Women’s football - am I sexist?

[Neil Dongcaster]

Obviously quite a lot of coverage just now due to the 10 nil win. 
 

I find the coverage more of an annoyance when it comes on sky sports news or when I click an article on bbc sport and realise it’s women’s football.

 

I have absolutely no interest at all. I wish bbc sports had a desperate women’s football section.

 

I tell myself it’s the same as me having no interest in rugby or cricket but I’m not sure that argument stacks up as it’s the same sport as my absolute passion. Am I sexist?

[Turkishcap]

Maybe a bit old fashioned things are a changing. However it bugs me wf gets more news coverage now than ice hockey (GB) been in pool A and you hear nowt. So maybe I'm the same.

[Fitzroy Pointon]

Although it's the same game, it's so far from the same and that's why I have no interest in it. The quality is really poor, absolutely terrible at times and I have no idea what they do in training with the goalkeepers. 

 

I think its great there is more female guests and summarisers on Sky Sports, MOTD, Sportscene etc. But no matter how much female football they put on the telly, I still won't watch it. I rarely watch any sport that isn't male football. 

[The Kdogg]

You’re not sexist. It’s a sub standard product to the men’s game. Always will be. Men and woman aren’t the same biologically so that makes sense. Equality for woman means football players wages and seats in boardrooms. It doesn’t mean fairness in divorce courts, custody hearings, suicides or front line soldiering. If I was a man who was alright at football, I’d just identify as a woman and play in the woman’s game. You’d be the best player in the world probably. All legit of course, you wouldn’t want to be transphobic as well 😉

[fraser5670]

Depends! Do you watch any men’s football whenever it’s on, or do you largely watch teams you have an interest in. If the only reason you don’t like it is because it’s played by women, then yes I would say that is sexist. From my perspective, I like to watch football matches, but am not as invested in the game as much if it’s not my teams, or it’s a cracking match, big final etc. If the match is poor I lose interest, regardless of who is playing it (unless it’s hearts or Scotland- then I’m invested and watching even if it’s dire). 

[BackOfTheNet]

9 minutes ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Obviously quite a lot of coverage just now due to the 10 nil win. 
 

I find the coverage more of an annoyance when it comes on sky sports news or when I click an article on bbc sport and realise it’s women’s football.

 

I have absolutely no interest at all. I wish bbc sports had a desperate women’s football section.

 

I tell myself it’s the same as me having no interest in rugby or cricket but I’m not sure that argument stacks up as it’s the same sport as my absolute passion. Am I sexist?

You’ve answered your own question really. Yes. If it was a disinterest in the sport, like you say Rugby, that’s perfectly understandable. I tend to watch women’s football major tournaments when they’re on, just like I used to watch the 5/6 nations. I don’t even watch Rugby at all now. But I watch women’s football as much as I do golf I think. Golf is far more enjoyable to play than watch in my opinion, but if it’s a major tournament and it’s the final 9 holes and the leaderboard isn’t all but concluded I’ll watch. I have the same reasons for watching women’s football major tournaments.

 

The thing about women’s football is there’s far less playing the game than the men’s. It’s something that only in recent years has been given credence, both within football and society. Some of the bigger stumbling blocks it’s had is people telling girls they shouldn’t/can’t play football. Not just from boys/men but often peer pressure from girls or their own mothers and family saying it’s not something girls do. So it’s going to take a lot of time for them to reach a standard that’s, for lack of better term, acceptable for many football fans - but I’m happy enough that it’s being encouraged. I still have the choice whether I watch it or not, and for the most part won’t, but that’s more to do with the standard it’s currently at. (I don’t watch non-league English football on BT for the same reason)

 

What you’re suggesting/saying is that your problem isn’t with the standard or watch ability of the sport, but that it’s women playing what you perceive to be a man’s game. So yeah, that viewpoint would be sexist.

[AlimOzturk]

It might be the same sport with the same rules but in reality men and women are playing a completely different game.

