The Ravings of A Vex Woman Footballer

[Andre]

i feel sorry for these ladies.

i have a spot on my team for a lying on your back if they interested.



Murphy on Charlton's demise
By Danielle Murphy
Charlton and England midfielder

Four FA Cup finals in six years, three League Cup finals in six years, consistently challenging for the Premier League title every season.

Does this sound like the kind of team that you would want to just give up on and basically shaft? This is what Charlton Athletic has done.

Now most people are probably thinking that club has not been that successful.

You are wrong because they have, however it wasn't the men who were performing so well but the women's team.

Over the last six years it is clearly the women's team that has achieved the most glory and success, enhancing Charlton Athletic's reputation as a club that looks to the future and is open to changing attitudes within the football world.

This has come to an abrupt end. The men's team got relegated and now the only people to suffer are the girls.

The men underperform but still keep their massive pay cheques, the women's side has all its financial support stopped.

The Charlton board continue to sit in their lovely Laura Ashley offices and drive in their fast cars - the little girls who dreamt of playing for Charlton and England are told the girls' section of the club is no longer going to exist.

How fair is that from this family-orientated club?

I am a first team player, I trained every week, five times a week. I have a full-time job on top of that and had to travel an-hour-and-a-half every time to get to training.

I gave up my weekends to travel the country to represent Charlton Athletic because I was proud to do it.

Girls would travel up to four hours to train for two hours twice a week because we wanted to be the best.

That to me is commitment. Not just taking the money, coming to train for a couple of hours and then show no heart when you eventually play your 90 minutes for £20,000 a week.

When Charlton Athletic took over and introduced a women's section in the club a lot of people were excited. Success breads interest and we were good.

The thing that they seem to overlook is that we still are but because we do not make them enough money we are more of a burden.

I am writing because I am hurt, and I feel I have been mistreated. After four years of total commitment I get a voicemail from the manager saying the girls' section is no more.
   Maybe if the men's team played for the reasons we played for then we all would not be in this situation

Is that all I am worth? The Charlton board did not even have the decency to call a meeting, to face the players and look them in the eye and explain their reasons for this decision.

That to me is disrespectful and totally unacceptable. A large part of my life was devoted to this club and in return I have been treated like this.

One-and-a-half months ago I was playing in an FA Cup final in front of 25,000 people for Charlton Athletic. Promoting their club, wearing my heart on my sleeve for that club.

How things change. I will move on, I have my own life, a real job as a firefighter that I work at and I will probably eventually play for another club.

I feel sorry for those girls who are 10-14 years old playing at the centre of excellence, teenagers attending the girls academy, and reserve team players who had ambitions to break into the first team.

What happens to them? Where do they go from here?

All I know is that within one minute of a voicemail message from my manager my thoughts and beliefs of Charlton Athletic as the family team had changed.

They are just like the rest of these multi-million businesses. People's feelings, hearts and morals do not come into it - it is all about money.

Maybe if the men's team played for the reasons we played for then we all would not be in this situation.

Maybe if the Charlton executives had more faith in people rather than money Charlton Athletic could have been the club it pretends to be.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/football/women/6246542.stm

[Filho]

It's a shame...

Perhaps the fat cats in suits and their underperforming male counterparts should take a pay cut to keep the women's team alive 

[Bourbon]

It's a shame...

Perhaps the fat cats in suits and their underperforming male counterparts should take a pay cut to keep the women's team alive

No lie. I remember a while ago i turned on FSC and got the tail end of the FA cup final with them. Even though they were 3 goals down they still played with a lot of heart. This is really sad.

[kicker]

If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense....

sad but true.

I might get cuss for this, but Women's football is not football (as we know it).

Football is men's football- a harsh truth.

It's sad because the female players do everything in their power to play the world's greatest game, but it just isn't the same- women's football is not the world's greatest game- and it's almost useless comparing the two. Women's football is slow, lacks sophistication, flare, history & passion that makes the men's game what it is.

