Women’s World Cup

[hypochondriac]

I've just deleted a response to Hypo, there really is just no point. It's why I venture on these threads very infrequently. Full of old or sad *uckers from a previous era.

Oh thank goodness I didn't attract the wrath of sue because I dared to call the women's football match an enjoyable watch!

[ashnats]

What i don't understand is why they don't reduce the goal dimensions. having goals 8ft tall is too high for most women, and as a result, the pool of talent for goalkeepers is awful, and maybe this is why the goalkeeping is so bad?

 

Smaller goals and smaller pitches would really benefit the game. maybe a lighter ball also - for junior level, or women, a lighter ball can make the game faster.

 

Other than that, the difficulty is just improving the skill level. hopefully that will improve in future generations as the talent pool gets larger.

 

I think that by 2050, women's football could be as good as say league 1 is now - and that is more than enough to make for an entertaining game.

[whelk]

Many would say there is fck all wrong with it.

I expect many more will tune into Tuesday’s semi final than any L1 game.

Tbh this WC has made me embrace it more and probably because of so many wannabe alphas having a go at it.

That said so much annoying patronising reporting and punditry around it.

Edited 28 June, 2019 by whelk

[Window Cleaner]

Must admit to having seen a fair few games. Quite looking forward to the Italy-Holland game tomorrow. Should be well animated, couple of psychos on each side along with some pretty skillful ladies.

[LeBizzier69]

I have surprised myself with how much I’ve enjoyed it, and am actually organising a night on the beers for Tuesday to watch it in town. I (slightly ashamedly) am surprised at how I’ve jumped onto this journey by the England women. Might even watch the game this afternoon too!

[sifter]

In case anyone wants some added incentive to support our girls tonight, the US coach was born in Portsmouth!1

[Window Cleaner]

I admire the confidence of the English girls in thinking that they can win but really if they avoid a hammering they'll have done well enough. Their game is too scholarly, too text-book to trouble over much the nearly real football game of the Yankesses.

[sifter]

Wow. I almost took the anove reppy seriously for a second. Then i remembered it was 2019.

[whelk]

Headline story on 6pm news

[whelk]

I admire the confidence of the English girls in thinking that they can win but really if they avoid a hammering they'll have done well enough. Their game is too scholarly, too text-book to trouble over much the nearly real football game of the Yankesses.

 

8/11 USA win hardly backs that up.

[sadoldgit]

Can’t see us winning this. Every time the ball is played into our box they look like getting a goal. We are going to have to play a lot better in the second half.

[whelk]

Get in!

[whelk]

Bastard VAR

[whelk]

Seen Tadic take a better pen

[Micky]

How many pens have we missed now?

 

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[Baird of the land]

Given white’s finishing it is bizarre she isn’t the penalty taker

[Micky]

Down to 10.. al going Pete tong

 

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[whelk]

Down to 10.. al going Pete tong

 

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So England, Disallowed goal, missed pen, plucky defeat

[Micky]

Nice throw....

 

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[Micky]

Good these commentators talk ****

 

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[sadoldgit]

Following in the men’s footsteps, plucky losers and can’t put a penalty away. Still, they gave the Yanks a better game in the second half.

[Sheaf Saint]

Thought England were the better team in the second half, as they had chances and pretty much shut the USA out completely. But they could easily have been more than one goal down by half time, so on balance it was a fair result.

 

Shame about the disallowed goal, but it was the right call. Good to see VAR used to pick up the foul for the penalty as well, as there's no way the ref would have seen that in normal play but it was clearly a foul which prevented White from pulling the trigger. But the attempt from Houghton was woeful. One of the worst penalties you'll ever see.

 

Anyway, this tournament has inspired my 5-year-old daughter to take up football, and we're taking her for her first taster session next week. The increased interest this WC will have generated could bring in bigger sponsorship deals to the women's game, meaning clubs will be able to start investing more into nurturing talent at a younger age. The knock-on effect of this being that the general standard of women's football will be much higher, and in a few years time we might have a 'golden generation' playing for England.

[jawillwill]

There were a higher than average number of foul throws during that game.

[the saint in winchester]

England Women clearly need a penalty coach! Le Tiss? Beattie? Peach? Lambert?

With VAR likely to result in more penalties from next season, we should add a specialist coach from the above for penalties at saints!

[Whitey Grandad]

There were a higher than average number of foul throws during that game.

 

I didn’t watch the game but what makes you say that?

[Window Cleaner]

I didn’t watch the game but what makes you say that?

