[Football] 22 WSL games to be shown live on BBC TV from next season

[keaton]

Look on the BBC Sport website, and as previously mentioned how many WSL related messages do you get from the club?

I don't get many about the Ladies team. I get loads about over-priced tat at the club shop "it's mother's Day, get her a tracksuit"

 

[schmunk]

Look on the BBC Sport website, and as previously mentioned how many WSL related messages do you get from the club?

Errr:

1) Don't look on the BBC Sport website, then?

2) Literally, LITTERALY, a few...?

 

[Gwylan]

Look on the BBC Sport website, and as previously mentioned how many WSL related messages do you get from the club?

I've just looked at the last 20 messages I've received from the club - two are about women's football. And a quick look at the BBC football web page reveals 25 stories - one of which is about women's football.

I'm not sure how, by any definition, either of these counts as bombarded.

 

[keaton]

Just looked on the BBC Website. They'res one story of the 14 major ones on WSL. It's about them buying the rights. There's one videos on the 30 others. At the moment you are as bombarded with info on Line of Duty as WSL on the BBC Sports pages

 

[herecomesaregular]

How's it being pushed on us ? That's like suggesting Mrs Browns Boys or Strictly or the Great British Bake Off are being pushed on us. You're not forced to watch them. Thankfully I have a very modern TV and can change channel ..... I even have a red button that means I can turn the TV off **shudders**. You might want to upgrade.

Nothing offensive meant, just that the BBC is broke so really WSL is some sport they can actually afford and they are pushing it. It appears to be more about that than any much interest in it (validated by the tiny crowds who actually bother to go and watch it). I've no problem with more coverage but maybe it should be on after The Hitman & Her.

edits - oops wrong channel

edit - I'm partly joking because I will watch a few Albion WSL games when they're on. It just seems a bit bizarre to me that it is promoted quite a lot when the crowds who have bothered to attend matches have been miniscule (unless free entry or quid entry promos like at the Amex). Seems a bit ahead of itself.

 

[Pavilionaire]

This deal is good for women's football and good for the exposure it will give the Albion.

I hope that the TV audience will grow as more girls and women tune in to watch the WSL matches.

However, a couple of words of caution:

1. Will the extra cash attract foreign mercenaries at the exclusion of young British talent? Almost certainly.
2. Arguably, the football TV market was already saturated, so given people's spare time is finite, which games will experience a reduction in viewers? The Championship, SPL, even the Premier League?

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

This deal is good for women's football and good for the exposure it will give the Albion.

I hope that the TV audience will grow as more girls and women tune in to watch the WSL matches.

However, a couple of words of caution:

1. Will the extra cash attract foreign mercenaries at the exclusion of young British talent? Almost certainly.
2. Arguably, the football TV market was already saturated, so given people's spare time is finite, which games will experience a reduction in viewers? The Championship, SPL, even the Premier League?

Is it saturated? Unless you pay for Sky or BT Sport, you are getting a few BBC cup games and if you have Prime a few on there. I know loads of people who like football but don’t pay subscriptions so would likely tune in.

The football on subscription services might be saturated, but not sure free to air is. What BBC maybe banking on is the millions that don’t subscribe fancying a bit of football and choose a WSL game. It could be a sizeable market. Agree unlikely to get those that pay for their services as they have football coming out of their ears!

 

[AIT76]

Albion app

From the homescreen, click the 3 bars in the bottom left. Then click 'notifications'. Then select / deselect from the choice of Men's, Women's, News.

Nobody is being forced to feel 'bombarded'...

 

[Arthur]

But I know I describe myself as a fan of Brighton and Hove Albion, not Brighton and Hove Albion men's team. Wondering why that last part should be automatically implied. I support Brighton because its my identity, my home town, my community. Keeps me linked to Brighton wherever I am in the world, creates a common bond with other Brighton fans and friendly rivalries with fans of other clubs. Thats what it is about. The matches are all incidental in many ways. Never really occurred to me that all that only mattered if it was men playing the game.

Trying to think of a situation where that wouldn't be automatically implied and wouldn't it be pretty strange to support different mens and womens teams if you were that way inclined?

 

[Swansman]

Don't think the pitches are a major issue as pitch sizes vary in the men's game.

Completely agree that goals should be smaller though. It's just so obvious, I don't know why it hasn't happened yet.

If women are 15-20% smaller on average than men (I googled this), then the goal sizes should be 15-20% smaller to reflect the difference.

It would definitely reduce the amount of ridiculous goals you see when the keepers simply can't reach the ball.

Most women dont want smaller goals and are fine with that there's generally more goals scored in womens football.

