[Football] Half Fans Colombia.

[Commander]

If you happened to have a son and a daughter who both played football for different teams at the same time, would you only watch your son?
BHAFC are our "Family" and I believe all our teams should be supported as such.

Nonsense analogy. BHAFC players are not our sons or daughters, they are professional athletes that you have to spend hundreds of pounds to go and watch play regularly. And most people don't have time to support one team properly, let alone two!

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Womens football is evolving. It's not there yet and it is a long way behind the mens game. But, if you want to watch a clattering tackle where the players normally get up after saying ouch, or you want to watch a shoe lace being undone and the blood of a thousand gaston ramirez's oozes from the 2.5mm scratch...I'm trying to say the girls are more honest(normally). This'll change when the stakes get higher.
It's also nice to introduce a youngster into the whole football crowd thing. Less intimidating in the atmosphere and a bit less swearing

 

[SAC]

Womens football is evolving. It's not there yet and it is a long way behind the mens game. But, if you want to watch a clattering tackle where the players normally get up after saying ouch, or you want to watch a shoe lace being undone and the blood of a thousand gaston ramirez's oozes from the 2.5mm scratch...I'm trying to say the girls are more honest(normally). This'll change when the stakes get higher.
It's also nice to introduce a youngster into the whole football crowd thing. Less intimidating in the atmosphere and a bit less swearing

Remind me of this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E1fMx7jgxQ

 

[Gwylan]

If you happened to have a son and a daughter who both played football for different teams at the same time, would you only watch your son?

I coach a girls rugby team and, sadly, that does seem to be the case. We've had examples of girls not being available because the family car was needed to take their son to his match. There's at least one case of a girl giving up rugby completely because the family got rid of one of their cars and the son "obviously" had to take priority.

I suspect that such attitudes persist in football too. I've certainly seen posts on NSC by people who wonder why the womans team is being funded at all. There's a lot of work still to do to get rid of that attitude but that Colombian initiative does look a good one

 

[Simster]

I am predominantly interested in the men's team for cultural reasons. Men's football is tribal in a way that the women's game isn't. I'd pay money to watch good quality women's football, but my pull towards the traditional image of the club being a men's team would definitely outweigh that, such that I'd choose to watch men's Albion in division 4 rather than the top flight women's team.

I do like seeing the women do well though, much as I like hearing about yesterday's U17's cup win or the U23's in their league - but ultimately none of it matters to me compared to the men's first team. That may change with time though and it would certainly change if my daughter was football-mad and aspired to be a professional player herself.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I think the idea that someone is half a fan of a team if they only support the men is complete and utter nonsense.

Having said that, women's football may be playing catch-up with the men's but there are some very decent players. I think the Albion should allow all season ticket holders free entry to the games and they should take place in Brighton, not some far-flung outpost of Sussex that has mostly been lost to south Londoners.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Remind me of this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E1fMx7jgxQ

But they did get straight up after the tackles. The hair pull? Peter Crouch did something similar, but less obvious

 

[nwgull]

I am predominantly interested in the men's team for cultural reasons. Men's football is tribal in a way that the women's game isn't. I'd pay money to watch good quality women's football, but my pull towards the traditional image of the club being a men's team would definitely outweigh that, such that I'd choose to watch men's Albion in division 4 rather than the top flight women's team.

I do like seeing the women do well though, much as I like hearing about yesterday's U17's cup win or the U23's in their league - but ultimately none of it matters to me compared to the men's first team. That may change with time though and it would certainly change if my daughter was football-mad and aspired to be a professional player herself.

This. I'd support the women's team and want them to win in the same way that I support a GB team or athlete in the Olympics, but there's no way that will ever surpass the tribal support you give to the men's team and the satisfaction of beating a rival. For example: Our women's team stuffed Palace 3-0 last time they played (last Feb), are in a higher division and and would likely repeat that result. None of us really believe that that offsets the men's team's recent run of 2 draws and 2 defeats in the last 4 games and the fact that we haven't finished above them since season 2010/11, do we?

 

[SUIYHP]

Who’s looking forward to Brighton & vs Wolverhampt this Sunday?


Joking aside, I would like to say I think that the club does a good job at promoting the women’s team and putting the investment in. It’s great to say that they seem to be doing really well this season and Lee’s strike against Reading was a great goal. Nothing hurts in doing more to support the WSL and inspiring young girls to play though and there is a long way to go still.

 

[rippleman]

..... and that's very patronising. Many of us have no objection to women playing football. Am I to assume that you have no objection to women's football either? If so, I'm sure we are all reassured to hear it.