 

Well I expect it's because there were if you see what I mean. The girls don't take the ball behind their head as required by the laws of the game on many occasions. Then you have the cases like Parris who just let it slip out of her hands.

[Whitey Grandad]

Well I expect it's because there were if you see what I mean. The girls don't take the ball behind their head as required by the laws of the game on many occasions. Then you have the cases like Parris who just let it slip out of her hands.

Ok, thanks.

 

Yep, from behind the head, thrown and not dropped etc.

[Cabbage_Face]

I thought I’d give it a second chance last night, I then witnessed the worst corner I’ve ever seen in my entire life, so switched over to Love Island.

 

 

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[Turkish]

Realistically this is just a modern day version of the emperors new clothes. Most of us could see It for what it is and that most of the teams would have lost to a reasonably good u15 boys team but we are socially obliged to fawn over if all making out the public have fallen in love with the woman’s game and it really is so much better and more popular than Sunday morning pub level. Obviously that will upset a few people but no point pretending, which is what those that ram it down everyone’s throats does. I suppose those for will say that it’ll get more girls playing football which if it gets them off their phones taking photos of themselves with cats ears for social media can only be a good thing and the competition can he lauded as a triumph.

[badgerx16]

Phil Neville - goes away with 23 women and can only achieve a semi.

[Window Cleaner]

Phil Neville - goes away with 23 women and can only achieve a semi.

 

If the England team is anything like that of the USA it's no surprise really.

[Lighthouse]

I was on twitter earlier and the WC final was obviously trending, so I thought I’d take a look. Hundreds of tweets about the pay gap and how USA women have won four and get paid less than the men who didn’t qualify. Plenty of stuff to about Rapinoe and will she, won’t she go to the White House. Almost nothing about actual football. Literally nothing about, for eg. France’s problem RB position or should Sweden have played three at the back.

 

The viewing figures have been decent but I do wonder how many of them have a genuine and sustained interest in the game and how many are just on the bandwagon.

[hypochondriac]

I was on twitter earlier and the WC final was obviously trending, so I thought I’d take a look. Hundreds of tweets about the pay gap and how USA women have won four and get paid less than the men who didn’t qualify. Plenty of stuff to about Rapinoe and will she, won’t she go to the White House. Almost nothing about actual football. Literally nothing about, for eg. France’s problem RB position or should Sweden have played three at the back.

 

The viewing figures have been decent but I do wonder how many of them have a genuine and sustained interest in the game and how many are just on the bandwagon.

Yep just incredibly thick people or blinded by agendas that they can't see the obvious differences between the mens and womens teams. I said e rloernon the tournament that I watched a few enjoyable games but that they would have a much better chance of keeping fans if they kept gender politics out of it and just focused on the product. Sadly its only got worse.

[sadoldgit]

Those pesky women still don’t know their place eh hypo? It seems to completely pass you by that gender politics is there for a reason. The patronisation if women’s football has been unreal. Give them smaller goals, smaller pitches and lighter balls. They don’t want them. They want their game to be given the same level of respect as men’s football. It is not as if the matches are finishing 21-17. Mostly the games has been as closely contested as the men’s game despite the huge handicap of having to play on full size pitches with full size goals and the same weight of ball. Who’d have thunk it? As in the men’s game, there were some excellent games, some average games and some poor games. Women’s football still has a way to go, but I have really enjoyed the World Cup A’s has everyone I have spoken to. Women’s football is coming on in leaps and bounds and of course there are going to be issues about funding, pay etc as long as there is such a huge disparity between the men’s game and the women’s game. If you hadn’t noticed it has been going on in professional tennis for years. Most sane people would say that men are overpaid for what they do in football. It is not unreasonable for women to argue that they are being underpaid. You don’t like the “gender politics?” I wonder how you felt when that uppity Rosa Parks refused to get off the bus?

[hypochondriac]

Thought you had me on ignore soggy? Odd that you keep responding to me if that's the case.

[shurlock]

I was on twitter earlier and the WC final was obviously trending, so I thought I’d take a look. Hundreds of tweets about the pay gap and how USA women have won four and get paid less than the men who didn’t qualify. Plenty of stuff to about Rapinoe and will she, won’t she go to the White House. Almost nothing about actual football. Literally nothing about, for eg. France’s problem RB position or should Sweden have played three at the back.

 

The viewing figures have been decent but I do wonder how many of them have a genuine and sustained interest in the game and how many are just on the bandwagon.

