Sisters are doing it for themselves

A month of Women’s football having the centre stage is over, and I’m back writing about it again. The FIFA Women’s World Cup ended yesterday with the reigning champions the United States clinching a comfortable 2-0 victory over a spirited yet lacking Dutch side in front of nearly 60,000 people in Lyon.

I was one of the nearly 60,000, it was my first World Cup game, I’ve been to both the European Championships and the Olympics, the set is now complete. Or is it? Many of you will be screaming, “WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IS NOT THE SAME!” Well here are my thoughts on the state of the game.

1. The Standard
I get a lot of people (men) saying to me (mocking the sport), “I can’t watch it. The standard is awful. They’d get battered by a non-league men’s side…” You guys are completely, often intentionally, missing the point. The standard has improved vastly since the last World Cup in Canada (that I also watched religiously); the game has got quicker and more physical with the increased investment that has gone into creating professional leagues across Europe.

Now I wholeheartedly agree, it’s not as fast as the men’s game; and yes any half decent men’s team would wipe the floor with the back to back World Champions. But is that why we like football? “We” (those who follow men’s football) constantly berate other fans for not supporting their local team, and the minority are lucky enough to follow/support clubs who are consistently challenging in the upper echelons of the football pyramid. So why is the quality of the game all of a sudden it selling point? I’d argue that the quality of the game dramatically decreases once you drop down from the sides that contest European places in every major European league. Drop to the second tier and it deminishes further. Why do non-league clubs exist (and get regular airplay on BT Sport in the UK), why is the third round of the FA Cup so “Magical”? Why are we watching anything other than El Classico and Liverpool v Man City if the standard of the game is so key to its enjoyment?

The answer is simple, the argument that the standard isn’t good enough isn’t true. It’s is lazy one peddled by those not willing to give the Women’s game their time. Now let me caveat that comment with, we (you) are free to watch, and not watch whatever we want. And we (you) don’t have to justify your football preferences to anyone. But I do feel we need to understand what we’re watching and why.

Football’s (sport in general’s) attraction comes from the contest and the context in which it is set. Hence nobody cares about The International Champions Cup or whatever those tournaments are called when Bayern Munich, Man United and Co. go off to China or the US in July and play each other. The standard is top notch there right? Granted there may be a few youth players fielded but we’re talking the very top of the game. Yet I couldn’t tell you one thing that’s happened in any of those “competitions” in the past. We are drawn to football (sport, as above) because of its narrative. The narrative of the contest. The teams we like, the teams we dislike, the effect that the result of a game that may not necessarily feature your team will have on your team’s fortunes. Your pre-conceived ideas around the relative strengths of each of the combatants; and the impression that the subsequent result of each game will leave with you. THIS is why we (you) are attracted, it’s like a perpetual Netflix series that has the possibility to throw up the wildest and most unbelievable storylines.

Women’s football can do this just as much as the men’s game can. You’ve just got to give it a chance to teach you the narrative.

2. Equality
I’m not asking for equality. Certainly not. I acknowledged above that the standard of the women’s game is somewhat off that of the men’s equivalent. It may never achieve parity in terms of the standard.

All of this being said I’m also not arguing against equality either. Yesterday afternoon Gianni Infantino came out to present the trophy to the triumphant Americans and was roundly booed. I genuinely was one of the first to start booing (by the way I’m not for one second suggesting that I led 60,000 people in the condemnation of the incumbent FIFA president), but I did so because I feel that Infantino is ruining our game in the interests of his own financial gain. Yes I acknowledge that the same accusation can be levelled at his predecessor and maybe even his predecessor’s predecessor; but Infantino is so much worse. The very fact that he’s changed the rules around re-election so much that he’ll either die or retire in the position tells you everything you need to know about the budding despot. This is all for a different post anyway.

When the booing died down, a chant rose from the predominantly female American crowd. “Equal Pay! Equal Pay…!” And I stopped and thought about what they were saying. As I said I have no problem with a woman footballer (or any other female professional) earning as much as their male counterpart, but it must be earned. This Women’s World Cup has largely been a success, but let’s temper our emotions. I often hear non-football fans moaning about how much professional footballers earn, especially in comparison with other, more useful jobs in society.

