An Open Letter to Men Who Think Women Can’t Like Football

Hi,

Let’s not beat around the bush here, it’s 2019 and you need to accept that football is not a men’s game. Those of you left who believe it’s just for men, need to learn you’re in the minority.

Women and girls love the sport, too, and that’s not going to change. Maybe in the past, men have dominated football but it’s not the 1950s anymore. Now your hooliganism has died down, we feel safe coming to matches. So ditch your outdated beliefs about femininity and let us enjoy the game.

Please stop assuming we have no idea what we’re talking about.

Just accept we understand the rules. We shouldn’t have to prove our love of the sport to you. You shouldn’t feel the need to test us and prove we’re not just trying to impress you (what a laughable idea) by saying we watch it. I don’t need to explain the offside rule to you to prove I’m not lying. Why would I put myself through the pain of supporting a losing team just to impress you?

How would you feel if I asked you to explain something so trivial to prove you like football? You’d think it’s ludicrous that I don’t believe you, right?

While I’m at it, don’t belittle us when we have begrudgingly convinced you.

Value our opinions. Don’t disagree for the sake of disagreeing. We can be right and we’re entitled to our opinions.

Don’t say things like ‘I bet you don’t watch when it’s cold and raining’ because YES WE DO. I’ve sat on the front row of a stadium with no shelter keeping me dry. I’ve stood in many wet, cold fields watching grass roots football. Why would the weather stop me from doing something I love?

“I bet you don’t go to away games.” For one, that is not how you define a true fan. I’m just as likely to go to an away game as a man is. And two, I do when I can but I’m kinda busy, just like many others who don’t have the time to trek to the other side of the country on a Tuesday night.

Why would you criticise someone for wanting to do what you do, just because she’s not a man? What offends you about the fact more people want to support your team?

To quote an actual (obviously male) human being: “It is plainly obvious that women can play football, they just do not play it very well”. Why would you think it’s acceptable to make this comment? Especially when it’s just an outright lie.

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Is it any surprise that it’s only a recent thing that we women have started watching more football in our masses. We’ve only just been given female role models in the sport. Women’s football is slowly becoming more televised. We’re seeing that there are plenty of women thoroughly emerged in the sport.

And with the likes of Gabby Logan and Alex Scott gracing our screens more often, we’re gaining the confidence to talk about what we know, too. Because women are just as observant as men. We do pick up on things. If Alex Scott can talk sense, why can’t I?

Also, please stop abusing those women who have a career in football. Accept that they’re qualified enough to do their job and move on. The second a woman makes a mistake, men are quick to mock her. “This is why women shouldn’t play football.” Because, obviously, no man has ever made a mistake, right?

How about we all just have fun together? Let’s sit side by side in the stands and cheer on our team together. Wouldn’t that be a whole lot easier?