 

Honestly feel like the football pitches and goals should be adapted so women can have a fairer playing field as they are trying to play a game that was invented by men for men. This makes their game look sub standard as they simply cant do the things men can. The less said about women goalkeepers the better.

 

Smaller goals/pitches and maybe a shorter game period (80 mins?) would maybe help bring the womens game progress. Womens tennis knows the score in this regard.

[Neil Dongcaster]

7 minutes ago, BackOfTheNet said:

You’ve answered your own question really. Yes. If it was a disinterest in the sport, like you say Rugby, that’s perfectly understandable. I tend to watch women’s football major tournaments when they’re on, just like I used to watch the 5/6 nations. I don’t even watch Rugby at all now. But I watch women’s football as much as I do golf I think. Golf is far more enjoyable to play than watch in my opinion, but if it’s a major tournament and it’s the final 9 holes and the leaderboard isn’t all but concluded I’ll watch. I have the same reasons for watching women’s football major tournaments.

 

The thing about women’s football is there’s far less playing the game than the men’s. It’s something that only in recent years has been given credence, both within football and society. Some of the bigger stumbling blocks it’s had is people telling girls they shouldn’t/can’t play football. Not just from boys/men but often peer pressure from girls or their own mothers and family saying it’s not something girls do. So it’s going to take a lot of time for them to reach a standard that’s, for lack of better term, acceptable for many football fans - but I’m happy enough that it’s being encouraged. I still have the choice whether I watch it or not, and for the most part won’t, but that’s more to do with the standard it’s currently at. (I don’t watch non-league English football on BT for the same reason)

 

What you’re suggesting/saying is that your problem isn’t with the standard or watch ability of the sport, but that it’s women playing what you perceive to be a man’s game. So yeah, that viewpoint would be sexist.

I understand your point. The thing that makes me question is that I don’t wish women’s football any harm. I believe they should be given a platform to play. I’m just not interested in reading about it or watching it. 

[Nookie Bear]

9 minutes ago, The Kdogg said:

You’re not sexist. It’s a sub standard product to the men’s game. Always will be. Men and woman aren’t the same biologically so that makes sense. Equality for woman means football players wages and seats in boardrooms. It doesn’t mean fairness in divorce courts, custody hearings, suicides or front line soldiering. If I was a man who was alright at football, I’d just identify as a woman and play in the woman’s game. You’d be the best player in the world probably. All legit of course, you wouldn’t want to be transphobic as well 😉

There are problems in US athletics where transgender athletes are competing in the women’s college events and dominating them. This in turn denies many women the chance to trial for the national team. 
 

Surprised it has not happened in football yet but I am sure it will. 

[Ethan Hunt]

Women’s football is ok until anybody has a pop at goal, the standard of goalkeeping is farcical and makes the game look Mickey Mouse.

[Neil Dongcaster]

1 minute ago, Ethan Hunt said:

Women’s football is ok until anybody has a pop at goal, the standard of goalkeeping is farcical and makes the game look Mickey Mouse.

I think it could be ok in a masters type format as some of the female players are technically quite good.

[1971fozzy]

I have zero interest in it , zilch , not even the slightest. I have no problem with it at all (to be clear) and think it’s great that it’s on the up and that girls and women are playing . It’s just I can’t even begin to watch it.

 

I just put it down to the fact I’m nearly 50 and a dinosaur.  

 

[ƒιѕнρℓαρѕ]

 

3 minutes ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

I understand your point. The thing that makes me question is that I don’t wish women’s football any harm. I believe they should be given a platform to play. I’m just not interested in reading about it or watching it. 

I dont agree with him, sounds to me like you have no interest because it's shit rather than not having respect for women. 

 

I'm not into under 14s football, do I hate kids or does it just not scratch the same itch?

[Seymour M Hersh]

I wouldn't pay to go and watch it and I don't watch it on TV.  I'm 100% behind them playing the game (any game in fact) but for me the football is just rubbish.  In all honesty I enjoy woman's professional golf just as much men's golf and used to prefer woman's tennis to the men's game until all the shrieking and grunting cam into it. 

