Stadium MK Milton Keynes)

2015: 30,710 (Wembley)

2016: 32,912 (Wembley)

2017: 35,271 (Wembley)

Just short of 5,000 fans watched Manchester City beat Chelsea at the Academy Stadium to secure the 2016 league title, which is just short of the average attendance in League Two.

These developments are massive for women’s football and have no doubt contributed in the growing participation figues in grassroots (more on that later). 

Social media

Professional footballer’s social media accounts differ to male footballers in the sheer volume of followers, but the social media presence of women’s major footballers is becoming increasingly more prominent. 

England captain and Manchester City legend, Steph Houghton, for example, has over 87k followers on twitter and made her first Sky Sports appearance as a pundit recently.

 

Loved my first experience as a #SkySports pundit! Thank you @SimonThomasSky + Niall Quinn for making it easy + for all your messages! 📺⚽️ pic.twitter.com/3a0OpSyQCP

 — Steph Houghton MBE (@stephhoughton2) May 16, 2017

Arsenal captain Alex Scott also attracts a similar following with 79k twitter followers - a figure that will likely see continued growth.

Google searches for the game have also increased over the last few years. For example, search results for “Women's FA Cup final” followed by the appropriate year, have almost doubled in only a couple of years.

More people are making noises about women's football and the media are reacting by offering more coverage of major games.

2015: 6,400,000 search results

2016: 9,200,000 search results

2017: 11,200,000 search results


Campaigns and Funding

One of the main contributing factors pointing women’s football in the right direction is the FA.

Since the 1900s, the FA has helped to develop the women’s game, moving beyond merely a "female version" of a tradionally male dominated sport. Attitudes towards female participation in the beautiful game are better than ever. 

Their latest campaign, ‘The Gameplan for Growth,’ shows plans to double women’s participation by 2020. It’s also set the target of increasing the number of affiliated girls’ and women’s teams from 6,000 to 12,000. 

At the launch of the new strategy, The FA’s head of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell, outlined the vision on how to build consensus, collaboration and coordination across every level of the game.

She’s keen to focus on a host of different things: enhancing the profile and value of the England team, and improving commercial prospects in women’s football.

Campbell hopes by addressing and enhacning these points that social barriers will continue to be overcome regarding grassroots participation. Plus, for those who do make it to the top, support and financial gains allow more players to enjoy long and fruitful careers.

New signings

More eyes on the game and more money invested into pro teams brings with it some exciting transfer deals that we associate with the top of the men's game. A recent example saw Manchester City sign Fifa World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd on a short-term deal.

Despite women’s football being arguably the most desirable sport in the USA, Lloyd believes the FA Women's Super League is the next big thing for the game - a big reason as to why she’s signed for Man City. 

Lloyd, who captains the USA, became the third American player to move to an English club in recent months, after Chelsea and Arsenal both signed players from across the pond.

Confidence 

The BBC recently reported research that shows links between football and self-confidence.

As mentioned, one of Sue Campbell’s main aims for women’s football is to change the way the game is perceived by some women and girls. She believes girls feel they’re going to be judged for playing a 'male' orientated sport - something which might put them off.

However, 80% of girls that are involved in football said that playing made them feel more confident and 58% said they had overcome a lack of self-confidence as a result of playing football.

For those wishing to emphasise the importance of getting girls involved in football and the positive impact it can have growing up, the study offers significant ammunition.

Reiterating the point of the FA, If these social barriers are broken down and more girls are playing at grassroots level, the sport is only going to get more popular and the goal of making women's football number 1 in Europe will become a reality.

Participation

At the end of last year, record figures were revealed for participation in women’s sport. According to theActive People Survey, the number of participants increased by 250,000 since 2014.

Football in particular saw a signifncant increase. The amount of girls and women playing football week-on-week rose by 29,900 to 1.84 million. A great result and one that will no doubt continue to get higher by the end of this year.

'The Gameplan for Growth' campaign will hope to have a further positive impact on these figures. 


Media coverage 

There have recently been reports of a ‘transformation in women’s coverage.' The BBC’s head of sport,Barbara Slater joined the broadcasting team 10 years after women were allowed to play on official football pitches.

She believes the differences in the interest to broadcast women's football between now and when she first started are incredible. 

For evidence, look to Channel 4's recent purchase of the rights to this summer's Women's European Championships. Competition had been high, with the BBC describing is a "blow" to lose out on the deal.

