I've written a post in the past about what it's like being a female football fan. But I kind of wanted to elaborate a little bit on it about what it's like to be a female footy fan in this modern day.
*In David Attenborough's voice*
It's August 2006, there's a 13 year old girl sat in her natural habitat, the living room. She is just starting to appreciate the world and sport that is football for what it is. She is just about to start her new life as a Liverpool Football Club supporter. She is also grazing on a pepperoni pizza as she watches Steven Gerrard (my hero at the time) score an absolute belter from outside the box.
*Not in David Attenborough's voice*
I absolutely adore being a football fan in this modern day era. When I was in school, the fact that I had some sort of knowledge of football seemed to cause a lot of stick from friends and other classmates and it was kind of seen as unheard of. A school girl loving and watching football the way I did seemed so unethical to others. I made it no secret that I supported Liverpool in school. It was kind of hard being in the year group that seemed to be swarming with Manchester United fans (one of Liverpool's biggest rivals) but I was proud to be a Red. I've never, ever been ashamed of being an LFC fan, no matter how many attempts my so called friends tried to make me feel differently.
As I've gotten older being a football supporter, I've always noticed, especially during the World Cups or Euro's (big football tournaments that each happen every four years respectively) that the media have sexualised women football fans to the world. There are so many problems with that last sentence. The fact that the media sometimes have chosen to exploit and stereotyped women football fans to only like the game because of the fit footballers (that is a bonus, I got to admit) , to not have an understanding of the game and that we all wear football shirts that look like they've been shrunk in the wash and that we wear Kylie Minogue style hot pants with said shirts is wrong. That's why sometimes men look at me in disbelief when I can clearly explain the offside rule.
Just because I'm a woman, it doesn't mean I am not able to formally understand football, it's rules and everything surrounding it. Men do assume that we have picked up football knowledge from a somebody else eg a male football fan in my family. Nah, I did all my learning myself lad. I learnt the offside rule, what a back pass is, how many substitutes are allowed to be made in a match, what each position a footballer can play in, what a 4-4-2 formation is, what grassroots football is and why it's important and the history behind Liverpool Football Club. I've learnt all this off my own back, I didn't just look it up on Google or have somebody else teach me. I learnt it for myself. ME.
There's no excuse for the media to portray female football fans like myself to not be REAL football fans. Football has come a long way in terms of allowing women to be more involved in the media. There are more female pundits than ever before, women's football has made huge strides to become very popular and widely watched by a bigger audience. Female football fans are not getting berated by men so much for not knowing anything. Let's face it, there are women who do like football. I'll let you in on a little secret - we've even gone to matches to watch it too.
I love the empowerment football has given me. The fact that I can talk about football freely to any man in the pub, a taxi driver and even my own family gives me such a confidence that I won't find anywhere else. I love the confidence of being able to talk about football to ordinary punters in the pub and not be stuck for what to say next. Ask me to explain the offside rule, I'm your girl. Ask me to explain what epistolary means, nah, go and ask someone else.
From now on, I don't want to be known as a female football fan - I want to be known as a football fan.
Such a great post Lucy! As a Liverpool fan myself I've definitely had similar experiences to you. I remember once back when I was university I was watching the football with a couple of people and one of the boys asked me to prove that I was a Liverpool fan by naming the starting 11. I refused because...why should I need to?? And he then said that I obviously didn't know them. So frustrating, I don't need to prove myself to be a fan...of course I know who's on my bloody team!! :') x
ReplyDeletehttps://www.femaleoriginal.com
Thank you Faye! I hate it when men ask me that, I love their faces when I tell them the exact starting 11! Exactly Faye, you shouldn't need to, it's like you're justifying it to them! x
DeleteI love this post!
ReplyDeleteI love how passionate you are and that you've never let anyone get in the way of it!
Thank you for sharing and also I bet you're so happy with this season, as LFC have done so amazingly!
Claire xxx
https://eclairscares.blogspot.com/
Thank you Claire! I am incredibly happy with this season! xxx
DeleteI never knew you were a football fan! I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a massive fan of football, but if I’ve heard a match on my local radio or seen England on TV, I watch!
