... get used to it girls. "Club captain Katie Wilkinson: "The girls are gutted, angry, upset and still in shock. They feel lost right now." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59776827
Probably an unpopular opinion and let me just emphasise that I’m very much in favour of girls playing sport - I have a baby girl due next month and shall be encouraging her to pick up a bat / ball or whatever, but I’ll never pay money to watch women play sport. I’m only interested in watching football, cricket, rugby etc… played at the highest possible level and you just don’t get that with women’s sport. I tried to watch the England women’s team play cricket last month and had to turn it off. The fast bowlers were struggling to hit 70mph…
Tbh I think the womens cricket is a lot more skilful than you think. The England women were bowling deliveries their make counterparts would be proud of. It’s not all about pace. It’s also a lot closer to the amateur game that I play every weekend during the summer.
That is rough on them by any standards. Struggling in November, up for sale in December and voluntary liquidation just before xmas. No administration, just straight to liquidation. Doesnt seem a long period to have a crack at finding a buyer. Only bern a pro club this season as well so gutted for the players and staff to be honest, they deserve better. Half way throigh the season and needing voluntary liquidation, blaming brexit and covid, makes you question the governance again in football.
Not a fan of cricket personally but that statement is the reason why no one is arsed about paying money to watch it. "Closer to the amateur game" why would you want to pay for something you can do yourself? With regard to women's football, the FA need to look at making the goals smaller and the making the pitch smaller. Tighten it up on the field and ensure that smaller less athletic keepers can actually get to 40 yard looping shots to try and make it more competitive overall. Women just cannot cover the ground or the angles playing on a men's pitch and it's the reason it often looks **** when I have seen it on TV. Again winning 20-0 is all well and good but really doesn't make me want to pay money to watch. It's amateurish to see, I want competitive football at any paid for level.
They wouldn’t have the exposure if they hadn’t latched onto the male professional clubs. If they form their own F.A. Build their own grounds to suit their capabilities and genuinely fill them and get their own sponsors then they might just make people take notice. But as it is it’s forced upon us by the media and filling all the usual male roles with women whose opinion I’m not interested in.
There is no independent, logical basis for Women's football being professional. Less people watch it than watch a lot of non league football. Good luck to them, I've nowt against it, but is a very hard watch and not for me. They need the umbrella of professional men's teams, and for those who have it, happy days. I don't mind watching women's cricket sometimes, but women's football is very much not for me.
Smaller pitches and goals are the obvious way to improve the women's game, but there's as much chance of that happening as there is of seeing Sepp Blatter's solution of " players in short tight skirts"!
You wouldn't usually go to watch kids football if your kids weren't playing, because it's not that great. I suspect many of the spectators at women's football are friends, relatives and supporters of the concept of the women's game ... ... that's nice but the novelty wears off and the crowds will fall away imo.
I disagree mate. I think the game will grow. The investment being made in grassroots and academy setups for girls is getting bigger all the time. This will drive more girls only games and more womens leagues. We will see clubs supported by traditional mens clubs like ours and standalone clubs. It will become a more competitive structure overall. I also think they have a price point that works in their favour. Chelse is £9 for an adult and kids are often free. Compare that to a mens premier league game and I bet it would be 8 times as much. If they can get their marketing right they will increase crowds at that price bracket. I accept it isnt as good as the mens game to watch. It isnt a technically bad game though. I can happily sit and watch a prem game and enjoy it. It has improved at a rate of knots over the last few years as well. I can see the quality improving as a result of the coaching now available to girls teams. Time will tell but I dont see anything stopping it becoming a successful sport in the same way womens tennis has grown since becoming professional.
If it ever got to the point it was enjoyable to watch, I'd make you right. As far as I can see though, it's a million miles away. It's not at all enjoyable to watch. Most local non league teams (not conference, your nearest team) would batter England ladies. They defo would. It's not a good quality product. Got no objections with it happening, or people paying to see it, but I wouldn't personally, not until they're at a similar standard to the teams that represent their towns and cities, in which case, they should just sign for the "mens" team.
I'm tired of the effort the media are making in giving women's football equal billing. Ive no problem them promoting the game but when their scorelines, news etc are mixed in amongst the men's game I find it quite annoying.
No way would the local teams I watch would batter the England ladies. I am talking semi-pro level. There is a technical quality amongst the Emgland womens team that amateurs dont have I am afraid. At least not the ones round me. They are pretty average players in the semi-pro game in my experience. Tney make mistakes that would get punished and lack the sort of organisation needed. Being amateur they dont have the fitness to compete either.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion, mate, but I completely disagree. I've taken the time to watch England ladies a number of times, it's a terrible standard. It really is. Any mens team playing, for any sum of money per week, and a lot of Sunday league teams paying for the privilege of playing, would rinse England ladies.
Of course they would A few years ago before one of the women's world cup a local youth team beat the USA team quite easily in a friendly But I suppose that is not the real point, the point is the entertainment value of what you are watching, most male tennis players would wallop any female player, but the female game still gets a lot of people watching them I agree that the goals should be smaller and the pitch shorter Also, a 20 nil game is an absolute farce, for all concerned
We can disagree mate, what its all about. Telly you what though, if we had a Sunday league or semi-pro ref in charge there would be no women left to play if any of the tackles I see are anything to go by. If it is womens prem league ref the fellas would have 4 red cards in 20 mins and game off.