 

The pay gap stuff is real but that’s in the context of women and men performing similar activities to similar levels. Which is to say it’s a million miles removed from the football where the quality differences between the women and men’s game are blindingly obvious. I didn’t watch a single minute of the WC - then again I have absolutely zero interest in watching MLS or the Chinese Super League.

[hypochondriac]

The pay gap stuff is real but that’s in the context of women and men performing similar activities to similar levels. Which is to say it’s a million miles removed from the football where the quality differences between the women and men’s game are blindingly obvious. I didn’t watch a single minute of the WC - then again I have absolutely zero interest in watching MLS or the Chinese Super League.

Exactly. Of course the pay gap between a male footballer and a female footballer is real but it's utterly absurd to suggest that this is down to sexism. The women still get tens of millions of pounds and the large gap can be more than justified by factors such as performance, level of interest, global competition etc.

 

It's good that women's football seems to be doing well abd I hope they continue to be successful but why certain female footballers and media personalities feel the need to either compare it to the men's game or even disparage men's football in the process I truly have no idea. Succeed on your own merits and I'm sure you'll have a lot more support.

[Lighthouse]

The pay gap stuff is real but that’s in the context of women and men performing similar activities to similar levels. Which is to say it’s a million miles removed from the football where the quality differences between the women and men’s game are blindingly obvious. I didn’t watch a single minute of the WC - then again I have absolutely zero interest in watching MLS or the Chinese Super League.

 

No denying there is a pay gap between the top male and female players, the problem is it's just so subjective. There is no standard for men's pay, just whatever an agent can negotiate; and that can be anything from Alexis Sanchez down to some Isthmian league player, working part time as a welder.

 

The pay gap is also often quoted without any suggestion as to where the money will actually come from. Plenty of empty sound bites, hardly anyone actually willing to buy a £800 ST and pay Sky/BT an extra £20pm to watch women's football.

[hypochondriac]

No denying there is a pay gap between the top male and female players, the problem is it's just so subjective. There is no standard for men's pay, just whatever an agent can negotiate; and that can be anything from Alexis Sanchez down to some Isthmian league player, working part time as a welder.

 

The pay gap is also often quoted without any suggestion as to where the money will actually come from. Plenty of empty sound bites, hardly anyone actually willing to buy a £800 ST and pay Sky/BT an extra £20pm to watch women's football.

Tbf I think the main beef for the US women's team in particular is the amount they are paid by their FA and the amount of prize money on offer for winning the world cup, not necessarily their weekly wage from their club. It's still a mad argument but it is a bit different.

[Lighthouse]

Tbf I think the main beef for the US women's team in particular is the amount they are paid by their FA and the amount of prize money on offer for winning the world cup, not necessarily their weekly wage from their club. It's still a mad argument but it is a bit different.

 

The England men's team donate their wage to charity anyway, as they should. Representing your country should be purely about pride. I've no idea what the situation is in the USA but that should be the standard for several sports in most countries IMO.

 

It still comes back to the same issue of where the money will come from. The WWC will attract nowhere near the viewers of the men's WC; fewer viewers, fewer sponsors, less money. As you say, it's a mad argument it's not going to happen.

Edited 8 July, 2019 by Lighthouse

[sadoldgit]

No denying there is a pay gap between the top male and female players, the problem is it's just so subjective. There is no standard for men's pay, just whatever an agent can negotiate; and that can be anything from Alexis Sanchez down to some Isthmian league player, working part time as a welder.

 

The pay gap is also often quoted without any suggestion as to where the money will actually come from. Plenty of empty sound bites, hardly anyone actually willing to buy a £800 ST and pay Sky/BT an extra £20pm to watch women's football.

 

I agree. But at least things are moving in the right direction for women’s football. I don’t believe that people have watched this WC because of the hype. I believe they have watched because they are genuinely interested. Now that needs to be built on. It needs more investment and more support financially from the FA but ultimately it needs to generate more cash itself which means more bums on seats, more people watching on tv and more sponsorship. The USA have shown what can be done if you support the sports at grass roots financially. I hope that this WC will provide the impetus for other countries to follow suit. Hopefully we are moving away from calling women footballers “9 pinters” and closer towards referring to their sporting abilities. Going into this WC I heard that women goal keepers were a joke. True, some have been poor, but I have seen a number of quality performances, not least from the Netherlands keeper last night. There has also been some comical defending but also some brilliant defending, not to mention a number of cracking goals. Women’s football is still seen as a poor relation to men’s football so I don’t see the problem in highlighting the financial issues. They do need to be addressed if the momentum from this WC is to continue.