There's also absolutely massive economical costs to making this change.

 

[Stat Brother]

Surely It's a good thing.

I have no real interest in Women's football, but I'm much more likely to watch Brighton play an important WSL match than I am to watch a Champions League match between 2 non-British teams.
I'm sure the standard of football would be far greater in the latter, but I don't care enough about the result to give up my time to watch.

tbh if Brighton were pushing for the title in the WSL, I'm sure a great many of fans posting, "no interest", would tune in.

It ought to be either:-

A good thing.

Or

Something not relevant, so not worthy of comment.


Sadly that's clearly not the case.

 

[schmunk]

Don't think the pitches are a major issue as pitch sizes vary in the men's game.

Completely agree that goals should be smaller though. It's just so obvious, I don't know why it hasn't happened yet.

If women are 15-20% smaller on average than men (I googled this), then the goal sizes should be 15-20% smaller to reflect the difference.

It would definitely reduce the amount of ridiculous goals you see when the keepers simply can't reach the ball.

An interesting idea, but would be a pain logistically, especially at grassroots level - imagine your local team needing yet another set of posts (or several sets for the different age groups?)

 

[London Pompous]

Is the OP auditioning for the remake of Alf Garnett?

 

[schmunk]

Imagine making the men's goals 15-20% bigger... would that be good for the game?

YES!!!

Add rubber goalposts and M-M-M-Multiball..! for extra marvellousity.

 

[Swansman]

Source on this statement?

I would guess that female footballers think it is ridiculous having women often between 5'7 and 5'9 in men sized goals.

More goals does not equate to good football.

Imagine making the men's goals 15-20% bigger... would that be good for the game?

Dont think there is any survey or something to point to but any time someone suggests smaller goals would be good the most common reaction seems to be "go f yourselves".

If it would be good for the game? It wouldnt be good or bad, it would just be change. What says that smaller goals for women "would be good for the game"?

 

[GT49er]

Would women's football be improved - both for playing and spectating - by smaller pitches and smaller goals...?

Perhaps around 85% of the sizes for male players? c.80m long pitch and goal dimension 7yds x 7ft ...?

Would speed the game up and reduce the relative farce of so many lobs going in.

No, if they want to play football, they play football. As it is. If not, they could always switch to playing the seven-a-side game instead. I'm not sure they'd want that, are you?

 

[schmunk]

Well that would be a bizarre reaction, as it is a necessary change needed to improve women's football. I'm sure most women who play the game would not react like that.

Competitive youth football uses smaller goals for a very good reason. The same reason why it would be a terrible idea to make men's goals bigger. And the same reason why it would be a good idea to make women's goals smaller.

It needs to be a size relative to the size of the players, in order for it to not be too easy for the outfield players, or too difficult for the goalkeepers, or vice versa.

https://www.whoateallthepies.tv/retro/158123/the-history-of-football-goal-posts.html

"In 1863 the newly formed Football Association drew up their rules which declared that the goal posts should 24 feet apart, this ruling still remains in place in today’s modern game.
...
The crossbar was finally made compulsory in the FA rules of 1882, which specified that it should be at a measurement of 8 feet above the ground."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23896855

"Men's average height 'up 11cm since 1870s'"

 

[Swansman]

Well that would be a bizarre reaction, as it is a necessary change needed to improve women's football. I'm sure most women who play the game would not react like that.

Competitive youth football uses smaller goals for a very good reason. The same reason why it would be a terrible idea to make men's goals bigger. And the same reason why it would be a good idea to make women's goals smaller.

It needs to be a size relative to the size of the players, in order for it to not be too easy for the outfield players, or too difficult for the goalkeepers, or vice versa.

And I'm sure of the opposite, but no way of proving it.

 

[keaton]

Well that would be a bizarre reaction, as it is a necessary change needed to improve women's football. I'm sure most women who play the game would not react like that.

Competitive youth football uses smaller goals for a very good reason. The same reason why it would be a terrible idea to make men's goals bigger. And the same reason why it would be a good idea to make women's goals smaller.

It needs to be a size relative to the size of the players, in order for it to not be too easy for the outfield players, or too difficult for the goalkeepers, or vice versa.

But I'm sure a few years ago studies were showing we should have bigger goals due to the increase in size in the average male. So maybe women are already playing in the correct size goal and it's men that aren't?

 

[Swansman]

But I'm sure a few years ago studies were showing we should have bigger goals due to the increase in size in the average male. So maybe women are already playing in the correct size goal and it's men that aren't?

Good point.

Average male height in the UK back when the goal size was determined: 5ft 5in
Average height of women in the UK today: 5ft 4.7in