[1971fozzy]

4 minutes ago, Ethan Hunt said:

Women’s football is ok until anybody has a pop at goal, the standard of goalkeeping is farcical and makes the game look Mickey Mouse.

like when we had the hologram in goal last season 🤣🤣🤣. 

In all seriousness though the odd game I did watch with women I agree 100%. It was comedy and farcical. I couldnt watch any more it was making me laugh and that didn’t sit well

[S Form]

3 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

It might be the same sport with the same rules but in reality men and women are playing a completely different game.

 

Honestly feel like the football pitches and goals should be adapted so women can have a fairer playing field as they are trying to play a game that was invented by men for men. This makes their game look sub standard as they simply cant do the things men can. The less said about women goalkeepers the better.

 

Smaller goals/pitches and maybe a shorter game period (80 mins?) would maybe help bring the womens game progress. Womens tennis knows the score in this regard.

You’re right, it is a different game and women play football differently - there’s less emphasis on strength and brute force. It is in its infancy to some extent and that’s perhaps the reason for so many poor goalies - like in the men’s game no one wants to play in goals so there’s a much smaller pool of keepers to choose from!

BTW there’s a theory that, rather than women playing on smaller pitches, men should be playing on larger ones. That’s because in general men are a lot bigger than when the game’s rules were established back in the 1800s.

[Neil Dongcaster]

Some prospective

 

 

[BackOfTheNet]

6 minutes ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

I understand your point. The thing that makes me question is that I don’t wish women’s football any harm. I believe they should be given a platform to play. I’m just not interested in reading about it or watching it. 

Well then that comes under the category of it being a sport that you don’t like. File it under ultimate frisbee, croquet or table tennis. Just because you’re passionate about a sport doesn’t mean you must be passionate about all games. Do you watch random non-League English games? If not then you’re simply not watching it because of the standard of play, so the same goes for women’s football. If, however you watch all football that is on tv regardless of level but refuse to watch it as it’s women then that would be sexist. Doesn’t sound from what you’re saying now that it’s the case though.

[BackOfTheNet]

10 minutes ago, Smithee said:

 

I dont agree with him, sounds to me like you have no interest because it's shit rather than not having respect for women. 

 

I'm not into under 14s football, do I hate kids or does it just not scratch the same itch?

From his initial post he was highlighting that it was different from treating it like just another sport he wasn’t interested in, which made me believe that then his sole factor was who was playing. But his follow up post seems to clarify that it’s more with the standard. Which I’ve acknowledged in my latest post.

[Penrices left boot]

Having an opinion on  the quality  isn’t sexist. 

 

If you think they shouldn't be allowed to play or allowed to be professional then that is probably sexist. 

 

Saying it's shite and you have no interest is just that. 

Tbh, if I was a different nationality I would have no interest in Scottish football, it's shite and boring compared to other leagues. Wouldn't mean I hate Scotland, in fact I have no interest in most other leagues, I'm not racist or xenophobic tho. 

 

I personally enjoyed watching the women's wc and would watch the major tournaments again. 

[S Form]

16 minutes ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

I wouldn't pay to go and watch it and I don't watch it on TV.  I'm 100% behind them playing the game (any game in fact) but for me the football is just rubbish.  In all honesty I enjoy woman's professional golf just as much men's golf and used to prefer woman's tennis to the men's game until all the shrieking and grunting cam into it. 

You’re point re tennis is a good one - in that sport the men’s and women’s games are completely different, but each has its strong points. People just need to get their heads around the fact that it’s exactly the same in football.

[The Treasurer]

The quality of the football doesn't directly relate to the excitement of the game. Some non league games are much better to watch than some Premier or CL matches, in terms of excitement and incident, same goes for the women's games 

[Des Lynam]

53 minutes ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Obviously quite a lot of coverage just now due to the 10 nil win. 
 

I find the coverage more of an annoyance when it comes on sky sports news or when I click an article on bbc sport and realise it’s women’s football.