ReplyDeleteYes it's very true Daisy! I do love my football! x
DeleteLove reading about it! I'm really fan of River Plate (one of the most famous football clubs in Latin America) and I always get so many questions about it, like I have to know the whole history of the club (and be tested about it). It's really annoying but we have to continue being ourselves and being faithful to our passions :)
ReplyDeletewww.blossomikebana.com
Absolutely lovely! Continue supporting our teams and be passionate about it!
DeleteThis was such an interesting read. I've never been a football fan, and the only sport I do follow is tennis which has a huge female following so the same judgement and stigma doesn't really apply. Other than the fact men often love to tell you that they don't follow the women's game even though it's the same tournament, shown on the same channel. I'm glad you continued to support regardless of what people have said over the years. And I'm very happy that female fans are starting to be respected a little bit more. I can't understand why anyone would automatically assume you didn't understand anything anyway - it's infuriating x
ReplyDeleteSophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk
Thank you Sophie! It really is infuriating when men assume that women don't know anything about football or sport in general, it's so sexist! x
DeleteMy sister and my cousin are both huge football fans. My cousin even has a whole instagram page dedicated to showing the jerseys football players give her after the games. No one in our family ever thought it was "funny" or "weird" but every time someone outside of our family and circle of friends finds out they always say things like "You like football? But you're a girl." So what? Isn't that allowed? I just find that so stupid.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an amazing Instagram account your cousin have got Rita! It's ridiculous isn't it that people outside of your family circle think it's weird for a girl to like football!
DeleteI really don't understand what is so shocking that a woman likes football, and knows all the rules. I think it is great that women's football is getting the recognition it deserves now as well. I am not a huge football fan, but really enjoy watching the world cup and euros. My brother is the Liverpool fan in our family, so he has always tried to get me more interested in it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Lucy!
Aimsy xox
Aimsy’s Antics
I know right?! Exactly Aimsy, I love that the women's football is getting more attention and recognition now! xx
DeleteSuch an interesting read Lucy. I'm not a particular fan of football and to be honest, I don't really watch Sport unless it's the Olympics but, I understand the stigma attached to being a female football fan and how you might be portrayed differently in the media to male counterparts.
ReplyDeleteKate | thelittlecrunch.co.uk x
Thank you Kate, I love the Olympics also! You're right lovely, there is a stigma attached to being a female football fan and it's wrong x
DeleteAhh see I am the same, apart from that I am a rugby fan rather than a football fan!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.emilyclareskinner.com
Haha I'm glad you agree with me Emily!
DeleteI am not a football fan at all but I can imagine it can be quite a difficult thing at times, dealing with the narrow minded view of some.
ReplyDeleteI have to say though, that I have often thought the image of the female football fan in the media is hugely inappropriate!
Brilliant Post Lucy, thanks for sharing x x
It's hard sometimes when there's so many narrow minded people around Claire! I'm glad you enjoyed the post lovely xx
DeleteI love this post - I'm not personally a football fan but I found this interesting. Unfortunately I'm not surprised as to how people treat female football fans, which shouldn't be the case at all - I think it's great it has brought you confidence! :) x
ReplyDelete- Charlotte / https://charlottesspace.com
Thank you Charlotte! It's brought me great confidence! x
DeleteI did comment on this post the other day but I don't think my comment went through 😅 but I just wanted to say again that I absolutely loved this post! As a football fan and in particular a Norwich fan (please don't remind me of our relegation😂) I could relate to so much of this post. I absolutely love going to the football whether it's home matches or away. I love the atmosphere. I've found it's really helped me in terms of my mental health. I hate that there is a stigma attached to female football fans though. It definitely needs to change xx
ReplyDeleteLauren | itslaurenvictoria.co.uk
Thank you Lauren, I won't remind of it I promise! The atmosphere is incredible at a stadium isn't it?! I agree lovely, there is a stigma attached to female football fans and it's wrong xx
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