Outrage after football club votes to remove entire female section

18 comments

1. I guess the 40 year FA ban continues to have effects. Appalling decision.

2. > “Yesterday we found out that a majority on the Thornaby FC committee voted to remove the entire female section from the club,” Thornaby FC Women wrote.

   Curious to see what the makeup of the “committee” is.

   I know that the club have struggled financially [especially since a severe arson attack a year ago](https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/sport/24323300.thornaby-fc-close-rebuild-arson-attack-last-year/) but this is going to hurt more than it’s going to help

3. Seems you have to get to the last line before you find out (sort of) why they’ve done what they’ve done. People want to rage, but aren’t providing any solutions on the financials.

4. “The committee held an emergency meeting with all concerned and discussed the whole future of the club including the events over the last 12 months and after discussions it was felt the only way to continue was without the women and running with only the men’s team as before they came to the club also with the Staffing levels very low the day to day running of the club is in doubt.”

   There’s a perfectly logical, non sexist explanation for this.

   Someone just had a stroke.

5. [removed]

6. It really does feel like 2 steps forward and 3 steps back for women and girls at the moment.

   This is devastating for local girls and women. Just as women’s football and other sports are starting to gain popularity something like this comes along and slaps everyone back down again.

7. If all the people that are upset about this had gone to the games, they’d still have a womens team.

8. The comedian Bill Burr does a bit where he seemingly shits on women’s sport. But, with most of his stuff, he’s really just provoking a discussion and aiming to get past people’s initial reactions.

   In the case of women’s sport (and he’s mostly talking about US women’s sport), it doesn’t sell tickets, so it makes sense that those players and athletes don’t get the same wages and funding.

   He points out that women (a generalisation for sure) don’t want to watch it either, and if they did, or cared about the women’s game, they would buy tickets and attend, but they don’t.

   Obviously it’s way more nuanced than that, and the blunt observation is done on purpose for reaction, but presumably any sports club would make cuts to whichever area is not make money (or becoming a financial liability). Whether that’s the men’s, women’s or kids teams.

   The article quotes a person after this came out as saying “I’m now a Thornby Women’s FC supporter”. But that’s not much use now, is it?

   Men and women should obviously have the same opportunities for sports as each other. But if the survival of clubs is reliant on income through ticket sales or memberships, then without some other funding, it’s always going to end this way, no?

9. Clubs shouldn’t be forced to have women’s teams if they are not profitable. If FA wants it so much, they are welcome to cover the losses.

10. If it was due to a lack of money, why don’t all the outraged people offer a whip round?
    I’m a fan of football – men’s and women’s football, but if you’re struggling to keep your head above the water then I think it’s fair you revisit it down the line.
    In fact, that’d be a lovely gesture if someone starts a crowdfunding for them to keep both teams going 

11. As Bill Burr said… “We gave you a fucking league, where are all the feminists? The place should be packed with feminists.”

12. It sounds like things were hurtling off a cliff before this point. This is just one final throw of the dice by getting rid of employees and ditching their female teams.

13. “removing the female section was the only way to combat staffing issues affecting the running of the club.”

    Surely all out the outraged people have donated money to support staffing the entire female section

14. From the BBC Article on this:

    > Ms Lyle told the BBC there had been an outpouring of support for the women and girls following the announcement, with sponsorship and new clubs offered.

    > “Our main focus is trying to keep these teams together, we don’t want to split them up,” she said.

    > “It’s been a tough few days and we did warn of the potential backlash.”

    > She said the women’s teams were self-sufficient and had sponsors, adding any suggestion of the club’s decision being financially motivated was a “cop out”.

15. I mean, if Man U/Liverpool etc we’re to scrap their women’s team then I’d understand the outrage, but Thornaby FC play in the 10th tier. The fact they had a women’s set up in the first place is surprising.

16. No such thing as a men’s team. It’s the open team where women can play along with any other gender. I think they should be forced to have a 50/50 split.

17. The title makes this sound like they had a female only section of the stands and they removed it.

    Badly worded click bait

18. I get this is sad news, but it’s hilarious how people whine about this and expecting/prefer the club to financially die before being forced to do this.