{"id":2017,"date":"2025-12-13T10:04:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T10:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2025-12-13T10:04:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T10:04:32","slug":"womens-football-is-booming-but-are-female-supporters-welcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=2017","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s football is booming \u2014 but are female supporters welcome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In July, 34,000 football fans packed into Jakob-Park in Basel in Switzerland, to watch the\u00a0UEFA Women\u2019s Euro 2025 final<\/a>\u00a0where England beat Spain on penalties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As the Lionesses\u2019 supporters screamed with joy as\u00a0Chloe Kelly<\/a>\u00a0scored the winner, epic celebrations would continue for days across the UK \u2013 a sure sign of just how far women\u2019s football has come in a short space of time.<\/p>\n

Today, more women\u2019s games are being shown on mainstream TV, a burgeoning fan culture is taking off on social media, and ticket sales have skyrocketed.<\/p>\n

Case in point: attendance in the Women\u2019s Super League (WSL) increased by 200% after\u00a0England\u2019s initial Euro win in 2022<\/a>, and on an international level, the fanbase is expected to reach 800 million by 2030, with almost two thirds of those fans predicted to be female.<\/p>\n

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A recent survey by anti-\u00addiscrimination charity Kick It Out found that over half of female supporters have experienced sexism on match days in England.<\/p>\n

Football fan Caz May, 30, knows this statistic all too well: \u2018Stewards have directed me to shopping centres, and men have touched me without consent. One time, a man in his 50s whispered into my ear that I had \u201cnice Bristols\u201d [slang for boobs]. I found it petrifying, but would think to myself, \u201cI\u2019m in a male-dominated environment, what do I expect?\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

However, one incident in 2021 led Caz to launch Her Game Too to stamp out misogyny, alongside 11 other women who also want to just enjoy the game. \u2018I got involved in social media banter, and laughed at Wycombe Wanderers\u00a0<\/strong>for losing to my team, Bristol Rovers, like the male fans were doing. But it became a horrendous sexist pile-on, with people attacking my gender, body, weight and appearance and saying stuff like \u201cGet back in the kitchen\u201d. I became scared by some threatening comments, but there was nowhere to get support or hold clubs accountable.\u2019<\/p>\n

Chloe Morgan, 35, is head of She\u2019s a Baller, an organisation dedicated to promoting the women\u2019s game, and has been playing football since childhood, starting with kickabouts on the street, before joining\u00a0Tottenham<\/a>\u00a0Hotspur,\u00a0Arsenal<\/a>, and\u00a0Crystal Palace<\/a>\u00a0as a goalkeeper.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite love for the sport and her family\u2019s avid support for\u00a0Manchester United<\/a>, she never went to games growing up.<\/p>\n

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\u2018There\u2019s no way in hell that my mum and dad would let me go, but I didn\u2019t want to either,\u2019 she says. When she eventually made it to a men\u2019s\u00a0Chelsea<\/a>\u00a0game in adulthood, she\u00a0described the environment as \u2018hostile\u2019<\/a>: \u2018There were drunk people in my face shouting and swearing, which felt aggressive and unsafe, and real animosity between the sides. I\u2019m not running to do it again.<\/p>\n

\u2018You want it to be like a pantomime with cheers, boos, and drama, but there\u2019s a fine line. In women\u2019s football, we hold ourselves to a higher standard.\u2019<\/p>\n

Problems creeping into women\u2019s games<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The increasingly popular women\u2019s matches are becoming a haven for many fans. \u2018It\u2019s so wholesome and lovely with the male fans following women\u2019s lead,\u2019 explains Caz. \u2018You can relax without worrying about inappropriate chanting or discrimination, but I\u2019m not saying it doesn\u2019t happen, and as it grows, we are going to get more incidents.\u2019<\/p>\n

Chloe adds that this is her \u2018biggest fear\u2019 and has already seen players Khadija \u2018Bunny\u2019 Shaw and\u00a0Jess Carter facing racial discrimination.<\/a>\u00a0\u2018The very high-profile incidents show that it is creeping in,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

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Football clubs taking action early is \u2018paramount,\u2019 both women agree, and believe it would mean more people will feel comfortable speaking up about any discrimination. Currently, 85% of women who experience sexism or harassment at games don\u2019t report it.<\/p>\n

However, women can\u2019t do that alone, says Caz, it\u2019s a job for everyone: \u2018Men\u2019s voices are powerful. If they hear a mate saying anything misogynistic, they could gently call them out and educate.<\/p>\n

\u2018If high-profile male athletes spoke up more, there would be a ripple effect. The next generation of boys would grow up to respect women in that space, too.\u2019<\/p>\n

Building change<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Football is a sport that has historically catered to men, with the FA even banning women\u2019s football for 50 years until 1971, so naturally, there is a development gap. Chloe has seen crowds go from around 50 \u2013 mainly friends and family who had been \u2018dragged along\u2019 \u2013 to 38,000 a few years ago. \u2018We were all terrified,\u2019 she remembers. \u2018It\u2019s a whole different level of pressure, but it feels exciting to see.\u2019<\/p>\n