I'm all about equal rights & not sexist etc.....I'm not sure what the solution is, but trying to draw parallels between the men's game & the women's game in an argument to any Board of Directors is a waste because yuh dealing in two different kettles of fish...

[Filho]

If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense....

sad but true.

I might get cuss for this, but Women's football is not football (as we know it).

Football is men's football- a harsh truth.

It's sad because the female players do everything in their power to play the world's greatest game, but it just isn't the same- women's football is not the world's greatest game- and it's almost useless comparing the two. Women's football is slow, lacks sophistication, flare, history & passion that makes the men's game what it is.

I'm all about equal rights & not sexist etc.....I'm not sure what the solution is, but trying to draw parallels between the men's game & the women's game in an argument to any Board of Directors is a waste......

To take your own line from another thread..it doesn't hit home, until it hits home. If you ever have daughters who want to play ball..you will see how it becomes just as important as the men's game. And it's not true that the game lacks sophistication and flair at all. The top teams can often give you a really attractive game. And more and more teams joining that list. Brazil women play with the flair of the old school Brazilians. Because the game is slower, they have more time to gallery. Sometimes they really look great. But you will see only what you expect to see. You should take in the upcoming WC..you will be pleasantly surprised

[WestCoast]

yeah my daughter has been playing football for many years and sometimes there are players on her team or another team who have great ability that overshadows some of the other players.

[ANC2]

I have a daughter who plays, so I understand. But the truth is its the Men's football that drives everything. Men's football funds the Women. You cannot make any money from Women football. When last a woman was traded for 1 million dollars. It is sad but it is a reality.

[Mose]

I have a daughter who plays, so I understand. But the truth is its the Men's football that drives everything. Men's football funds the Women. You cannot make any money from Women football. When last a woman was traded for 1 million dollars. It is sad but it is a reality.

Yuh mean to say these women played in a FA Cup Final in front of 25,000 people and the Board of Directors cyah figure out a way to make money off of women's football??? I'm sorry ANC but ah cyah buy dat argument. What about developing the game? A few years back MLS would have been overjoyed to have dat many people attending games but they keep on striving and working to develop the league and the game in the US. Now they could afford to sign Beckham to a $250million contract.

It is true that money drives everything but sometimes yuh have to take the long view. I believe the financial term is "long term investment".

[kentsoulman]

I have a daughter who plays, so I understand. But the truth is its the Men's football that drives everything. Men's football funds the Women. You cannot make any money from Women football. When last a woman was traded for 1 million dollars. It is sad but it is a reality.

Yuh mean to say these women played in a FA Cup Final in front of 25,000 people and the Board of Directors cyah figure out a way to make money off of women's football??? I'm sorry ANC but ah cyah buy dat argument. What about developing the game? A few years back MLS would have been overjoyed to have dat many people attending games but they keep on striving and working to develop the league and the game in the US. Now they could afford to sign Beckham to a $250million contract.

It is true that money drives everything but sometimes yuh have to take the long view. I believe the financial term is "long term investment".

The money from the cup final probably has gone into Charltons promotion campaign. However, it would have been nice if the club had approached the male players and asked for a donation from each. I'm sure they don't give a damn, but maybe if the captain was strong enough, he'd embarrass them into putting in a few pounds.

[kicker]

If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense....

sad but true.

I might get cuss for this, but Women's football is not football (as we know it).

Football is men's football- a harsh truth.

It's sad because the female players do everything in their power to play the world's greatest game, but it just isn't the same- women's football is not the world's greatest game- and it's almost useless comparing the two. Women's football is slow, lacks sophistication, flare, history & passion that makes the men's game what it is.

I'm all about equal rights & not sexist etc.....I'm not sure what the solution is, but trying to draw parallels between the men's game & the women's game in an argument to any Board of Directors is a waste......