My response is always the same, professional footballers earn what they’re worth. All of the money that goes into their pay packets is earned through television deals, sponsorships and prize money, which they’ve generated themselves. Football is a business, no football club, with sensible owners in place (Leeds and Portsmouth fans know what I mean by this), pays footballers money they don’t already have or have the potential to earn. Players are paid as much as they are because market forces dictate their salaries. Nobody is forced to pay Messi millions of pounds a year. Barcelona know that in doing so they are making an investment that will make them millions more; and that if they don’t pay those millions someone else will, and they’ll overtake them and grab their share of the television/prize money.

The same goes for female players. If a club stands to make a significant profit they’ll pay Premier League footballer wages to one of their players one day. Unfortunately at this moment in time the financial rewards for winning the top competitions aren’t in the same bracket as the ones in the men’s game. And unfortunately it’s not as easy as just saying, “Make the prize money equal”. Television rights and sponsorship make up so much of the sport’s funding, when that starts to look like it does in the men’s game then maybe we’ll start to see some sort parity.

3. Comparisons
A lot of this post is all about parity. I’m aware that a lot of female players and fans of the game don’t want to compare the two forms of the game, but unfortunately we’re all guilty of doing it. It’s impossible. You have an absolute juggernaut in terms of entertainment and revenue generation, being played out in a mirror-like fashion, people are going to draw comparisons for both negative and positive reasons.

In terms of the games standing it may or may not ever achieve parity but I feel like it’s developing rapidly. I’ve seen complaints that yesterday’s final was held on the same day as that of the Copa America and African Nations round of 16 games. Unfortunately those established competitions (the Copa America has been going longer than any other International competition) aren’t going to be moved, and I don’t think that the Copa America final being held on the same day was a slight on the Women’s game, especially with it being hours after. It’s more a reflection of how jam packed the football calendar is becoming, especially with Women’s football being given a bigger stage.

If anyone wants a sign of how the parity of coverage is changing, they need to look at the fact that the last World Cup final in Canada was held at 12am UK time (1am CET) and not a single eyebrow was raised in this part of the world. That will not, and should not, ever happen again.

The second thing that needs to be considered when comparing the two sports is their relative stages of development. Men’s football has been developing in a professional capacity for the last 60 to 100 years, depending on when you determine the advent of professionalism is. Women’s on the other hand has only been doing so for the last decade, if that, although rapidly due to the technology available to us and the fact that the men’s game can be used as a template.

If you want a clear sign of this then look to the fact that the US have just won back to back World Cups. A feat not achieved in the men’s game since 1962. Why? Because the men’s game is so developed and global that in four years a squad of “World Beaters”, deemed to have reached the pinnacle of the sport can be reduced to a bunch of “Has-beens” living off of old usurped tactical systems that even the most mediocre of international sides can handle.

The same goes for drubbings. The US put thirteen past Thailand in the group stage of this year’s competition, this just wouldn’t happen in a men’s World Cup (I am aware of the Brazil v Germany semi in 2014, but that result was a culmination of pressure and an emotional response to Neymar’s injury, as opposed to the sides being so far apart in ability, and it wasn't 13-0). Men’s football is so global nowadays that even nations with no real historical pedigree either have players who play in the top leagues and the later rounds of European competitions; or coaches with similar experience.

By that token I don’t think Marta’s, exceptional, World Cup goalscoring record can be compared with Ronaldo (I’m not just saying this because he’s my second favourite player ever) or Miroslav Klose as I seen on social media. The fact is goals are easier (note I said easier, not easy) to score in the Women’s game because of the gap between those at the top and the lesser teams. That being said in the context of being able to go to a quadrennial professional sporting competition and perform consistently enough to score as many goals as Marta has; it’s an amazing feat.

4. America
God! We’ve had years of football being “Our thing”, and the Americans (those who cared) being glad to be a part of it. I am well aware that the Americans have always been good at the Women’s version of the game; but this double win, coupled with the increased coverage of this year’s competition seems to have magnified their success and the exuberant patriotism that comes with it. They already dominate the support and the medal boards during the Olympics and now it’s transitioned to women’s football.

