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Comparing men's and women's soccer

To fully understand why the following in women's football (soccer) is not as large as in the men's game in England I offer you a brief history lesson.

In the early 1900's women's football was a largely attended sport, regularly attracting more fans than their male counterparts, in particular The Dick, Kerr's Ladies' from Preston who reportedly had to turn away over 10,000 fans from a game at Goodison Park in 1920 because the ground was too full.

However, in December 1921 the FA (Football Association) in their wisdom decided to ban women from playing football on FA members' grounds, stating that it was because women were not physically able to play football and was risking their fertility. It is suggested that this was actually because women's football was outshining the men's game.

This ban was lifted and the FA finally recognised the women's game in 1971 but it had taken such a battering that it is still recovering more than thirty years later.

Many people, men and women alike, still have a very poor opinion of women's football; this is mostly down to chauvinistic views and Victorian style thinking.
The modern women's game is just as entertaining to watch as the men's game but with some noticeable differences:

Almost no diving or cheating
More respect for players, officials and fans
No ludicrously high wages
Smaller egos

This, in my opinion makes for a brilliant game of football. The games are fast-flowing, with fewer breaks in play and more respect is given and received.
It may be true that men in general are physically faster and stronger than women but at the top level this difference is negligible, also in a game of football the ball is what moves quickly and women can kick a ball just as well as men can.

The speed and skill of some players is amazing, I bring your attention to Sue Smith, Karen Carney, Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey among others in the English national squad, these players could easily get in most teams in the men's Premiership.
The physical presence and defending ability of Katie Chapman, Rachel Unitt and Faye White (yet again, among others) is top class and these players would not be out of place in the top flight of men's football.

There is an obscene amount of money in men's football, leading to unbelievably large pay packets and even larger egos. The women's game has a lot less money in, international games only cost 5 for an adult or 1 for a child or concession, and in my opinion I feel that this is not enough money for the quality of the game, but it does mean that football can be a family day out again. In 2006 I took 8 family members to a game against Holland at Charlton FC and it cost less than 30 for everyone, this is less than one Premiership ticket!
With the lower wages comes smaller egos, this means that the women are happy to meet and greet their fans and sign autographs.

In summary, it is difficult, and slightly unfair to directly compare men's and women's football in England because they are at different stages in their life.
Men's football is older and more established whereas women's football, due to the FA, has had to be re-born; although not still in its infancy it is still growing. Despite this, from 1993-2006 the number of girls' and women's football teams in England soared from just 80 to over 9,500.
The women's game is going from strength to strength and the England team are getting much better and are now competing with the world's best.
Watch out men's football, the women are catching you up and may overtake you again one day soon.

Some facts and figures were taken from:
www.wikipedia.org
www.theF A.com/womens

You may also find the following sites useful:
www.fgmag.com
www.female soccer.net
www.womenssoccerscen e.co.uk

Learn more about this author, David Lawrence.
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