Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

At risk of sounding incelly, I do wonder to what extent the excuses for banning women's football and reasons it was popular around titillation were true. Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.
Zero excuse for banning it of course. But in the mindset of the time it puts the logic into perspective.

[The Larch]

Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.

You underestimate how abundant and accessible porn has always been.

[Duque de Bragança]

Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.

You underestimate how abundant and accessible porn has always been.

So is Crurophilia on the decline? Granted, it's more about legs than knees, but it still applies.

[Jacob]

Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.

You underestimate how abundant and accessible porn has always been.

Porn and prostitution.

[Duque de Bragança]

Given the troubles Cameroon has in organising the tournament, the pandemic, the Maghrebi tensions between Morocco and Algeria, the next Africa Cup of Nations may very well be organised in Qatar.



https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2021-11-24-caf-considering-moving-2022-world-cup-playoffs-from-africa-to-qatar/

[Sheilbh]

At risk of sounding incelly, I do wonder to what extent the excuses for banning women's football and reasons it was popular around titillation were true. Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.
Zero excuse for banning it of course. But in the mindset of the time it puts the logic into perspective.

Sepp Blatter has entered the chat.

I think it's more the general reactionary re-assertion of social norms after war broke them down. My understanding is that women's football became popular because the men's game stopped while all those players were in the forces. But over four years people liked their team, enjoyed the game and kept going. By 1921 women's games were even sometimes beating top-flight men's games for attendance numbers (back when gates was the most important thing and a risk to the FA (which didn't cover women's football at that point). Apparently there were also medical concerns about what sport would do to women

So the FA banned any football ground affiliated with the FA or any member club from hosting anything, even training, to do with the women's game. A few clubs were able to survive for a bit but they were training in parks, playing on rugby pitches etc. It's a real shaming moment.

[The Larch]

Málaga, which for the last couple of seasons have been languishing mid-table in the 2nd division, have been banned from doing any transfers until 2023 by UEFA due to owing money to a former player. The club is alleging that they were not aware of the issue because the message was sent to an adress that didn't exist.

[Josephus]

At risk of sounding incelly, I do wonder to what extent the excuses for banning women's football and reasons it was popular around titillation were true. Opportunities to see women's knees weren't widespread at the time.
Zero excuse for banning it of course. But in the mindset of the time it puts the logic into perspective.

I imagine it was because it was deemed improper for women to be running around sweating and doing "man" stuff.

[Jacob]

I'm sure basic misogyny contributed, as you suggest, but Sheilbh makes a pretty compelling economic argument on part of the FA as well.

[Sheilbh]

I'm sure basic misogyny contributed, as you suggest, but Sheilbh makes a pretty compelling economic argument on part of the FA as well.

Oh it was definitely basic misogyny too

It is the thing of war breaking down social barriers - so women working in factories for example, men's football shutting down for four years so the women's game takes its place. After war there is often a period of very reactionary enforcement of social norms to re-assert those barriers. Women's football is one example, but more widely after WW1 there was a concerted move to get women back out of the workplace etc so those jobs could go to returning men.

A similar forcing women out of the workforce happened after 1945. I think it also is reflected in wider culture - I don't think it's a coincidence that the highest number of prosecutions for homosexuality in the UK was in the post-1945-to-mid-50s period (I believe the same happened in the US too) or that it's also the period when the image of the perfect housewife emerges in US advertising etc. It's a similar process of re-erecting barriers that were breached by war/total mobilisation.

[Admiral Yi]

Rosie starts riveting, turns into a dyke?  Not sure I follow.

[Josephus]

Barca 

[Sheilbh]

Rosie starts riveting, turns into a dyke?  Not sure I follow.

What?

[Admiral Yi]

What?

What's the connection between post war period and prosecutions for homosexuality?

[Sheilbh]

What's the connection between post war period and prosecutions for homosexuality?

Huge amounts of gay shagging in the war - blackout was, according to that generation, the golden age of cruising all over London. Plus lots of sailors and soldiers all mixed up with no women around.

Followed by an enormous crackdown - especially on cruising and cottaging.