Ipswich Town Women.

[Charnwood]

Ipswich Town Women played their first game at Portman Road this afternoon against Chatham Town in front of a fabulous 10,173 fans who were treated to a great game and a brilliant result with Town running out 5-0 winners.

The attendance was higher than any men’s game in the EFL or SFL played today but dwarfed by the Women’s Manchester Derby where more than 40,000 piked into the Etihad Stadium to watch City brush United aside 3-1.

It seems like the women’s game has really taken off now.

[marko69]

10K ? That is a fantastic support. Will this be sustained? Or was it only that large a crowd due to it being the first game at PR?

I had to go on google maps and search “Chatham”

[Blue Wilf]

The club pushed this hard and got a reward in terms of people turning up, so fair play. For me, it means nothing as I have no interest in the women's game. I wish them well but its not for me.

[Bluemike]

Same here wilf but good luck to them.

[Charnwood]

It’s not for me either Ian. The wife and I only started watching the England team when our next door neighbour was appointed the FA Director of Woman’s Football in 2016. She’s due to retire at the end of this season so that’s when I’ll probably lessen my interest.
Interestingly according to her, only 20% of people who watch the men’s game watch women’s football, suggesting 80% are new to watching the game. This would suggest only 1 in 5 on here are likely to watch the women’s football and I suspect that won’t be far out.
That said from what I have seen, the women’s game has moved spectacularly on since my neighbour took over and is far more entertaining to watch. I assume her bonuses have been massive too given what she’s achieved in growing the women’s game in England.

[marko69]

You guys are being very polite.

[arana peligrosa]

Chatham's some one mile out from Rochester, they just about overlap each other. You can walk along Rochester High Street to the far end and then you're essentially in Chatham. You got Gillingham for good measure in along with it but the latter features Kent's only professional club name set-up.

I concur the Women's game holds only limited interest but from their perspective it must have been a real enthralling experience. Here they get to play at the Men's Portman Road stadium and they get a respectable crowd also. ITFC in present time are expanding, we're becoming bigger and more recognized once again so having women feature at Portman Road (for however long it continues) can only be something of a bonus regards the club name's climb out of obscurity into something of a now (once again) growing fascination.

[Blue Wilf]

You guys are being very polite.

haha - yes you are right, Marko. The truth is that I do wish them well in their own right if that is what they want to do but to try and make out their game is in any way aligned to the mens game (and the history that surrounds it) is pure folly. I also get pretty annoyed when I see the so called WSL getting off coaches with headsets on and being treated exactly the same as their male counterparts when they have simply not earned that reward. It just seems to me that they are 'playing' at being Prem League footballers. When they have their own history, crowds and funding, good luck to them but right now? No... not in my mind. Being totally honest, I found the message from MA and KMc that came out this week to push tickets laughable. It was almost embarrassing! I got into trouble at a dinner recently where I expressed a similar view and was attacked from all sides by men and women who disagreed with me but when I asked each of them if they has ever been to a womens football (or mens) match.... not one of them had - but I was apparently in the wrong for expressing the view! The world has indeed gone mad... There you go - now wait for the vitriol that usually follows 'honesty' on social media...

[marko69]

To quote Darren Farley, (but in no way directly quote him at all) : “To say the England women's team would get stuffed 12-0 by the Albion Rovers under 12’s boys team is neither here or there, the point is……..”

All joking aside, it is just another modern area that cannot be commented on….. which is why you came across as ignorant at your dinner event.
Think the vast majority of men will have the thinking that its not THAT entertaining and a number of those choose just not to comment. You’re in the “i’ll speak my mind dammit” camp!

Nothing else to do but to either avoid it or embrace it. Re the AFL……. They’ve introduced women onfield reporters and studio reporters, which does get on my own man-tits very slightly, but love the game too much for me to avoid.

Honest opinion on the women’s game though. Outfield is actually very VERY good, but the goalkeeping can be extremely suspect, regardless of the BBC Sports Award last year.

[Charnwood]

I think you’re bang on right BW. When I was sufficiently intrigued to watch a few minutes of a game for the first time I couldn’t believe how slow it was and how alike it was to decent park football. In particular the goalkeeping was laughable with keepers diving after the ball had hit the back of the net
Last summer I watched my first full game from start to finish when England played Australia in the World Cup Semi Final and a few days later Spain in the Final. I was surprised how much the women’s game had improved and how much more entertaining it was, but I guess these girls are the best in the world so it shouldn’t be unexpected.
At the highest level I see Wales, England and Ireland all pay their girls the same £2k match fee as the men receive and I guess there’s some justification for that but to think they’re game is at the same level is a joke.
The top players in the men’s game earn over £100m a year whilst the top women earn less than £500k and whilst this differential is huge it probably reflects the difference between the two standards of football. I just think women need to accept this.
Whilst on the subject of women and football what really pisses me off even more than the actual football is the pundits and television channels obsession with them taking over in the studio talking about men’s games.

[Ricco]

There's times under McCarthy that the men's team would struggle to attract 10k supporters, so fair play to them, I'd rather watch them than that McCarthy borefest for sure.

They'll of course never hit the intensity or dynamism of the men's game, not even close, but the technical skill is increasing. As Marko said, the goalkeeping has been woeful, there was a time when I would have been the best female keeper in the world, had I got the loppers out the shed. That's certainly not the case any more, they are getting better.

It has to be a lot more family friendly too and cheaper to boot. There's definitely a different market and attraction (ooo er) to the woman's game, and that's shown by the attendances.

Fine to not like it or criticise it, but looks like the days of writing it off completely are gone, and some silenced by product on offer.

[Ricco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvLgjJ8LOKg

Some tidy goals in that lot, not bad for 3rd/4th tier football, be good if they can emulate the success of the men's team.

5-0 seems like they chose a little weak an opposition to showcase at PR, but I guess they wanted that...