The Women's World Cup

[Royal Rother]

Well it wasn't pretty but how good is it to watch an England team battle that hard and actually hold on, making great challenges throughout, never making a single complaint at some fairly naff decisions - no faking of injuries, no gamesmanship (except gaining yards and yards at every throw in and taking their time at every opportunity, but the ref did nothing to stop it so what the hell...).

Great stuff!

Bardsley has done ok overall I suppose but Chamberlain gave me more confidence in what she did and having an extra 20 yards on her goal kicks was bloody important in a backs to the wall finale.

[Kitsondinho]

Mark Sampson has set the team's tactics up brilliantly (and differently) for every game. It is also great to see a squad so together when all those kinds of changes are being made! Everyone seems keen to play the role they are asked, even if it isn't their usual one. I really hope we can get past Japan....but I think they may be just a step-up too far.

[retro_royal]

The fact that having 20 yards extra on a goal kick is of some importance shows how utterly crap the standard is. Total waste of time.

You'd get better quality and entertainment having an over 40s male world cup.

[Sutekh]

The fact that having 20 yards extra on a goal kick is of some importance shows how utterly crap the standard is. Total waste of time.

You'd get better quality and entertainment having an over 40s male world cup.

Well at least with kick off times at idiot o'clock even less will be watching.... suggest radio then you can sort of pretend it's proper.

[Flyingkiwi]

The fact that having 20 yards extra on a goal kick is of some importance shows how utterly crap the standard is. Total waste of time

I used to watch Reading when we were in the old 3rd and 4th divisions. The standard was pretty "crap" then, too. Was I wasting my time?

[Royalist]

If people are willingly ignoring the level of football just because they are women should we not give exactly the same profile to the various disabled sides, The C team, the homeless team etc?

[Royal Rother]

WTAF?

You really are a piece of work.

[Ian Royal]

It's not because they are women, it's because their game is in its relative infancy and there is only a thin veneer of professionalism at the top of it. The men's game has over four divisions of professional players and has been going as a major concern for over a century.

I watched the England game and the second half of Japan vs Australia. The quality was fine. Particularly given the apparently very hot conditions. Is it up to the standard of men's elite international football? Of course it isn't. Why would you expect it to be given it's comparative age, number of participants and access to the very best training methods, facilities and personnel from a formative age.

The biggest issue I thought there was, was that they seemed to be trying to play at a pace just a bit too high for their fitness and skill, which led to more stretching and less agility and control and therefore more mistakes. But there was very little in the way of mistakes on the pitch that you couldn't regularly see at a high level of the men's game. Finishing and switching is much worse... but I think that comes back to playing at a pace slightly beyond their ability because that pace is expected.

[Royalist]

Other formats of the game are in a developmental phase too. Just like the women's game they get very little watching the domestic game so why is it being held up as a great entertaining watch when the crowds just are not there. Once the world cup ends and the media bandwagon goes away will anyone watching it go watch a woman's match? It's a form of positive discrimination and you get tainted with being a sexist just for not talking glowingly about it when that is really just patronising!

[Royal Ginger]

The quality has come on dramatically in the last 4 years, and this is the showcase event for the sport. How many people ONLY watch the men's game in the Euros or World cup? Or the Rugby internationals only, or Wimbledon but not the rest of the tour. This is that, it's a sport that has caught some interest, and you're right, many won't give the domestic game a look in yet, but i suspect that is growing. I'd never have considered watching a women's match a couple of years ago, but i have a couple of friends with Arsenal Ladies season tickets, and should Reading get promoted, i'm sorely tempted to go to that match.

[Ian Royal]

Other formats of the game are in a developmental phase too. Just like the women's game they get very little watching the domestic game so why is it being held up as a great entertaining watch when the crowds just are not there. Once the world cup ends and the media bandwagon goes away will anyone watching it go watch a woman's match? It's a form of positive discrimination and you get tainted with being a sexist just for not talking glowingly about it when that is really just patronising!

I think you need to get a sense of perspective. And women form 50% of the population, which is a touch different to the other comparisons you are making. Not that there is any reason for comparison to them in any case.