To help put women at the centre, WSL recently shared world-first design guidelines for elite women\u2019s stadiums. \u2018The rapid growth of the women\u2019s game in recent years has merely highlighted the need to have those spaces designed with the needs of female athletes and fans at the heart of it,\u2019 says Hannah Buckley, WSL\u2019s head of safety, sustainability and infrastructure. Excitedly, plans are already in place for the first purpose-built women\u2019s stadium at\u00a0Brighton<\/a>\u00a0& Hove Albion.<\/p>\n

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Charlotte Read, who has consulted the FA on how to support England teams through infrastructure and transport consultancy Steer, explains why the intentional focus is needed: \u2018Clubs often have their ways set for men\u2019s teams and apply it to women, despite it being a completely different demographic.<\/p>\n

\u2018The operations, infrastructure and the whole fan experience need to adapt. For instance, seating and sight lines are based on an average male height; this should be reassessed to reflect the demographics of attendees at the women\u2019s game.\u2019<\/p>\n

Architect at BDP Pattern (who designed for Brighton & Hove fan zone), Lindsay Johnston, believes it will have long-term benefits. \u2018Once we start building better for women, it will be a catalyst for change. In tennis, the prize money and sponsorship deals are equal between the sexes, and football could follow,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Practical suggestions outlined by WSL include a 45% male, 45% female, and 10% gender-neutral toilets split, so women don\u2019t miss the game due to long queues. Dedicated breastfeeding areas, more family bathrooms, baby changing facilities, and an alcohol-free area are all included in the guidelines.<\/p>\n

Caz also has ideas: more women\u2019s sizes in the merchandise shop and free sanitary products in the toilets, which could be especially helpful for girls attending matches with their dads. The small changes, she says, would combine to \u2018build an inclusive atmosphere\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Safety is arguably the most important consideration, and this starts with the journey. \u2018Public transport and the walk to the stadium, which is usually around a mile, can be quite frightening. Providing safe and well-lit access travel routes to grounds, with clear signage, is a necessity,\u2019 states Lindsay.<\/p>\n

During the Men\u2019s Euro 2020 final, police made 51 arrests, but no arrests or significant trouble were reported around the Women\u2019s Euro 2022 final. \u2018At men\u2019s games, stewards are used as a deterrence for anti-social behaviour,\u2019 Charlotte explains. \u2018But for the women\u2019s games, you need it to be a bit more light touch, supportive and about safeguarding.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u2018Security should look more friendly, rather than resembling a fortress that you don\u2019t want to reach,\u2019 Lindsay adds, and points out that everyone arriving at the same time also causes issues \u2013 but fan zones could provide another solution.\u2018People drift in and out, rather than trying to cram,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n

\u2018Change the offering, so there\u2019s nice furniture, screens for other sports, wine on tap, healthier snacks, diverse dietary offerings like Halal, vegan, and child-friendly menus. If it\u2019s a better experience, they\u2019re going to spend more money, which can be reinvested into the game.\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s thought that nurturing the fandom could lead to economic benefits, from boosts in travel, entertainment, and retail. This year, during the first week of the Women\u2019s Euros 2025, spending in Switzerland increased by 27% compared to the year before. As the earning power increases, the value of female fans will be taken even more seriously.<\/p>\n

Charlotte points out that WSL fixtures are allocated broadcast time slots after all of the men\u2019s fixed allocations, and so often happen on Sundays, which means they collide with planned engineering works and generally reduced services. \u2018When people see it\u2019s difficult, they are put off. It\u2019s a barrier to people attending, especially whilst building the fanbase.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Looking ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Now is an important chapter to create a positive future, says Charlotte: \u2018The fanbase is more fragile as there is less loyalty due to it being newer, so they need to do everything they can to prioritise supporters having a fun experience. If we don\u2019t make changes, it\u2019s a huge missed opportunity to create those fans of the future.\u2019<\/p>\n

Some clubs are already leading the way, such as Arsenal, who are playing their fixtures at the Emirates, which allows players to perform for bigger crowds, and Everton, who\u2019ve taken over Goodison Park and are investing in repurposing the stadium.<\/p>\n

Chloe wonders if women\u2019s football was on the path it\u2019s on now when she was younger, whether she\u2019d have pursued it completely, instead of juggling it alongside a law career. \u2018I was essentially told there\u2019s no career in it, and I wouldn\u2019t make enough money to live,\u2019 she recalls. \u2018If I had grown up in this era, I would have thought about it differently.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018When I was a little girl, I never had an option to consider football as a potential career option, but if I had been able to see this, I would have definitely kept it up,\u2019 Caz echoes.<\/p>\n

\u2018At the Euros final, I looked around the stadium to see so many little boys and girls, with Toone or Russo on their backs. It was beautiful and proof of how far we\u2019d come.<\/p>\n

\u2018Football is a big opportunity for anyone to escape from life and get sucked into those 90 minutes. I don\u2019t think anyone in this world should be deprived of feeling what it\u2019s like to celebrate with your community after scoring a last-minute winner.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In July, 34,000 football fans packed into Jakob-Park in Basel in Switzerland, to watch the\u00a0UEFA Women\u2019s Euro 2025 final\u00a0where England beat Spain on penalties. As the Lionesses\u2019 supporters screamed with joy as\u00a0Chloe Kelly\u00a0scored the winner, epic celebrations would continue for days across the UK \u2013 a sure sign of just how far women\u2019s football has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t