Female fan experiences and interpretations of the 1958 Munich air disaster, the 1966 World Cup finals and the rise of footballers as sexualised national celebrities

Abstract

The experiences of female sports fans have largely been neglected in academic research to date with socio-historical accounts focusing almost exclusively on male fans. Through an excavation of the sporting histories of female football fans this article aims to make one contribution towards changing this. Drawing on Glaser and Strauss's 'grounded theory' approach, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with female football fans in England, aged between 50 and 80 years old. My findings begin by examining female fans' memories of the 1958 Munich air disaster. I move on to examine female experiences and interpretations of the 1966 World Cup finals, before finally discussing the rise of football players in England as sexualised national celebrities. To conclude, I call for further socio-historical research to explore female experiences of football in earlier decades.

Women’s football studies: an integrative review

“…Caudwell, 1999, 2003, 2011; Fielding-Lloyd and Meân, 2008; Hjelseth and Hovden, 2014). Gender constraints remain a major issue for women to emerge and gain credibility across all levels of the football world, including: coaching (Fasting and Pfister, 2000; Fasting et al , 2017; Fielding-Lloyd and Meân, 2008; Lewis et al , 2018; Norman, 2014; Schlesinger and Weigelt-Schlesinger, 2012; Skogvang and Fasting, 2013), media (Christopherson et al , 2002; Coche, 2016; Peeters and Elling, 2015; Peeters and van Sterkenburg, 2017; Pfister, 2015b; Skogvang, 2009), fandom (Ben-Porat, 2009; Dunn, 2017; Hjelseth and Hovden, 2014; Kim, 2004; Mintert and Pfister, 2015; Pfister, 2013; Pfister et al , 2013; Pope, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016; Pope and Williams, 2011; Selmer and Sülzle, 2010) and refereeing (Kim and Hong, 2016; Perreau-Niel and Erard, 2015), as well as positions of power such as national federations’ organisational boards (Strittmatter and Skirstad, 2017; Welford, 2011). The steady number of publications on historical and sociological domains demonstrated that researchers frequently shine a light on the socio-cultural, political, economic and legislative context in which women’s football has evolved over time (see e.g.…”

“That’s Not the Only Reason I’m Watching the Game”: Women’s (Hetero)Sexual Desire and Sports Fandom

“…The recruitment strategy did not purposefully seek out women of any particular demographic group, including sexual orientation, as the overall goal was to examine the experiences of women who highly identify as sports fans. For this study, the vast majority of the participants are in their 20s and 30s, making them more susceptible to suspicions that they are sexually attracted to the athletes, as older women are often assumed to be less libidinous (Obel, 2012; Pope, 2016). While this is a harmful stereotype that marginalizes women’s sexuality in ways that men rarely face, it is important to consider as it affects how women are viewed by others and thus how they experience sports fandom.…”

Dynamic Sublimes, Changing Plans, and The Legacy of A Megaproject: The Case of the 1966 Soccer World Cup

“…There is much debate as to the wider effects of sporting mega-events, beyond those that can be classified as strictly/ directly "economic." For example, there is little consensus as to whether hosting mega-events can lead to increased interest and participation in sport (Frawley & Cush, 2011;Pope, 2016;Brent Ritchie, 1984;Truño, 1995;Veal et al, 2012) or not (or at least not to the extent that is proposed when making the case to host a mega-event) (Hogan & Norton, 2000;Weed et al, 2009). Some writers suggest that the global exposure of a city or country can make the expense of hosting an event worthwhile (Oldenboom, 2006;Brent Ritchie & Smith, 1991;Varrel & Kennedy, 2011), whereas others discern little or no impact on international awareness and image improvement (Chalip, Green, & Hill, 2003;Gripsrud, Nes, & Olsson, 2010;Mossberg & Hallberg, 1999;Rivenburgh, Louw, Loo, & Mersham, 2003).…”

“…England's subsequent failure to again win the tournament inspired a popular song "Three Lions," which included lyrics reflecting on England's "thirty years of hurt" since 1966 (Baddiel & Skinner, 1996). The tournament was also instrumental in broadening the appeal of soccer among females as both supporters (Pope, 2016) and players (Lopez, cited by BBC, 2016).…”