Channel 4 are thought to be "thrilled" about securing the rights. A great result for women’s football and with England in with a serious shout of taking home the trophy, it’s set to be an exciting summer for women’s sport. 

The BBC haven't missed out fully though, they recently won a bid to broadcast the 2019 Women’s World Cup. After the UK audience for Women’s World Cup more than doubled from 5.1 million in 2011 to 12.4 million in 2015, it’s exciting to think what could happen in the next few years. 

With these factors playing a huge part in the growth of the women’s game, being a professional footballer is now becoming a desirable career path and a great platform to inspire young girls to get involved in football.

There’s still a long way to go and it’s questionable whether women’s football can reach the level of men’s in the near future. But one thing you can be certain of is that the game is in a great place and it'll continue to stay that way for a long time to come.

 

 

[Guest]

Just now, nudge said:

Don't see any logic here, really. Why would a female linesman be ok but not a female manager or a female referee?  They are looking to have a career at the highest possible level, not to do a much less paid job on some weird idealistic notion of improving "their side of the game"; and if they are good enough, how is it even an issue?

I see female linesman in Peruvian games all the time, and while a very hard job, it isn't the highest notion.

As for the bolded point, you do make a good point in terms of pay, and I'll get to the female managers in a second as I do have an argument for that but its a common thought to think that Women aren't in to football as much as men. A percentage of people doesn't mean everyone, and of course there are girls who do like the sport. Why doesn't anyone try to improve the womens game though? Why do we have to fully focus on the mens game just because its "better". FIFA has put no effort in trying to improve their side of the game and I put that down to Blatter who has shown so much disrespect to women in his spell at FIFA. If we want the community to be completely "equal" then adding female referees or managers isn't the way to change that in the community. Improving the female game is, at least in my own view as I know not everyone will agree with that. I'm not saying women can't follow mens football either, I'm just saying I'd rather the ones who actually want to work in that part of the mens game, they should work on their side instead and that's not all their fault. How could we say we are equal if the only important part of football is on the mens side? Actually, I follow womens footy in Peru and they don't even have doctors or ambulances for the game and in countless interviews I've done, they all said that they just want some support.

Now as for female managers in the mens game, Santiago Morning was to hire one but the players didn't accept it. Everyone made a fuss about this how they were beings sexist, but I actually agreed with them. For starters, there is a women in the mens changing room. That's already a problem. Secondly, footballers are stupid and when there is a women as manager, they may think they are superior because some people think that men are the superior side. Its a weak mentality, but footballers can be like that and its an all around risk. Its like having a team full of veterans and having a 22 year old manager. Male managers struggle with team control in general a lot of the time too.

Sorry for Sirbalon'ing, but I do believe in terms of equality, we have to improve the womens game first as that's a part in which FIFA has shown so much disrespect towards. Blatter laughing off that part of the game by saying "they should play in bikini's". Laughable.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Stan said:

how can you support equality and then say you weren't happy with female officials making it to the top level ?

Also, you clearly haven't done much research. Funding has increased wholesale for the women's game and it is more popular than ever.

https://blog.pitchero.com/the-growth-of-womens-football

 

It is popular in some countries. Australia is the first that comes to mind, I think the USA to an extent too. In places like South America though, outside of Colombia and Venezuela there is little support.

[DeadLinesman]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

Steph Houghton gets £65k/w.

 

How does it work then for male players that get paid less than her...?

 

 

Disgraceful. I’m writing a strongly worded letter to my MP.

[Happy Blue]

31 minutes ago, nudge said:

Don't see any logic here, really. Why would a female linesman be ok but not a female manager or a female referee?  They are looking to have a career at the highest possible level, not to do a much less paid job on some weird idealistic notion of improving "their side of the game"; and if they are good enough, how is it even an issue?

I agree with this  ..would love to see a large breasted female ref with a painted on kit running around a football field 

[nudge+]

1 minute ago, Blue said:

I see female linesman in Peruvian games all the time, and while a very hard job, it isn't the highest notion.

