The long battle against Sexism in football
We never seem to go for too long in football without sexism raising its ugly head. Time and time again, the headlines are dominated by instances of men at the top of the ladder slating women and their place in the sport. Some of the most recent, notorious instances are: the Andy Gray and Richard Keys debacle on Sky Sports; Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments that women football players should be rewarded with bikes and not the fast car like the male Swedish player of the year was given; and former AC Milan player Gennaro Gattuso suggesting that women do not belong in the game.Â
In the last fortnight, the latest instance of sexism in football has come in the form of the Premier League chief himself, Richard Scudamore, and his more than distasteful emails that have found their way into the public domain. And what has happened to him?? Well quite frankly, nothing! Despite the media anguish and comments of disgust from men and women involved in the game and sport in general, the hierarchy of the Football Association and the Premier League have given him a little rap on the knuckles and, through a rushed “investigation”, allowed him to keep his job. Apparently sexism and the degradation of women is not a good enough or a serious enough reason to truly take a stand. It is accepted and the message is clear that we should just carry on as if nothing has happened.Â
Before I carry on, I will pose one question…What if those emails had been about someone of a different colour or race?Â
Well I can pretty much assure you that the reaction of those at the top would have been very different. There would be none of this pussy-footing around; Scudamore would have been out of the door before you could blink and quite rightly too. Racism is a very serious issue but homophobia and sexism are equally so. They are all discrimination of one form or another and should be punishable equally with the same conviction.Â
The simple fact is that sexism is not considered a serious enough issue and many in this country still hold the view that football is a man’s game where women do not belong. It is inherent in our culture and is a view held by as many at the top of the game as by the everyday fan in the stands... and that’s just if you’re interested in watching it or covering it let alone if you decide to play it. Don’t get me wrong, times are changing and things are improving massively but I don’t think we will ever break through the discrimination barriers completely until the people running the game change their views on women, racism and homophobia. Until UEFA/FIFA are prepared to throw the book at clubs/national teams for racist behaviour (either of their own players/staff or their fans), until a high profile active male football player comes out and receives the full backing of his club and the football association, and until the Football Association and Premier League are prepared to punish someone of Scudamore’s standing, we will never see the change that we desire and deserve.Â
And what does the Scudamore episode say about the state of the women’s game in England?Â
Part of the defence of the Premier League chief executive has been about how far he’s pushed for the Women’s Super League and the progression of women’s football in this country. His emails and quite frankly ridiculous apology on the other hand are completely hypocritical of this stance. Let's be honest, his apology does not mean he has changed his opinion on women in football, it simply means he's sorry the e-mails were made public.Â
In my view it does pose a serious question. If one of the most powerful men in both the men and women’s game does not believe what he preaches, how much commitment does he actually have to strengthening the women’s game? Especially when you take away external influences.Â
There are many influential women who work tirelessly in and around both men and women’s football to break down the barriers and establish themselves and others in what has been a hostile world. Karen Brady, Gabby Logan, Jacqui Oatley and Kelly Simmons are just a few of those that stand out. They have made great progress but as the events of the last fortnight have shown, there is still an awful lot to be done until we get the equality we truly deserve.Â