To take your own line from another thread..it doesn't hit home, until it hits home. If you ever have daughters who want to play ball..you will see how it becomes just as important as the men's game. And it's not true that the game lacks sophistication and flair at all. The top teams can often give you a really attractive game. And more and more teams joining that list. Brazil women play with the flair of the old school Brazilians. Because the game is slower, they have more time to gallery. Sometimes they really look great. But you will see only what you expect to see. You should take in the upcoming WC..you will be pleasantly surprised

I guess my point was lost- I'm not taking anything away from the meritocracy of the women's game, and I'm not saying it's not important...never said that......- I'm just saying it's not as comparable to the men's game as the author wants it to be (that's the angle that she's taking in her argument)..The adjectives that I used to describe the women's game were meant to be relative- not meant to come off as if I was "dissing it" in absolute......I just mean relative to the men's game, it's a different kettle of fish (whether that is what I choose to see or not)...at least it isn't yet...

it is what it is, and I cannot say that I have not been entertained by women's matches, but the at this point, the fact remains...it's not the same game. The angle that the author is coming from is "the men get XXXXXX, we women do the same thing.....and dont get XXXXXXX- therefore injustice...I don't think that angle is feasible.

It's like a guy selling fixed income securities at a no-name investment bank arguing that he deserves the same compensation/treatment as a guy selling the fixed income securities at Lehman brothers......yes it's the same industry, yes it's the same product group, yes you work the same hours and perform the same functions.... but Lehman has better products (determined by demand), sell to a bigger market, has been in the busines for alot longer, the investment world had bought into our brand and hence is willing to do business with us, and pay a higher premium for our product & service. I'm sure that all people working/seeking careers in the I-banking industry will accept that rationale...

The only reason people won't accept it in this case is because of the controversy of "sexual discrimination" - forget for a second that it's women vs men, and think about the two products on display.....tell me you don't see where I'm coming from. Not saying it's right- I'm saying that it is what it is- and it's totally understandable in my opinion.

Appealing only to the emotional senses (which the author does in this case) is not enough in my opinio..in fact it is overly naive...especially taking the route of comparing the women's game to the men's game -most obvious but probably the best route....

[Filho]

kicker..you make very valid points, but your first post reads as pretty absolute. It really doesn't sound like you meant relative to the men's game. But I see now what you mean.

The author is angry but she is not naive. I don't see her arguing for equality with respect to the men. She just thinks that a team of women who are comiitted, love the sport, and enjoy some success deserve more. She thinks some things in life have to come before money. Look around..it is everywhere and many of us benefit from it. Even in sport, money can't be everything. Human and community development counts and a lot of young women and those who supported them were better off for it. History is full of instances where institutions and people realized that money should not be an excuse to keep people from achieveing their goals, etc...from free/cheap vaccinations and healthcare in poor countries to scholarships for higher education. A club that claims it is family oriented could have found a way to keep the women's team..or at least find a more respectful way to disband than just an email.

[Carib-Briton]

This is sexism, funny enough the manager of the Charlton Ladies (well former now they just closed the team) is assessing some mocks on my Football coaching course

[kicker]

kicker..you make very valid points, but your first post reads as pretty absolute. It really doesn't sound like you meant relative to the men's game. But I see now what you mean.

The author is angry but she is not naive. I don't see her arguing for equality with respect to the men. She just thinks that a team of women who are comiitted, love the sport, and enjoy some success deserve more. She thinks some things in life have to come before money. Look around..it is everywhere and many of us benefit from it. Even in sport, money can't be everything. Human and community development counts and a lot of young women and those who supported them were better off for it. History is full of instances where institutions and people realized that money should not be an excuse to keep people from achieveing their goals, etc...from free/cheap vaccinations and healthcare in poor countries to scholarships for higher education. A club that claims it is family oriented could have found a way to keep the women's team..or at least find a more respectful way to disband than just an email.

True...

The manner in which they disbanded the team (or communicated it) was unprofessional & disrespectful - not much argument there.

