“Gareth Southgate is the only England manager to reach two major international finals” is what we were able to read nearly everywhere after the Three Lions beat the Netherlands in the semifinal of the Euros. To make this statement fully true, there is one simple word missing: Men’s. Southgate might be the first to lead the England Men’s team to two finals, but by quoting it that way, it is disregarding the Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman, who has led her team to two major finals as well. The Lionesses won the Euros in 2022 and were finalists in the Women’s world cup in Australia in 2023.
Most of the media speak solely of Men’s football, that includes achievements such as trophies and major tournament wins. Ever since the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022, women’s football has certainly gained more attention, but it still isn’t enough, with the WSL still having to fight for broadcasting rights to get the games shown on public TV. For the men’s game that would never be an issue. Looking around a sold out Emirates stadium for a women’s game, you will mostly see young girls, women and families in the seats, for a men’s game mostly men. Clearly both parties are here to see football being played, but there seems to be something else behind the difference between these two crowds.
Comments on an Instagram post regarding the sellout still contain loads of comments (mostly by men) that the tickets must have been given away for free, so that more people will attend. There have been many reports about the fans at men’s games tending to a more violent behaviour, while the women’s crowds are calmer and reported to be a safer space for everyone attending. For some men this might seem “weak” or “boring” on top of the fact that some of them still don’t consider women’s football as a “real sport”.
We can’t forget that despite negative things happening regarding women’s football, there are people speaking up and correcting the media in a simple way. Here are four recent examples:
- Lioness Beth Mead snapped back and quoted a post by TNT Sports on “X” stating that Southgate is the first manager to lead a team to two major finals with: “Hm, I beg to differ” causing them to remove the post.
- Pep Guardiola (manager of Manchester City’s Men’s Team) corrected a reporter after he asked about the first quadruple with: “Mens, the women have done it”
- Andy Murray (Pro Tennisplayer) did the same as a reporter overlooked Serena Williams’ success and simply said: “First male player”
- Declan Rice (England) was asked what it would mean to win the euros ahead of the Euros final and he used to example of what it felt like when the Women “brought it home” in 2022 and how he is lucky enough to still talk to some of the players at his club Arsenal
Not only is the sport itself a male dominated area, the fan culture is quite divided. If a woman likes mens football they’re getting interrogated about the offside rule and need to name players and if men support the women’s teams they’re being asked to watch “real” football.
Simple changes can make this and every other sport a better place for women. Football is football. A sport is a sport; it’s not designed for a specific gender. When writing a headline, asking a question or stating facts surrounding it. Adding one word to specify if it’s the women’s or the men’s team might seem redundant to many, but it could very easily change the entire meaning.
Photo – https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12681335/sarina-wiegman-named-uefa-womens-coach-of-the-year-after-euro-2022-triumph