[hypochondriac]

The England men's team donate their wage to charity anyway, as they should. Representing your country should be purely about pride. I've no idea what the situation is in the USA but that should be the standard for several sports in most countries IMO.

 

It still comes back to the same issue of where the money will come from. The WWC will attract nowhere near the viewers of the men's WC; fewer viewers, fewer sponsors, less money. As you say, it's a mad argument it's not going to happen.

Essentially they are trying to put pressure on fifa to use the success of football to subsidise the women's game and get paid equally to the men. Not sure what the justification is though other than some perceived unfairness.

[hypochondriac]

Haven't fifa trebled the prize money for this world cup with plans to continue to increase it? So how has is the financial situation not being addressed?

[whelk]

Those pesky women still don’t know their place eh hypo? It seems to completely pass you by that gender politics is there for a reason. The patronisation if women’s football has been unreal. Give them smaller goals, smaller pitches and lighter balls. They don’t want them. They want their game to be given the same level of respect as men’s football. It is not as if the matches are finishing 21-17. Mostly the games has been as closely contested as the men’s game despite the huge handicap of having to play on full size pitches with full size goals and the same weight of ball. Who’d have thunk it? As in the men’s game, there were some excellent games, some average games and some poor games. Women’s football still has a way to go, but I have really enjoyed the World Cup A’s has everyone I have spoken to. Women’s football is coming on in leaps and bounds and of course there are going to be issues about funding, pay etc as long as there is such a huge disparity between the men’s game and the women’s game. If you hadn’t noticed it has been going on in professional tennis for years. Most sane people would say that men are overpaid for what they do in football. It is not unreasonable for women to argue that they are being underpaid. You don’t like the “gender politics?” I wonder how you felt when that uppity Rosa Parks refused to get off the bus?

 

Rosa Parks and the struggle against racism at every level is hardly akin to women’s wages in football.

 

Tennis is not. similar either. People seem to want a cause and will always have a willing champion in you eh SOG.

[Lighthouse]

I agree. But at least things are moving in the right direction for women’s football. I don’t believe that people have watched this WC because of the hype. I believe they have watched because they are genuinely interested. Now that needs to be built on. It needs more investment and more support financially from the FA but ultimately it needs to generate more cash itself which means more bums on seats, more people watching on tv and more sponsorship. The USA have shown what can be done if you support the sports at grass roots financially. I hope that this WC will provide the impetus for other countries to follow suit. Hopefully we are moving away from calling women footballers “9 pinters” and closer towards referring to their sporting abilities. Going into this WC I heard that women goal keepers were a joke. True, some have been poor, but I have seen a number of quality performances, not least from the Netherlands keeper last night. There has also been some comical defending but also some brilliant defending, not to mention a number of cracking goals. Women’s football is still seen as a poor relation to men’s football so I don’t see the problem in highlighting the financial issues. They do need to be addressed if the momentum from this WC is to continue.

 

That's the question I was originally asking though. Is there an actual genuine interest in watching women's football or is this just a flash in the pan because gender equality issues are a hot topic? If we're going to compare the women's game to men's leagues, it's probably Evo Stik League (or whatever it's called now) standard at the very best. I don't personally know anyone who watches football at that level, unless a friend or family member is involved and certainly not 11 million people. So that leads to the question, will people who watched the WWC continue to watch football of that standard JUST because there are women playing? If you're not interested in that standard of actual football, is having women on the pitch enough to maintain a consistent fan base?

 

I'll give you an example, Natalie Portman posted a congratulatory message on Instagram, with a couple of standard feminist catchphrases. Fair enough, no problem with that but how often do you think we'll see her and other Hollywood actresses at the proverbial cold, wet, Tuesday night game in whatever their equivalent of Stoke is (Iowa maybe)?

 

I fear this momentum and increased interest in women's football may be the same as our increased interest in South Korean rap, after the success of Gangnam style.

Edited 8 July, 2019 by Lighthouse

[whelk]

That's the question I was originally asking though. Is there an actual genuine interest in watching women's football or is this just a flash in the pan because gender equality issues are a hot topic? If we're going to compare the women's game to men's leagues, it's probably Evo Stik League (or whatever it's called now) standard at the very best. I don't personally know anyone who watches football at that level, unless a friend or family member is involved and certainly not 11 million people. So that leads to the question, will people who watched the WWC continue to watch football of that standard JUST because there are women playing? If you're not interested in that standard of actual football, is having women on the pitch enough to maintain a consistent fan base?