Listen I’m up for a bit of national pride, and the coming together to celebrate a sporting victory, and I appreciate that international football (sport) is intertwined with nationalism, we parade flags and sing national anthems before each contest. But there’s something about the Hacksaw Jim Duggan-esque whooping and chanting of “You! Ess! Ayy!” that irks me, even if I am delighted that Rapinoe and Co. have basically stuck it to President Trump and his administration.

I feel like that’s enough of me rambling, I’m out now! Give women’s football a chance (West Ham got to a cup final, for crying out loud)! See you all at Euro 2021… x

The Curious Case of Cameroon's Women

It's been too long. Nearly eleven months actually. Since I came on here. I've been watching football, loads of it. But I've just not had the time, nor strong enough inclination, to jot down my thoughts here. A part of that will be down to having twin babies to look after and work commitments. Anyway let's stop with the excuses, I'm here now!

And what has dragged me from my slumber? West Ham? All English European Finals, one of them in middle of Asia, with players absent for political reasons? The (successful) UEFA Nations League? Nope! It's the Women's World Cup.

I, like many others, tuned in yesterday to watch England convincingly beat Cameroon. Unlike many others I also sat up until almost 11pm watching France edge out the Brazilians (I should probably say "Braaaaaasiwians"). I'm fully on board with Women's Football and really enjoy it, my next blog post was actually going to be at the end of the tournament on that subject, this may still come...

What's brought me here is the above mentioned England game, and the reaction to it that doesn't quite sit well with me.

I'm going to make the assumption that if you're reading this, you saw the game. I have loads to get through, so haven't got time to run through extended highlights, not even in the slack way that they do it on Match of The Day.

So at the end of the game the England Manager Phil Neville ("superstar with more medals than Steve Gerrard" my Evetonian sympathies there) came out and slammed his opponents for their conduct throughout the game; and there's been plenty of condemnation directed to the Cameroon ladies, as well as ridicule, within the press and on social media.

Now here comes the first of many caveats, I watched the game. Cameroon were no Saints. Before anything controversial had happened they'd spat at and elbowed some of the England players. And the challenge in front of the dugout on full-time was extremely dangerous and petulant. And deserved a straight red card. I sense that by this point the referee just wanted to end the game.

Here's the thing though (2nd caveat, it doesn't excuse any of the above, in my eyes all of those misdemeanours should be retrospectively punished) let's give the reaction throughout by the Cameroon players and subsequent reaction in the media some context.

Flip the game on its head for a second. I'm going to forget that I'm English for a second. And would ask Phil Neville and anyone reading this who is English to forget that they are. Imagine you are one of the Cameroon players playing for their nation in a World Cup.

Now let's think firstly about how Women's Football is treated in the UK (and much of the Western World), it has been long derided, under-invested in and is only really beginning to bear the fruits of a smattering of interest that's it's been shown in the past few years. I've watched the last 3 Women's World Cups, the game is developing rapidly, it's almost unrecognisably faster than it was four years ago. But it still faces many hurdles. And that's in the UK! I can't imagine that Cameroon is a more progressive nation in terms of gender equality etc, so I'd imagine the struggle to be a professional or semi-professional footballer in Cameroon is a difficult one.

Once you've gotten past all of that, imagine being good and lucky enough to represent your national team at a World Cup. Bear in mind the many great players that have never played in a World Cup, or only played in one, due to injury, loss of form or just playing for a nation that isn't strong enough to be guaranteed a spot every four years. For example Alan Shearer, the Premier League's all-time record goalscorer and allround 90s "Goal Machine" only ever graced one, scoring just two goals if memory serves me correctly. That's right, a lot can happen in four years.

So you've battled against the odds to become a professional/semi-professional woman's footballer. You're good enough to play for your national team, and your national team are good enough to make the World Cup. Then you have to negotiate the group stage. Unless you play for one of the top few nations, that in itself is going to be a struggle to get through, in the case of Cameroon it was. Your odessy has taken you into a Last 16 showdown with England, "Inventors of the game", "The Home of Football", quite possibly one of the biggest games of your career.

