So the World Cup was a damp squib, wasn’t it? Well the men’s World Cup was last year, with England sloping out after a humiliating defeat to Germany. But wipe away the sweat and beer of the men’s game, and look to this year’s women’s World Cup in Germany.
While Japan were the eventual winners, England’s women’s team fought a brilliant campaign to reach the semi-finals before going out of the competition in a penalty thriller with France. The quarter-final match was watched by over three million live viewers on BBC2, highlighting the growing interest in the female game.
As the big names of the male football world hit the fronts of the tabloids as much as the sports pages and bicker on Twitter from the comfort of their multi-million pound mansions, the women are out there throughout summer, working hard to increase the standing of the female game and excite growing audiences.
The FA Women’s Super League kicked off again for the summer season last week and games have attracted larger audiences, thanks in part to the Women’s World Cup.
The Super League features eight elite teams including Everton, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Arsenal and Chelsea. The matches are family affairs, with many children coming to watch and less jostling for seats. This weekend alone, there are four top matches on Sunday:
Everton v Arsenal
Chelsea v Doncaster Rovers Belles
Liverpool v Bristol Academy
Lincoln v Birmingham City
All matches kick off at 2pm and cost a fraction of the price to see the male equivalent. To find out more about venues and teams, see www.fawsl.com.
Would you consider taking your kids to a female football match?