 

I'll give you an example, Natalie Portman posted a congratulatory message on Instagram, with a couple of standard feminist catchphrases. Fair enough, no problem with that but how often do you think we'll see her and other Hollywood actresses at the proverbial cold, wet, Tuesday night game in whatever their equivalent of Stoke is (Iowa maybe)?

 

I fear this momentum and increased interest in women's football may be the same as our increased interest in South Korean rap, after the success of Gangnam style.

 

It’s a World Cup so naturally gets far more the casual fan. I’m like that with Rugby Union. No way I’m watching a Harlequins game live or on tv. My interest is relatively temporary due to supporting my country. Like Olympics and having interest for a while in hockey or netball.

Why does every fcker seem to want to know is this going to be built on?

 

I watched some of this WC and wasn’t too bad. Most annoying has been the polarising of gender arguments. Doubt I’d watch much more but if on tv and Saints women were playing I probably would.

[hypochondriac]

Rosa Parks and the struggle against racism at every level is hardly akin to women’s wages in football.

 

Tennis is not. similar either. People seem to want a cause and will always have a willing champion in you eh SOG.

Poor old downtrodden USA women's footballers. They are the modern day Rosa parks, how can they possibly survive on a mere 48 million for winning the world cup?

[Sheaf Saint]

I was on twitter earlier and the WC final was obviously trending, so I thought I’d take a look. Hundreds of tweets about the pay gap and how USA women have won four and get paid less than the men who didn’t qualify. Plenty of stuff to about Rapinoe and will she, won’t she go to the White House. Almost nothing about actual football. Literally nothing about, for eg. France’s problem RB position or should Sweden have played three at the back.

The viewing figures have been decent but I do wonder how many of them have a genuine and sustained interest in the game and how many are just on the bandwagon.

 

Interesting that you should make this point, and then go on to make numerous further posts without once mentioning the football yourself.

 

I thought England did the same thing in the 3rd place playoff as they did against USA - they started the game way too sloppily and left themselves too much to do when they eventually got a foothold in the game. That 'clearance' for Sweden's first was horrendous. If they had started off much better then I reckon they could have beaten the Americans. They were the better team in the second half but the damage had already been done.

 

I enjoyed the WC overall myself, and very much enjoyed watching it with my daughter who has now been inspired to take up football herself. There were times in the second half of the semi against the USA where I completely forgot I was watching the women's team and found myself feeling the same excitement and tension I would experience when watching the men's WC. It's got a lot of people talking about it that I can honestly say I have never noticed at previous WCs, but perhaps having it all broadcast on the BBC played a massive role in that. Will be interesting to see what impact it has on crowd figures for next season anyway.

 

My daughter has been badgering me for a while to take to a football game. I'm loathe to driver her on a 400-mile round trip to take her to SMS, and I won't take her to an away game for obvious reasons. The nearest club to where we live is Sheff Utd, but tickets for there will be pricier and harder to get now they have been promoted. So we've agreed I will take her to see the Blades' women's team when the season starts again. Prior to this recent WC, I wouldn't have been the slightest bit bothered about going, though I would do it for my daughter, but now I'm actually genuinely looking forward to it.

[Lighthouse]

Interesting that you should make this point, and then go on to make numerous further posts without once mentioning the football yourself.

 

The difference is though that I'm not interested in the WWC and never have I claimed to be. I was just posing a question about how much genuine interest there is and how much is just the gender politics flavour of the month.

 

I don't disagree with the rest of your post and I honest hope the WC leads to an increase in young women playing football. I wont be watching but anything which encourages young people to put their screens down and take up sport has to be good. As for your daughter, if the Blades are the closest team then surely Hillsborough and Rotherham are also proximate? Take her to both for a while until Utd get relegated again.

[Sheaf Saint]

The difference is though that I'm not interested in the WWC and never have I claimed to be. I was just posing a question about how much genuine interest there is and how much is just the gender politics flavour of the month.

 

I don't disagree with the rest of your post and I honest hope the WC leads to an increase in young women playing football. I wont be watching but anything which encourages young people to put their screens down and take up sport has to be good. As for your daughter, if the Blades are the closest team then surely Hillsborough and Rotherham are also proximate? Take her to both for a while until Utd get relegated again.

 

Fair enough.

 

Yeah there's other league sides nearby, but I reckon taking her to a women's match first is a good idea, and if she likes it then I'll see about taking her to a proper game. I don't think she's actually got the attention span for it yet, so if she does get bored and want to go home at least it won't have cost me a huge amount.