You are aware that sports, activities, hobbies all grow in popularity. They don't just suddenly spring up overnight with worldwide followings in the tens of millions? The game is growing its support. Just because it's not currently huge is no reason to dismiss it.

Has anyone called anyone sexist on this thread? I haven't noticed. They've just expressed an opinion that the standard of play at the woman's world cup has been pretty good. Whilst a few people seem to think that if it isn't of the quality of the top half of the PL it's worthless.

[Royalist]

Has anyone called anyone sexist on this thread? I haven't noticed. They've just expressed an opinion that the standard of play at the woman's world cup has been pretty good. Whilst a few people seem to think that if it isn't of the quality of the top half of the PL it's worthless.

There is a wider world than this forum out there it turns out! I've watched all sorts of levels of football from Kids to pub football to non league to football league to premiership. I'm hardly a football snob but it's the OTT over promotion of a poor level of football that i guess i am pushing back against!

Of course all sports grow, and indeed womans formats of sport i personally enjoy watching England Woman's cricket internationals but have never watched a domestic game, but to compare what the manager has done to great England male managers jobs in the past is just daft. I don't see anyone doing that for the U17 coach who had great success!

[Royal Rother]

1.6m watched the Qtr Final - with a 2.30am finish that is pretty extraordinary.

And that will be reflected in increased gates and coverage in the UK from here on in.

Great to see.

[Stranded]

I read a short but interesting article in WSC this month, which was about the Women's Factory football teams that started out during WW1. What started out as a way to try and garner community spirit actually got quite serious quite quickly. Early crowds of around 10k grew until in the early 1920's a Boxing day game played at Goodison Park between Dick Kerr Ladies & St Helens drew 53k supporters. DKL games regularly attracted bigger crowds than mens games played on the same day,

How did the FA react to this? They banned women's games from being played at Member's grounds the following year, supposed this was out of concern that the women were physically incapable of playing and they did not want to be held responsible should something happen. In reality, they were worried that the supporter numbers being seen may distract from the men's game.

The crowds the game were getting at the time could only be accomodated by football stadia at the time, so whilst games continued at smaller venues (rugby grounds mainly) the ban knocked the stuffing out of the growth of the game, there was also less money invested as a result. The ban on using football stadia was in place until 1971.

Arguably this decision by the FA stopped Women's football from growing quicker or as quickly as the men's game. If it had been left alone, instead of intrinisically stripped of it's status by the FA in 1921 - then the conversations here could well be null & void as Women's football would be seen on a par with it's male counterparts.

Of course, it may still have fallen out of favour once the "novelty" wore off who knows but interesting history nonetheless.

[Royalist]

1.6m watched the Qtr Final - with a 2.30am finish that is pretty extraordinary.

And that will be reflected in increased gates and coverage in the UK from here on in.

Great to see.

Maybe. Lets see if they break the magic number of 800 a game.

[Royal Rother]

Interesting stuff there Stranded.

[Hoop Blah]

1.6m watched the Qtr Final - with a 2.30am finish that is pretty extraordinary.

And that will be reflected in increased gates and coverage in the UK from here on in.

Great to see.

1.6m is a lot at that time. Are you sure that's right for the UK audience?

The Norway game apparently averaged 1.4m at a much more sociable time, and I'd say even that is quite a success story for the womens game over here.

[YateleyRoyal]

1.6m watched the Qtr Final - with a 2.30am finish that is pretty extraordinary.

And that will be reflected in increased gates and coverage in the UK from here on in.

Great to see.

Maybe. Lets see if they break the magic number of 800 a game.

The lowest attended game this tournament had just less than 11,000 fans. More than a lot of Championship clubs.

[Ian Royal]

I watched it if that helps.

Royalist... I'd say it's a pretty major fricking achievement for the ladies to make their first ever major competition semi-final. Comparisons to the mens game in terms of achievement is insulting to the women. They've successfully played through to better their realistic world ranking. The men haven't done that for 15 years and have regularly underperformed compared to it. Last WC, 94. Didn't qualify for a Euros finals in that time too.

[No Fixed Abode]

1.6m watched the Qtr Final - with a 2.30am finish that is pretty extraordinary.

.

It is - but I suspect many, like me, put it on and fell asleep.