As for the bolded point, you do make a good point in terms of pay, and I'll get to the female managers in a second as I do have an argument for that but its a common thought to think that Women aren't in to football as much as men. A percentage of people doesn't mean everyone, and of course there are girls who do like the sport. Why doesn't anyone try to improve the womens game though? Why do we have to fully focus on the mens game just because its "better". FIFA has put no effort in trying to improve their side of the game and I put that down to Blatter who has shown so much disrespect to women in his spell at FIFA. If we want the community to be completely "equal" then adding female referees or managers isn't the way to change that in the community. Improving the female game is, at least in my own view as I know not everyone will agree with that. I'm not saying women can't follow mens football either, I'm just saying I'd rather the ones who actually want to work in that part of the mens game, they should work on their side instead and that's not all their fault. How could we say we are equal if the only important part of football is on the mens side? Actually, I follow womens footy in Peru and they don't even have doctors or ambulances for the game and in countless interviews I've done, they all said that they just want some support.

Now as for female managers in the mens game, Santiago Morning was to hire one but the players didn't accept it. Everyone made a fuss about this how they were beings sexist, but I actually agreed with them. For starters, there is a women in the mens changing room. That's already a problem. Secondly, footballers are stupid and when there is a women as manager, they may think they are superior because some people think that men are the superior side. Its a weak mentality, but footballers can be like that and its an all around risk. Its like having a team full of veterans and having a 22 year old manager. Male managers struggle with team control in general a lot of the time too.

Sorry for Sirbalon'ing, but I do believe in terms of equality, we have to improve the womens game first as that's a part in which FIFA has shown so much disrespect towards. Blatter laughing off that part of the game by saying "they should play in bikini's". Laughable.

I don't get why you are saying that nobody is trying to improve the women's game; it might be true for Peru or for many other countries I'm sure, but then in quite a few others, women's football has underwent (and is still undergoing) serious improvements in the last decade or so, from the grassroots levels up to the professional tiers. There are plenty of men AND women working on that as coaches, officials, managers, scouts, marketing and commercial officers, etc. It has taken its own path, it's gaining more interest and is developing further in terms of accessibility, quality and professionalism, so let them do it. If there's no ambulance and doctors and stuff in women matches in Peru, then you have a serious infrastructure problem, but don't assume it's the same in other countries - and there's absolutely no way you'd help improve it by forbidding certain talented female individuals to have a career in men's game, that just doesn't make any sense. There's no need to compare men's game to women's game in general, there's no need to make them "equal" because they're not and there's nothing wrong with it, but there's definitely no equality whatsoever in preventing someone from doing a job they are well capable of just because you think "we should improve women's fame first".

By the way, I fully agree on female managers not being a good idea in men's game for plenty of reasons, that has nothing to do with equality though. If there are no obstacles for a female to do her job well in whatever position (linesman, referee, coach, scout, director, whatever) in men's game, I don't see why she should be not allowed to do it, given that it's not just filling some bullshit equality quotas in the first place.

[nudge+]

15 minutes ago, Happy Blue said:

I agree with this  ..would love to see a large breasted female ref with a painted on kit running around a football field 

 

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, nudge said:

I don't get why you are saying that nobody is trying to improve the women's game; it might be true for Peru or for many other countries I'm sure, but then in quite a few others, women's football has underwent (and is still undergoing) serious improvements in the last decade or so, from the grassroots levels up to the professional tiers. There are plenty of men AND women working on that as coaches, officials, managers, scouts, marketing and commercial officers, etc. It has taken its own path, it's gaining more interest and is developing further in terms of accessibility, quality and professionalism, so let them do it. If there's no ambulance and doctors and stuff in women matches in Peru, then you have a serious infrastructure problem, but don't assume it's the same in other countries - and there's absolutely no way you'd help improve it by forbidding certain talented female individuals to have a career in men's game, that just doesn't make any sense. There's no need to compare men's game to women's game in general, there's no need to make them "equal" because they're not and there's nothing wrong with it, but there's definitely no equality whatsoever in preventing someone from doing a job they are well capable of just because you think "we should improve women's fame first".

By the way, I fully agree on female managers not being a good idea in men's game for plenty of reasons, that has nothing to do with equality though. If there are no obstacles for a female to do her job well in whatever position (linesman, referee, coach, scout, director, whatever) in men's game, I don't see why she should be not allowed to do it, given that it's not just filling some bullshit equality quotas in the first place.

Fair enough, actually I don't mind female coaches or scouts at all as there is absolutely no obstacles in that but as managers I don't think its a good idea.

[ScoRoss]

On 10/04/2018 at 14:05, Stan said:

Steph Houghton gets £65k/w.

 

How does it work then for male players that get paid less than her...?

 

 

*£65k per year.

[ScoRoss]

Seems some teams have no problem with a female manager. It just seems some people don't like change.