“I Do Worry That Football Will Become Over-Feminized”: Ambiguities in Fan Reflections on the Gender Order in Men’s Professional Football in the United Kingdom

Cleland, Jamie; Pope, Stacey; Williams, John

doi:10.1123/ssj.2019-0060

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…Whilst these studies were largely conducted before the advancements and changes that have subsequently occurred in women's football, Pfister (2015) has argued that football continues to allow for the demonstration of hegemonic masculinities, albeit with less hegemonic power than was previously the case. The reasons behind this include the reemergence and subsequent national and international development of women's football since the 1970s, as well as the increasing numbers of women fans, chief executives, administrators, and journalists operating in both men's and women's football in the twenty-first century (see Cleland et al, 2020; Pope, 2017, 2018; Toffoletti, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fan Reflections on Sexuality in Women's Football in the United Kingdom

Cleland

Cashmore

Dixon

et al. 2021

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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This article presents the responses of 1,432 male association football fans, collected via an online survey from March 2020 to April 2020, regarding their views on sexuality in women's football in the United Kingdom. The analysis focuses on two broad themes that emerged from the data: (1) the association of women footballers with masculinity and how they subsequently transgress the traditional characteristics of femininity; and (2) a reduced stigma surrounding sexuality in women's football given its lower profile in terms of coverage and the smaller number of fans in comparison to men's football. The article concludes by outlining how there is less homonegativity concerning sexuality in women's football in the United Kingdom, primarily because the heteromasculine position of male fans is not challenged, but fans also reaffirm the stereotypes and myths of nonheterosexual women playing a sport like football.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fan Reflections on Sexuality in Women's Football in the United Kingdom

Cleland

Cashmore

Dixon

et al. 2021

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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“…This theoretical approach allows us to explore the very real ambiguities and contradictions -and potential for change -of lived sporting experiences today. Elsewhere, Cleland, Pope, and Williams (2020) have examined the exclusionary practices of sexism and subordination aimed at women in men's football, the extent to which women are regarded as 'authentic' fans, and highlighted how progressive masculinities can co-exist with misogynist versions in making such judgements. Elsewhere, we have examined men's attitudes towards women in the sports nexus and men's performances of masculinities (Pope et al forthcoming).…”

Section: Contradictions In the Increased Visibility Of Women's Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Genuinely in love with the game’ football fan experiences and perceptions of women’s football in England

2022

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Women's sport, and perhaps especially women's football, in England has enjoyed much greater media visibility and support over the past decade. But we still know relatively little about the response of fans of men's football to the rise of the women's game and their views on attending it. This paper highlights responses from 2,347 fans of the men's game in Britain to BBC terrestrial coverage of the FIFA Women's World Cup of 2015. It also investigates general views on women's football, experiences of attending matches and the perceived barriers to match attendance. It argues that there remains residual resistance to the women's game, but also increasing reflexivity about its performance and prospects. Concerns over the financial excesses of the men's game and about the values expressed in its elite versions additionally contribute to more positive attitudes and expectations in our sample about the future of elite women's football.

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“…Over the last two decades, the marginalisation of women in football has been extensively documented in academic scholarship (e.g., Scraton et al, 1999;Caudwell, 2003;Williams, 2003Williams, , 2007Williams, , 2019Bell, 2019;Clarkson et al, 2019;Cleland et al, 2020). Historical accounts of women's involvement in the game (e.g., Lopez, 1997;Pfister et al, 2002;Williams, 2003Williams, , 2019Williams and Hess, 2015) have traced the origins of this oppression and demonstrated how key milestones, such as the institutional banning of women from competition on FA affiliated grounds, have contributed toward the challenges faced by women footballers in gaining recognition in UK society today.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whilst football constitutes only one small and specific part of this landscape, we argue that it is perhaps one of the contexts in which inequitable gendered power dynamics are most profound. Football has a history of explicit structural exclusion of women (Williams, 2003) and plays a key role in producing and solidifying dominant notions of masculinity in contemporary popular culture (Cleland et al, 2020). This, coupled with its status and popularity in England and dominant presence in sports media, means that football offers a unique context in which to explore the gendered dynamics of leadership roles in sport.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I'm a Referee, Not a Female Referee”: The Experiences of Women Involved in Football as Coaches and Referees

Drury

Stride

Fitzgerald

et al. 2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

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The development of the Women's Super League (WSL) in English football, increased media coverage of the game, and an expansion of grassroots opportunities indicate a bright future for women and girls who want to play. Yet this vision must be tempered against compelling evidence of deep rooted and enduring gender inequalities within the game. This is the case for both players, and women who undertake non-playing roles, which is reflected in the relatively low numbers of women coaches and referees. Whilst The Football Association (The FA) has signalled addressing these inequalities as a key priority, critics argue that such efforts amount to superficial and limited efforts to support meaningful change. This paper departs from a concern with playing the game and responds to calls for more research to explore the experiences of women involved in football in non-playing roles. More specifically, it focuses on women coaches and referees, and addresses the following question: how do women in positions of power in football negotiate their place in what remains a distinctly male-dominated profession? In addressing this question, we take a theoretical position located at the nexus between radical and post-structural feminism, acknowledging the significance of structural power relations and individual agency in shaping daily lived social realities. Data were generated from interviews with 14 women coaches and 10 women referees. These interviews explored the structure and culture of the game and its impact on women's experiences of men's and women's competitive and grassroots football. Through a rigorous process of thematic analysis, three themes were identified: gendered entry into football careers; reinforcement of women's difference on the football field; and coping strategies for remaining in the game. Centralising the women's voices in this research highlights the insidious and persistent nature of gendered microaggressions, the sexism of football culture, and the ways in which these women negotiate this masculine terrain in their pursuit of being coaches and referees.“Andy Gray and Richard Keys hauled off air for sexist comments” (The Guardian, 24 January, 2011)“Crystal Palace Women goalkeeper accuses clubs of ignoring FA protocols after she was subjected to sexist abuse” (The Telegraph, 16 January, 2020)“Football manager demands ban on women referees” (The Guardian, 12 November, 2006)“Richard Scudamore sexism scandal intensifies as conspirator in sexist emails investigated by own law firm” (The Telegraph, 16 May, 2014)“Soccer chief's plan to boost women's game? Hotpants” (The Guardian, 16 January, 2004)“Women in Football survey a damning indictment of sexism in the workplace” (HRreview, 11 March, 2014)“Clattenburg criticised for claim female referees must pick career or children” (The Telegraph, 1 October, 2021)

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“I Do Worry That Football Will Become Over-Feminized”: Ambiguities in Fan Reflections on the Gender Order in Men’s Professional Football in the United Kingdom

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Fan Reflections on Sexuality in Women's Football in the United Kingdom

Fan Reflections on Sexuality in Women's Football in the United Kingdom

‘Genuinely in love with the game’ football fan experiences and perceptions of women’s football in England

“I'm a Referee, Not a Female Referee”: The Experiences of Women Involved in Football as Coaches and Referees

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