Women's football: Sport or stereotype?

Scene during the final of the Pan-American Games 2007

As the popularity of women's football reaches new heights, The Yorker interviews the women's football team, the men's football team and the netball team to investigate whether this sport can emerge from the margins into the mainstream.

Women have been playing 'football' for as long as the game existed - an ancient version of the game (Tsu Chu) was played by women in China 25-220 CE but it has had a shaky history in the UK.

Companies could make use of a sweaty, lovely looking girl playing on the ground, with the rainy weather. It would sell.
Lennart Johansson, UEFA President

After all, this is the sport that was outlawed in 1921 by the FA on the grounds that it was 'distasteful' when played by women; and more recently it was declared only possible to promote by minimising the materials used for the kits.

UEFA President Lennart Johansson, in an interview by the BBC in 2005, said:

"Companies could make use of a sweaty, lovely looking girl playing on the ground, with the rainy weather. It would sell."

Although some of those we asked agreed that appearance was a powerful tool of personal promotion, there was a consensus that women should be able to play any sport they want to without having to wear mini-skirts and tight-fitting shirts.

Greg Gardner, a University of York football player said:

"Individual players could use their physical attributes to promote their own image and career. I don't disagree with this but I don't think it's an appropriate way for the UEFA president to take women's football forward at all. The game itself and celebrity culture are two separate things."

However, there was more debate concerning the relative standards of male and female football. Although all agreed that women can equal or even surpass men with regard to skills and tactics, Gardner said:

"Men have speed and strength advantages that in the modern game are becoming ever more necessary to make it to the top."

Call me a girl, but I really don't have much desire to go running round a muddy pitch in the cold and rain.
Laura, netball player

A major reason why the standard of women's football tends to lag behind that of the men is the lack of popularity and funding, particularly in the UK.

Laura Longworth, a netball player, said with reference to a female class mate who gained a position at the Arsenal training academy:

"She did fall into the 'typical female footballer' stereotype and we were never in the slightest bit interested that she played properly. Call me a girl, but I really don't have much desire to go running round a muddy pitch in the cold and rain."

However, the netball players agreed that gender should not stop people participating in sport. Team mate Hannah Martin said:

"Anyone should be able to play anything they want, and that includes men playing netball for example; the boys loved it at the tournament we had last year! Men play loads of netball in Australia; and it's weird how each club at university carries a persona."

Most guys when I tell them that I play football just want to know how many lesbians there are in the team and whether we shower together.
Women's football player

However, women and football are not necessarily incompatible. Melissa Tran, an American exchange student who is part of York University Women's football team said:

"Women's football is a far more popular sport in the US than other sports. It must have something to do with sporting culture. I have never had bad reactions to me playing football."

This is in stark contrast to common experiences in the UK. One female football player said:

"Most reactions I have had are of surprise. At home I was stopped from joining a six-a-side astro league, apparently due to rules laid down by the FA"

One of the major difficulties female footballers face is stereotyping, as another player said:

"Most guys when I tell them that I play football just want to know how many lesbians there are in the team and whether we shower together."

Catherine Sinclair Jones, a university player, explained the tendency for people to choose certain sports:

"It's all about gender roles. Women identify more easily with traditional female sports as there is pressure from society for people to follow certain conventions."

Nevertheless, women's football has increased in popularity ever since the Women's World Cup was shown on the box. The game is currently booming at grass roots level - over 1.1 million women played some form of the game last year - and it is thriving internationally. Furthermore, since 1997, the FA has established centres of excellence across the UK, designed to develop skills in young girls.

However, for the game to progress further, as Sue Smith, ex-England star, said:

"People must appreciate female players from a football point of view and come to see us because of the way we play."

Those interviewed echoed the idea that attitudes have to change if the game is to be promoted.

Yet, with comments such as Lennart Johansson's coming from the top level of football, it seems that an uphill struggle is ahead. As Colombian footballer 'Tino' said in response to Lennart's remark:

"His attitude displays a lack of imagination that has permeated attitudes to female sport throughout its history."

Clearly, the students interviewed did not share this "lack of imagination", but changing attitudes to women's football in the UK appears to be a monumental struggle against the stereotypes.

A link to the original photo of the Pan-American Games 2007.

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