Women’s Football versus Men’s Football - What Did Saints Fans Say?

England versus Wales
at St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton
Photo: Andrew Pope

by Andrew Pope, 28/12/22

Do you agree that the five issues below are the most important for Saints Women’s fans now, when compared with men's football?

Or do you think there are other issues that are more important? 

If so, what are they and why do you think they are more important?

You can comment below - comments are moderated - or you can get in contact at sotonindies@gmail.com or on the Facebook page at Southampton Independents (@SotonIndies).

Southampton Women’s Football Team plays in the second tier of English womens’ football, called the Barclays Womens’ Championship. This article discusses the most commonly-raised issues from fans from the Southampton FC Women’s Supporters Group. The Group is not affiliated with Southampton Football Club (“Saints”), but is registered with the Football Supporters Association (FSA) as a supporters club.

In November 2022, I asked these fans, via their moderated Facebook group the following question: 

“The women's game is developing. What do you want to see brought over from the men's game and what do you not want to see brought over?”

There were 33 comments from the 22 fans who responded*. Whilst this gathering of data is not scientific or academic, it is purely qualitative and time-specific. It does not reach the magic 100 for surveys of public views and is not necessarily representative of the views of all fans of the Saints Women’s team.

However, the issues that emerged were as follows. It is, at the least, a starting point in airing the views of fans of the women’s team versus the men’s team and the fan culture from men’s football that fans would and would not like to see brought over to women’s football.

The most common issues raised by fans during the discussion were:
    • professional referees were needed in the Barclay’s Womens’ Championship because the perceived standard during the first few months of the season was too low
    • play-acting, cheating or diving should not be brought into women’s football
    • criticism of the food and drink at St. Mary’s Stadium
    • the desire for a family-friendly atmosphere with more singing and chanting but not violence, drunken behaviour, swearing or other “agro” as in the men’s game
    • player pay was mentioned by some fans. There was not agreement between about whether women should be paid the same as men, or how or whether that would be realistically achieved.

Other issues were raised, but none of these were raised by more than one fan.

Data was gathered in November 2022, analysis was done and this report was written by Andrew Pope, who is a former Independent Southampton City Councillor and NCTJ-trained journalist of Southampton Independents. Andrew is also a Saints Women’s football season-ticket holder. Andrew was also the lead campaigner for the successful Southampton Independents campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium (see photo below and other articles on this website).

Andrew Pope at the rail seats demo
during the Safe Standing campaign
for St. Mary's Stadium