Now you know you aren't as good as England, you're going to have to be defensively disciplined and you're probably a bit nervous. First ten minutes pass without incident then you, or one of your teammates, miscontrol a ball into the box. Not to worry, the keeper will sweep that up...

Oh the referee has given that as a deliberate backpass! On the edge of your six yard box. It was so obviously not intentional, hence the keeper picked it up, but now you've been punished with an almost certain goal. I can hear loads of you saying that was a backpass, but I'm sorry it wasn't. No way. And I would have been fuming had Cameroon been given that. It just wasn't deliberate.

Needless to say England take the lead, and all of the plans you've been working on for the last few days are out of the window. 

You compose yourself and try and get to Half Time just one down, threatening on the break occasionally. Then the second England goes in.

Now let me make it clear. The second goal was legitimate, it wasn't offside and Cameroon should have defended a lot better in thar situation. But what baffles me about the whole thing was the decision to show a replay (without the lines that the audience at home saw) on the big screen in the stadium. I've been going to watch professional football matches for 30 years now (29 and a half actually, QPR v Coventry 26/12/89) and have had a season ticket a West Ham for the last 15. One thing I can confirm for a fact is that no contraversial decisions are ever shown on the big screen in the stadium, largely for fear of inciting a riot. Why are we doing this at the Women's World Cup? The call was marginal enough to spend a few minutes watching it over and over, WITH LINES ON THE SCREEN, on TV before the VAR crew could make a decision. So FIFA then decided to show it to the emotionally charged players on the field?!?

Like I said it was a legitimate goal and I can't defend some of the conduct of the Cameroon players, but I can see why they might have been a bit miffed, especially considering the nature of the first goal they conceded on top of the magnitude of the game and the journey they will have been on to get there.

There was talk of the Cameroon players calling racism at half time. I doubt very much that any of the decisions made by the referee, right or wrong, were racially motivated. I could sit here and ridicule the Cameroon players as I've seen others do, but I'm not a young black woman from Cameroon, who's made it as a professional footballer against all the odds. I'm a black man from the United Kingdom, I have some experience of racism, probably more experience than say the average person in the UK. But I still can't put myself in their shoes. I haven't seen, and heard, and felt what they have. So it doesn't sit right with me when others who have probably been fortunate enough not to experience what I have, let alone what some of those ladies may have ridicule their response. Sorry, it just doesn't.

Let's move on from that, I feel like what is normally quite a jovial blog has taken a more darker, more serious turn. So the second half kicks off and right at beginning Cameroon appear to pull it back to 2-1... Nope! Our friend VAR is back, once again after a minute or so of replays the Cameroon strike is (correctly) chalked off. Unfortunately the nature of VAR and football means that we are going to see plenty more of these moments if we are to continue with the farce that is video refereeing. And the feeling of having the elation of pulling a goal back in the most important game of your career snatched away, will almost certainly come with negative reprocussions. But you know what makes the situation even worse...? SHOWING IT ON THE BIG SCREEN AGAIN! Because we haven't learned from the incident twenty or so minutes ago.

Again, the decision was legitimate, it wasn't a goal. England were deservedly 2-0 up. But bearing in mind all that had gone before, all that I've talked about, the fact that some of the crowd, who I doubt were predominantly from Abidjan, began to boo and whilstle at the officials; I can see why the Cameroon players may have reacted the way they did.

The rest of the game was a bit of a damp squib, with England scoring a well worked, and deserved, third. And that inexcusable horror tackle in an English player in the last minute which could have done some serious damage.

And then comes the condemnation, "They're a disgrace to Women's Football", "They didn't even understand the rules" etc etc. The sort of holier than thou condemnation that as alighned to calling diving, "A thing foreigners do", villifying Diego Maradona's handball while at the same time ignoring the 45+ minutes worth of merciless hacking that he'd endured.

Two wrongs don't make a right in any instance so I don't think the Cameroon players were justified in their actions. But I refuse to look at them out of context and certainly won't act as if my own countrymen (and women) would never be capable of any skullduggerous behavior. And I'm definitely left feeling a little 'uncomfortable' when it is implied some of their actions were born from a lack of understanding a game that they will have fought hard to reach the pinnacle of.