NEWS: Men Ruin Soccer For Women

CULTURE: Men Ruin Soccer For Women

Despite the fact that the English Premier League is the "world's most watched football league," with over 150 countries watching 22 men chase a ball for 40 weeks of the year, there is no doubt that the women's soccer is massively in the shadow of it's male counterpart.

It looks like this is going to continue as the last year's women's runners-up are not going to be competing next season, or possibly at all, due to the lack of effort shown by the men. It was announced this weekend that Charlton Athletic's entire women's section including all the senior teams, academy and centre of excellence would close. Not many people have taken this well:

Why is this the men's fault then? The main (men's) team, Charlton Athletic were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season as they were one of the three worst performing clubs. Not being part of the world's most lucrative league means they will miss out on £30m ($60m) from television revenue next year. Despite Charlton having always been run as a frugal club, sost saving measures were expected, along the lines of reduced ground staff, marketing or advertising -- nothing as drastic as this.

This will only save £250,000 ($0.5m) a year -- a small part of the £30m loss. The club will receive assistance in the form of £22m over the next two years from the Premier League: helping them adjust for contracts they're unable to sever, to aid them to reset their sights on the lower league. They're also about to sell their top player, Darren Bent, for £16m, and their wage bill is likely to drop - a lot of clubs now commonly write clauses into their player's contracts stipulating a pay cut if they are relegated - performance related pay, in essence, for sports stars.

Charlton aren't looking like losing many players in the close season, therefore being able to retain the core of their team, and are currently favourites to bounce straight back up to the Premier League in the next couple of years. They are so confident of this happening that they are offering two year's attendance for the price of one to season ticket holders if they get promoted.

The last word goes to the manager, Vic Akers, of the all conquering Arsenal's ladies side, who won the quadruple this year, more than any English men's team have achieved for quite some time.

This is extremely upsetting. My 24 yr old stp-daughter plays Semi-pro soccer and this is bc guess what? there is no pro team...

WOmen's soccer is so fun and cool - please everyone support your local teams!

Hopefully the Womens FA will help them out. Are they covered by the PFA aswell ? as im sure they would just love to get there teeth stuck into a Premier League team about this.

Many popular sports in the US either have no professional female teams, or for those that do, very small amounts of attention and money are spent on that set of franchises (uh...do other countries call them franchises?). Cycling is the same. American baseball and american football is worse. Basketball seems to be one exception to this, sort of.

It seems, in the US, that this is changing...although slowly. And of course, there is more focus on other 'sports', like NASCAR, which allows women to compete directly with men.
And as sports records have shown, the athletic acheivements of women are quickly gaining on those of men, and this might change the world of sports forever.

(Truth be told, I could give a fuck about most organized or professional sports. I mostly just play bike polo. I guess I just like to keep score on gender inequities.)

I thought this was an extreme measure anyway, but all just for the sake of saving a quarter of a million pounds? 'cost saving measures' just seems like an excuse.

Personally, I find women's soccer to be more exciting to watch than men's, most of the time. It's a shame that it doesn't get the funding and promotion that it deserves.

Doesnt that mean that there will be a new women's soccer team somewhere else?