 

I have absolutely no interest at all. I wish bbc sports had a desperate women’s football section.

 

I tell myself it’s the same as me having no interest in rugby or cricket but I’m not sure that argument stacks up as it’s the same sport as my absolute passion. Am I sexist?

They need to just keep growing their game. The talk about how they should instantly get paid the same as men’s football is laughable but not surprising the Gary Lineker’s of this world jump on that bandwagon. 
 

Must admit I find it irritating that they’ve mixed it in with the football section on the BBC website. 
 

You’re not being sexist but just honest. 

[AlimOzturk]

Just now, The Treasurer said:

The quality of the football doesn't directly relate to the excitement of the game. Some non league games are much better to watch than some Premier or CL matches, in terms of excitement and incident, same goes for the women's games 

 

Just now, The Treasurer said:

The quality of the football doesn't directly relate to the excitement of the game. Some non league games are much better to watch than some Premier or CL matches, in terms of excitement and incident, same goes for the women's games  

 

You will find non league and even a lot of Amateur men games will be a lot higher quality than womens matches.

[part_time_jambo]

1 hour ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Obviously quite a lot of coverage just now due to the 10 nil win. 
 

I find the coverage more of an annoyance when it comes on sky sports news or when I click an article on bbc sport and realise it’s women’s football.

 

I have absolutely no interest at all. I wish bbc sports had a desperate women’s football section.

 

I tell myself it’s the same as me having no interest in rugby or cricket but I’m not sure that argument stacks up as it’s the same sport as my absolute passion. Am I sexist?

I know what you mean, I feel the same. Womens football articles should always be beneath a big headline making it clear that it is women's football to save us accidently opening it.

[Penrices left boot]

7 minutes ago, S Form said:

You’re point re tennis is a good one - in that sport the men’s and women’s games are completely different, but each has its strong points. People just need to get their heads around the fact that it’s exactly the same in football.

 

Most sports are separated. 

 

In regards to tennis, I don't watch the  womens tennis, the men's is generally far better with better games. 

 

Women get the same money in tennis as well so giving the sets to win a match  actually get paid more which is a different debate, in tennis why don't they play to the best of 5?

 

In women's rugby or football they don't play a third less time, it's a strange one that imo, if anything makes it less exciting as well. 

 

 

[Penrices left boot]

2 minutes ago, The Treasurer said:

The quality of the football doesn't directly relate to the excitement of the game. Some non league games are much better to watch than some Premier or CL matches, in terms of excitement and incident, same goes for the women's games 

 

100%.

 

[AlimOzturk]

And this equal pay argument boils my piss. If that is what women want then merge the sports and don't have gender as a barrier.

[otterjohn]

Its not sexist at all.Its rubbish and thats an opinion on womens football not women in general.Im sick of the amount of female presenters.Some of the men are bad enough but now because of equality issues we have to listen to people who have no idea about the sport.Mens football and Womens football are different sports.Unless free tickets are on offer theres no real appetite for it.

9 minutes ago, S Form said:

You’re point re tennis is a good one - in that sport the men’s and women’s games are completely different, but each has its strong points. People just need to get their heads around the fact that it’s exactly the same in football.

 

[The Kdogg]

29 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

There are problems in US athletics where transgender athletes are competing in the women’s college events and dominating them. This in turn denies many women the chance to trial for the national team. 
 

Surprised it has not happened in football yet but I am sure it will. 

I’ve seen that. Wrestling is a particularly hard watch. But it’s happening in athletics, weightlifting and handball. There’s a male comedian called Zuby, identified as a woman for a while and broke a few women’s world records, just to show how ridiculous it is.   Pretty disgraceful it’s allowed to happen to be honest. But you can’t get in the way of the woke mob or you’ll be cancelled 🤦‍♂️. There was a transgender MMA fighter, male to female, fought five times, ragdolled the first four opponents then got beat up by a real woman. Fallon Fox was her name I think. Bonkers stuff really. 