Moving on, having established that there is no objection to women's football, or to people watching it if they want to, etc, etc, if women's football is to grow it needs to improve, and it needs to be marketed - whether or not it succeeds will depend on how well it does these things. It may well do, but I don't think it will make many friends by telling me I'm only half a fan if I don't follow the women's team too.
I follow football - men's football - specifically Brighton and Hove Albion because I'm interested and it excites me. I'm not interested in the women's team; I make no apology for that, and it is no cause for anyone to claim superiority because they happen to like the women's game. It's personal choice, nothing more nothing less, same as it is, for instance, with bands. There are bands which I would pay (and have paid) good money to see, and there are some I wouldn't go and see if it was free, because I'm not interested in them (see some of HWT's playlist!) If I wanted to watch women's football, I would - but please don't try telling me I ought to watch it because I'm some sort of bad fan if I don't.

It was certainly my intention to be "very patronising". I'm glad it came across that way.

 

[Munkfish]

I coach a girls rugby team and, sadly, that does seem to be the case. We've had examples of girls not being available because the family car was needed to take their son to his match. There's at least one case of a girl giving up rugby completely because the family got rid of one of their cars and the son "obviously" had to take priority.

I suspect that such attitudes persist in football too. I've certainly seen posts on NSC by people who wonder why the womans team is being funded at all. There's a lot of work still to do to get rid of that attitude but that Colombian initiative does look a good one

That’s awful, but it happens with boys football too. My Dad coached a kids football team. The older brother got priority. Little interested was shown in the youngest. Long story short. The youngest ended up at the Albion.

 

[rippleman]

Some history.

Men's professional football started late 19th century. The women's professional game started in 1969 although I was refereeing women's football in the 1980s and it was basically still an amateur game then. It was only in 1971 that the FA allowed women to play on members' pitches.

The womens' game now is completely different to 40 years ago and the standard is improving far quicker now that the mens' clubs are investing in women's football. Look at how our womens team has improved by having one of the best womens coaches there has ever been and the amazing training facilities at Lancing.

A WSL1 side is never going to beat an EPL side. In the same way that a woman is never going to beat Usain Bolt over 100m and the womens middle weight champion will never beat the mens middleweight champion. The standard is never going to be on par.

It's a bit like the old div 3 days when we were a crap side playing against another crap side. Many games were still competetive and enjoyable.

If you are watching womens sport and thinking "they are rubbish compared to the men", you are doing it wrong.

 

[GT49er]

It was certainly my intention to be "very patronising". I'm glad it came across that way.

That's extremely sad for you.

 

[vagabond]

I don’t watch Women’s football.

Is that allowed?

 

[rippleman]

That's extremely sad for you.

I have no objection to you voicing that opinion

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I have absolutely no objections to women playing football - but half a badge, c'mon?

What happens? Do they refer to each other as "the other half"? Maybe the "better half" or to remain politically correct "the significant other"?
Sorry, it's a "no" from me ....

 

[boik]

I'm a bit confused.

I loved watching the U17s and supporting them the other day, but they're not as good as our PL team.

Am I still allowed to support them?

 

[TugWilson]

No No No we are not South America where a top player costs peanuts compared to Europe , if women`s football wants to thrive it must do it on merit not on the back of men`s football .
I keep hearing how women`s football is so great , so how come the FA Cup Final of 2018 had 43,264 , ticket prices were massive 15 quid adult , kids go free and and adult groups 7-50 each . So it literally cost Wembley money to put on !
In 2017 the FC Dallas UNDER 15s beat the women`s NATIONAL team 5-2 in a friendly ahead of playing RUSSIA ! . Remember them there the women`s World Champions !! .

I know all the crap i`ll get from the precious people , but " Never the twain shall meet " . Women`s football has it`s own league ( The SUPER league ) how pretentious , and the men have their leagues . Both work perfectly as individual systems but are incompatible , why should one carry the other . If both succeed then power to both , but for the men`s game to subsidise the women`s is detrimental and , i would have thought patronising to the women`s game itself .

ps . If any F***** damages my colours or cuts my badge ...........RUN ......and be sure to be quicker than me , cos i love my colours and wear them with pride . Because the Men that wore them in 1901 started what we are now enjoying today . And there was no bloody stupid half badges

 

[Gazwag]

Phew! That's reassuring that you have no objection to women playing football.

Burnley are getting there then, until you see a photo of Burnleys women's team, then you realise like their mens team, some things are still very 1960s still In Burnley

 

[dsr-burnley]

Burnley are getting there then, until you see a photo of Burnleys women's team, then you realise like their mens team, some things are still very 1960s still In Burnley

For a town that prides itself on its lack of prejudice, you don't half see some prejudiced posts. I presume you're having a dig at Asian women not playing football?