There is a bit of a melee in English football over the decision of a non-league club, Thornaby FC, to axe their women’s teams. The decision shuts over 100 players out of the game, from under-7 level to adult. A representative of ‘The Lionesses’ a group of English players who briefly filled TV schedules with some sporting drama, called the decision “disgusting”.
I’ve seen kids clubs close and it’s devastating for the players; friends’ groups break up and some never play the game again, yet it happens around this time every year, when people decide that commitments can no longer be met.
Unlike some of our assistant referees, Thornaby do not survive on the largesse of the taxpayer. They pay their bills or the go the way of the dodo and the Rangers. It is doubtless that a painful decision had to be made.
Womens’ football can contribute greatly to the health of the nation – if it continues to grow as a participatory sport. It should be encouraged in schools (a legitimate taxpayer opportunity here) and nurtured through to senior level. But for years to come, it will come up against some commercial realities. The womens’ game is financially underwater everywhere and at tiny clubs like Thornaby that’s going to hurt.
The game has to grow within its means. Remain amateur wherever necessary, supported by direct sponsorship and not be subject to the whims of an organisation that survives on money generated from the men’s game.
I feel for the kids who lost their game this month, losing your chance to play football is devastating. If ‘The Lionesses’ want to help, I’m sure they can (but won’t). The women’s game, especially in England and Spain, has grown audiences and budgets in impressive measure, but not equally. If budgets are not trimmed, Thornaby will merely be the hole in the dyke.
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Celtic linked with ____________
Happy Wednesday eve all.
Pull your finger out and get typing.
Maybe not the best headline for the article….😮
Kenny Dogfish
According to a scum official partner,ahem,they are about to sell”Playmaker”,Tom Lawrence,no,neither did I,because he is too injury prone.Waiting in the wings to gobble up this injury prone star,is,according to them,for 2 million quid,is Van Bronkhurst..
I breathlessly await further developments on this latest doozy.
Dan at 11.43 am – you have a bigger brother ? 🤪
Oh FFs Paul, that headline would get you a job with The Sun .
” Ooohhh Matron”
Careful Paul, you’re likely to get cancelled for writing common sense stuff like this.
Bada at 12.11 pm .
I thought the same but put it down to Paul’s innocence and my bad mind 🤪
Women don’t even watch women’s football.
It was just another get rich quick scheme by those who stand up for everything and end up standing up for nothing.
borderline misogynist.
has farage started doing the blog leaders.
that is a few now that have felt like shock jock rather than intelligent comment.
od dear.
Fred,looks like a few of us….
in boys youth football at my local level 3 teams ceased during the season.
two of the local amatuer team could not complete fixtures.
a junior team no less is about to pack it in, and at a senior level inverness are in dire straight.
none of these are womens teams.
Hans Brinker quick news…
longtime ago, but they didnt even “share” the half title with any great justification.
same points dumbarton and rangers – 29 from 18 games,
identical w/d/l
however the sons were +40 gd, the oroginal rangers +31.
so du,mbarton would have won on goal difference or average.
even the playoff was an effort, should have stuck to rowing.
The first full season of the Scottish League ended in as close a finish as has been seen since. Two clubs, Dumbarton and Rangers finished the campaign level on points. Goal average, or goal difference had not been considered as a means of separating the teams, so a play-off between the two sides was hastily arranged. The game finished 2-2 and with extra-time and penalties being still an idea of the distant future it was agreed that the trophy would be shared, with each of the clubs holding it for six months. This remains the only occasion where the Scottish championship was tied.
Dumbarton won the title outright the following season
ps,
remind them it was a 8 month reign, a half, not a whole.
Logged onto FF by mistake with that headline
That’s the kind of headline that sub-editors used to preface other writer’s articles.
Unfortunate use of language in the context
Ooh Er Missus CSC
SAINT STIVS on 11TH JUNE 2024 12:42 PM
even the playoff was an effort, should have stuck to rowing. The first full season of the Scottish League ended in as close a finish as has been seen since. Two clubs, Dumbarton and Rangers finished the campaign level on points. Goal average, or goal difference had not been considered as a means of separating the teams, so a play-off between the two sides was hastily arranged. The game finished 2-2 and with extra-time and penalties being still an idea of the distant future it was agreed that the trophy would be shared, with each of the clubs holding it for six months. This remains the only occasion where the Scottish championship was tied. Dumbarton won the title outright the following season
*they wurnae even the best team is in the country as World Champions Renton, who had been crowned 2 years earlier, were expelled after 5 games for breaching the regulations against professionalism, by playing against St Bernard’s, who had been found guilty of concealed professionalism, ironically a fledging club from the east end of Glasgow had done the same thing but by that time, aye only around 2 1/2 years in existence themselves, were too big to expel.
Renton raised an action against the SFA in the Court of Session and won, which meant that their SFA and SFL memberships were restored, they returned to the League in 1891, but struggled financially and resigned in 1897 although they continued to play in minor senior leagues before folding in 1922, ironically the club formerly known as rangers would themselves fold 90 years later due to financial irregularities, karma eventually caught up with them after they had systematically ruined the Scottish game that Renton had initially saved by being instrumental in establishing the Scottish League much tae the disdain of the SFA and Queens Park.
Have we signed I Flavius yet?
Good afternoon all from the Queens Park Cafe.
Braw.
Would Scott McKenna be a good free signing? Better than Scales and Welsh, maybe. I’d be happy to sign him along with an even better CB (assume we’re losing at least Lagerbielke).