[Penrices left boot]

2 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

 

 

You will find non league and even a lot of Amateur men games will be a lot higher quality than womens matches.

 

That's exactly the opposite of the point he was making. 

 

Quality doesn't equal excitement. 

 

 

[Bainy]

27 minutes ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

I wouldn't pay to go and watch it and I don't watch it on TV.  I'm 100% behind them playing the game (any game in fact) but for me the football is just rubbish.  In all honesty I enjoy woman's professional golf just as much men's golf and used to prefer woman's tennis to the men's game until all the shrieking and grunting cam into it. 

Agree on that, while they don't have the power the men do, the courses are adapted to allow it to be withing a women's reach and their short game around the greens is incredible.  

 

I do feel they are trying to play on a men's pitch with goals designed for tall male goalkeepers. As stated any attempt on goal is almost always a goal dye to the size if them the keepers just look stupid. All for them playing the game but its not watchable for me personally. 

[Batistuta87]

It's just not as good. Remember Man Utd's women's team getting pumped 9-0 by Salford City's U16's not long ago. 

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Batistuta87

[The Kdogg]

 

2 minutes ago, Batistuta87 said:

It's just not as good. Remember Man Utd's women's team getting pumped 9-0 by Salford City's U18's not long ago. 

 

Did the American woman’s World Cup winners not get beaten by an under 18 male team?

[Batistuta87]

2 minutes ago, The Kdogg said:

 

Did the American woman’s World Cup winners not get beaten by an under 18 male team?

Maybe! Wouldn't surprise me to be honest.

[The Fonz]

Thought it was bizarre when the Chelsea women's manager was being linked with the MK Dons men's job and dismissed it as being insulting. It was either her or one of the SSN pundits that said "you don't see Klopp or Mourinho being linked with MK Dons".

 

MK Dons u18's would be a step up from Chelsea women's if we're being honest. 

 

No issue or interest in the women's game, but to pretend it's remotely comparable to the men's game is just delusional. 

[Gordon Ramsay]

It's absolutely shocking, embarrassingly bad. 

[160598]

I watched the womens world cup and it was ****ing excellent

[gregzy2k7]

I like to watch women play tennis and netball, Love watching Womens ufc, I even really enjoy watchjng women olympic athletes competing in olympics or commonwealth etc however when it comes to womens football i just find it really poor quality and I can't get excited about it at all. I mean some of their scores are ridiculous im sure the hearts ladies team won 24-0 against someone, It was embarrising to watch.

[Shooter McGavin]

I’ll never be convinced that woman's football is high-quality.

 

Utter dog s*** every-time I’ve seen it, don’t care how hard people try to promote it.

[Fort Vallance]

1 hour ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Obviously quite a lot of coverage just now due to the 10 nil win. 
 

I find the coverage more of an annoyance when it comes on sky sports news or when I click an article on bbc sport and realise it’s women’s football.

 

I have absolutely no interest at all. I wish bbc sports had a desperate women’s football section.

 

I tell myself it’s the same as me having no interest in rugby or cricket but I’m not sure that argument stacks up as it’s the same sport as my absolute passion. Am I sexist?

Your last paragraph sums up exactly where I am. If it was sexist I would laugh at it, which I don't. I love football and cricket and wish the news loop would speed past rugby, women's football and NFL. Most people on here would speed past the cricket ! Not sexist, just selfish. Having said all that some of the goalkeeping in the women's game is entertaining. I suppose that's sexist.

[portobellojambo1]

Do I have a problem with women's football being on TV, or reported on the BBC Sport website, absolutely not, it is an option to either watch or read about, but only an option, it isn't compulsory.

 

There are enough channels on people's TV's to find many alternatives to watching it, and when you go onto the BBC website each article has a heading, and you have freedom to choose what you want to read about. Should it be ignored by all because it is women's football, absolutely not, but again the options to not watch it or read about it are easy options to select. And I'm sure there is an audience out there who it interests. Over the last near enough 12 months there has been a lot of men's football shown on the TV, and all the way up to the EPL some of the stuff on show has been pretty pish. Back in the days of 4 TV channels that would have been a problem, now when the number of channels runs into hundreds you will always find something worth watching on TV, not necessarily football.