But I guess when I read it, I didn't gather that that was the major source of her frustration. I just saw that as the straw that broke the camel's back. To me there were some subtle jabs that implied sexual discrimination/inequality on some level, a feeling of wasted effort and unappreciated dedication, and a heartbreak at the thought of dashed hopes & dreams of young girls aspiring to be professional footballers- all of which appeal to the emotional senses.........I chose to comment only on the sexual discrimination/inequality aspect of the plea and shoot it down, because I think it's interesting to look at it from a perspective that is not only unpopular/disliked, but also very realistic and in my opinion way less immoral than people may perceive it to be.

I know ah soundin' like the big bad wolf but it's not like I don't appreciate a strong deliberate corporate social/community focus & human conscience- in fact I'm an advocate for it where I work and in general. I just think that the common perception of a bunch of evil men in suits with no conscience or families of their own making decisions to fatten only their wallets is unfairly stereotypical- and when people read a letter like the one above that appeals to the emotional senses more than anything else, they walk away with nothing but that common perception alone, and an unbalanced, unrealistic view........ just trying to balance the scale a little bit.
 

[duscam]

is like WNBA nobody does watch it....sorry

[Filho]

kicker..you make very valid points, but your first post reads as pretty absolute. It really doesn't sound like you meant relative to the men's game. But I see now what you mean.

The author is angry but she is not naive. I don't see her arguing for equality with respect to the men. She just thinks that a team of women who are comiitted, love the sport, and enjoy some success deserve more. She thinks some things in life have to come before money. Look around..it is everywhere and many of us benefit from it. Even in sport, money can't be everything. Human and community development counts and a lot of young women and those who supported them were better off for it. History is full of instances where institutions and people realized that money should not be an excuse to keep people from achieveing their goals, etc...from free/cheap vaccinations and healthcare in poor countries to scholarships for higher education. A club that claims it is family oriented could have found a way to keep the women's team..or at least find a more respectful way to disband than just an email.

True...

The manner in which they disbanded the team (or communicated it) was unprofessional & disrespectful - not much argument there.

But I guess when I read it, I didn't gather that that was the major source of her frustration. I just saw that as the straw that broke the camel's back. To me there were some subtle jabs that implied sexual discrimination/inequality on some level, a feeling of wasted effort and unappreciated dedication, and a heartbreak at the thought of dashed hopes & dreams of young girls aspiring to be professional footballers- all of which appeal to the emotional senses.........I chose to comment only on the sexual discrimination/inequality aspect of the plea and shoot it down, because I think it's interesting to look at it from a perspective that is not only unpopular/disliked, but also very realistic and in my opinion way less immoral than people may perceive it to be.

I know ah soundin' like the big bad wolf but it's not like I don't appreciate a strong deliberate corporate social/community focus & human conscience- in fact I'm an advocate for it where I work and in general. I just think that the common perception of a bunch of evil men in suits with no conscience or families of their own making decisions to fatten only their wallets is unfairly stereotypical- and when people read a letter like the one above that appeals to the emotional senses more than anything else, they walk away with nothing but that common perception alone, and an unbalanced, unrealistic view........ just trying to balance the scale a little bit.
 

cool. but u might be reading more into it than there really is. you're making some assumptions about her personal feelings that may not be true. even so..her personal views should not cloud the biogger issue

 

[kicker]

cool. but u might be reading more into it than there really is. you're making some assumptions about her personal feelings that may not be true. even so..her personal views should not cloud the biogger issue

 

Don't mean to persist with this, but the assumptions I'm making are not about her personal feelings. I think her expressed personal feelings are pretty clear. I'm speaking more to the sentiment that is very likely to be taken away after reading the journal:

I just think that the common perception of a bunch of evil men in suits with no conscience or families of their own making decisions to fatten only their wallets is unfairly stereotypical- and when people read a letter like the one above that appeals to the emotional senses more than anything else, they walk away with nothing but that common perception alone, and an unbalanced, unrealistic view........

That of course is as well an assumption...but pretty valid in my view and somewhat supported by:

It's a shame...

Perhaps the fat cats in suits and their underperforming male counterparts should take a pay cut to keep the women's team alive

 

Good topic though- wish ppl had more to say on it.