You lot have been having a whale of a time in this dear green plaice ,which is brill , fish puns are great every day of the week , barramundi
Who scored rangers penalty in that play off?
“Who scored rangers penalty in that play off?”
Tav’s grampa…
Every ex working colleague in Nottingham,I used to go watch Forest on occasion,says Mc Kenna was very good for them.All said we should buy him.
Did I ever tell you I used to stay next house to MON.He had gone to Celtic from Leicester couple of weeks before I moved in.Never saw him once.Other neighbours,Don,Masson.i,and that keeper we had that lost 5 goals at Ibrox,who’s name escapes me.BR stayed there as well,after I was long gone.That keeper,what was his name?.
Andrews
McKenna is 100% an upgrade on everyone with exception of the big man.
Brendan wanted him in the last time he was here and the dandies stuck 6m tag on him.
I have a soft spot for seeing his surname on the hoops. Biased.csc
Sign him up if we can, he will have suitors.
KLV
Also on the woman’s game, it seems a bit of a closed shop already at every level and sexuality has been weaponised by clubs and coaches. I 100% agree with Pablo assertion that little will be done to help any fallen clubs. In my experience there isn’t much togetherness in the woman’s game and everyone is scared to do or say anything incase you offend someone or get black balled. I know Celtic try and make it about family and inclusive but I’m not so sure that’s right through the community.
We have already saw the past season the sevco woman’s team show thier colours, tip of the iceberg behind closed doors I’d guess.
Can be pretty toxic.csc
KLV
Michael Nicholson joining the spfl board again.
Papertiger.csc
KLV
BRRB
Philbhoy reporting in Sir!
Am fine mate, thanks for asking!
Look in sometimes but not much to say!
Still glowing after a wonderful season.
My only we tiny regret is that we did not bury the hun in the final!
Ah well, ye canny huv evrythin’!
I know you are good pal as you are still flying all over the world for beer!
Take care.
McKenna will have suitors.One across the City .Its a real no brainer for me.CL squad numbers,another plus.
I didn’t know about this story until I read Paul’s article.
All about money clearly.
Men’s game (countries and individual clubs) has seen dreams of expansion beyond financial reality actually materialise … only for the inevitable crash and burn.
I suspect similar to happen in the Women’s game … compounded in part by the understandable rush to catch up with the men.
I don’t envisage anyone brave enough to stand up and publicly say ….
“Hold on. Took the men over 100 hundred years to muck up their sport. Slow down !”
Reasonable content with an ill-considered header.
The world is full of football, some good, some bad, some professional, some amateur, some young, some old, some able-bodied, some disabled, some male, some female.
This is a tired and familiar issue where every team or league is considered a peer of the premier league and compared appropriately, because the commentator has gorged so deeply and exclusively of the EPL they can no longer perceive of any form of football that might exist beyond it. How many times have you heard the tired old refrain “Celtic wouldn’t last a second in the premier league”? Who cares! They’re different leagues with different markets, dynamics, and profiles.
The one major disappointment I have with women’s football is that they’ve built it as an exact replica of the men’s game. There was an opportunity to build a cleaner and more sensible version to a different model, which would provide a more unique viewing experience and could be independently marketed. One without all the diving, cheating, tiresome commentary, soundbites and ridiculous punditry.
This opportunity was wasted and instead women’s football has been engineering as a carbon copy of the men’s game thereby placing itself in direct competition with all the other football, which it simply cannot sustain. As stated above, the world is already full of an established football market to that template, there’s no USP to the female game nor is it a market “agitator”. It’s just football with women, which is of course fine, but won’t propel you at knots to the top of the industry faster than the Vanarama national league south.
Good news for my family today,another addition a great granddaughter Saoirse Catherine .
That’s 6 children 13 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren .
Life’s great isn’t it ☘️🇮🇪🙏
Self-funded club football is always under pressure, but viable for as long as those participating understand the “pay to play” nature of that experience, and this is true regardless of gender, age group or level.
Clubs trying to introduce or maintain women’s teams and female youth structure, are pushing the boulder up hill. Bottom line is that it does not generate sufficient revenue to offset the cost. I imagine that this is even true at many of the larger professional clubs like Celtic. So, in an effort to broaden community connection and build brand, they choose to subsidize these teams. It may ultimately be good business, but it is certainly more of an act of benevolence.
I don’t say this to cause offense, it’s just a reflection of the reality, and something that I believe will be very difficult to change. The LPGA, and professional women’s golf more broadly, is an excellent product. The game of these golfers competing at the highest level looks substantially like that of their male counterparts. The reason being is that the physical difference between male and female players is almost entirely offset by simply playing the forward tees. The only difference is a shorter golf course, which is also hard to notice on TV, and this allows the ladies to demonstrate the exact same range of skills as the men. Often with superior short games, and certainly with full swings a lot more comparable to amateur male golfers.
Unfortunately, watching women’s professional football is like that awkward stage for mens youth football when they start playing on full-sized pitches without the athleticism to make it look right in some aspects of play. For the ladies, it’s evident all across the field and in all areas of their play, but it is most obvious when they are seen shooting from outside the box. As a female player puts everything into a shot from 20 yards, the ball just does not have the zip and it quickly takes on an arc that looks more like a cross. The worst part is watching a 5’11” goalkeeper flailing to reach it as it falls just under the bar directly above their head. Sorry, but it’s just a hard watch and unless they change the size of the field and goals, and perhaps even the ball, it’s very hard to see how the sport grows substantially at the professional level, which will in turn restrict the game at all levels.
A lot of innuendo in the title of this piece.
I used to think an innuendo was an Italian suppository…….