[shona77]

1 hour ago, Ethan Hunt said:

Women’s football is ok until anybody has a pop at goal, the standard of goalkeeping is farcical and makes the game look Mickey Mouse.

Don't really watch women's football but the goalies always struggle with high balls/lobs. Seems mental for men & women to play in the same size goal.

Don't reckon there are any top male goalies under 6 ft.

Would surely be an easy adjustment to make and would improve it 🤷‍♀️

[ToadKiller Dog]

To dislike womans football because its woman and to call out woman as unable to play football the right way because they are not men ,(which I don't think the OP is saying )to me would could only point to a bit of misogynistic reasoning . 

 

To not have an interest in the womans game just cause it doesn't catch your enthusiasm I can't see how that's sexist.

 

Is the womans  game over promoted by the BBC maybe but I guess that's one of the roles of the BBC, it doesn't really bother me ,personally think some of the female match reporters on sportsound are a better listen than that squeaky voiced lead match commentator nor do they have the bias .

 

The womans game is different it' has  it's place in sports and is only going to grow until it reaches its level ,public interest as with most sports will depend on success ,look at curling the nation becomes curling fanatics come the winter Olympics. 

To compare the women's game with the mens just creates an unneeded artificial conflict, there is plenty space for the women's game .

 

I'm glad Hearts has it's women's teams ,I don't live in Edinburgh so I doubt I would travel regularly to see them play like I do as a ST holder for the men's, bigger cup games I would consider. 

 

 

[Des Lynam]

59 minutes ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Some prospective

 

 

 

 

 

In fairness the third goal is great control. 

[John Findlay]

1 hour ago, Neil Dongcaster said:

Some prospective

 

 

Heaven forbid that a man's team should beat another men's team 10-0.

[S Form]

36 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

Most sports are separated. 

 

In regards to tennis, I don't watch the  womens tennis, the men's is generally far better with better games. 

 

Women get the same money in tennis as well so giving the sets to win a match  actually get paid more which is a different debate, in tennis why don't they play to the best of 5?

 

In women's rugby or football they don't play a third less time, it's a strange one that imo, if anything makes it less exciting as well. 

 

 

The games are different - that’s the point. But some people prefer watching women’s tennis (like you, I prefer men’s). The length/money argument is a different topic. 

[AlimOzturk]

32 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

That's exactly the opposite of the point he was making. 

 

Quality doesn't equal excitement. 

 

 

 

It really depends on how bad the quality gets. I watch Sunday league football but only because mates are playing and it is a laugh to watch with other mates before the pub.  The actual quality is more comedy than excitement.

 

Women's football is no better than Sunday league just without the mates and pub afterwards.

 

 

[Neil Dongcaster]

3 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

Heaven forbid that a man's team should beat another men's team 10-0.

It’s not about the score John. It’s about the standard being roughly the equivalent to Sunday amateurs.

[Rogue Daddy]

37 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

And this equal pay argument boils my piss. If that is what women want then merge the sports and don't have gender as a barrier.

😂😂😂.... it was the same at my golf club years ago. The woman's section wanted the same rights as men eg. access to the course, same competitions, etc. So they were offered a full membership (that men have NO option on, and have to take when over 18)... I think 2 women out of 150(?) took up the offer. The rest remained on a woman's membership rate.

 

The thing is with football (in regards to wages etc.)... it all comes down to Tv and sponsorship. The men's game has that for decades and can offer (in the EPL at least) ridiculous wages an transfer fees.... I'm sure if the woman's game attracted similar sponsorship, their wages would increase. Woman's football is still in it's infancy but I don't have anything against it. If you cant be bothered with it, it's hardly sexist... I cant stand cricket - whether it's male or female... still pish in my opinion. Maybe that makes me cricket-ist?