Barney Ronay’s article, inspired by the radio rant by “Dave from Egham” about being unable to stand women’s voices talking about football and having women’s football “thrown down our throats” during Euro 2025, was refreshing and entertaining (The soundtrack of the women’s Euros was happiness … and some men can’t cope, 2 August).
At a recent family gathering, some of the men started talking about the same thing – how there were so many women presenters and commentators talking about football and not just women’s football, no, but, God forbid, men’s football, and actually sport in general! What is the world coming to? How dare these women speak knowledgably in articulate sentences and joyful tones? And like “Mrs Dave”, my sister joined in and supported the patriarchal point!
The conversation continued along this vein for some time, eventually arriving at the well-worn waffle about “women can’t play football as well as men and shouldn’t be paid the same, blah blah blah…”
Helen Johnson
Nottingham
I ask myself why some men are so antagonistic to women’s football, why they feel it is being “thrown down our throats”, and why they can become so wound up by women’s voices and generally be so misogynistic and so open about their poisonous beliefs. My guess would be that they feel jealous and under threat.
Not since the heady days of women’s football attracting large crowds (like Dick, Kerr Ladies, who drew a crowd of 53,000 at Goodison Park on Boxing Day 1920) has women’s football been so popular. But the men were back from war, and it was time for them to have their game back. So, obligingly, the FA disallowed women from playing on affiliated pitches for half a century.
In men’s football, England has led the way with the formation of the Premier League, attracting players and fans from around the world – even if, internationally, we always fall at the last hurdle, or before. Then along came the women’s troops, gaining attention after much ridicule and playing good football – and not rolling around on the floor and berating the referee. There are plenty of sports on TV, to watch or not. The “Dave from Egham” types should get on with their own lives and stop being such haters – it’s bad for their health.
Laura Farningham
Vejer de La Frontera, Spain
What Barney Ronay describes as the happiness of the Euros is, to my mind, just what sport should be. The sport was competitive, exciting and skilful, but there was still a sense of proportion. It was sport, not life, and the people playing it went back to homes that were something like those of their fans. Sport is a game, chaps. You can still celebrate endeavour and skill, but just stop taking it all so seriously. The Lionesses showed us, again, that sport can be pure joy.
Kathryn Streatfield
Richmond, North Yorkshire
I arrived in the British Isles in 1968 and was completely mystified by the warfare between football fans. I’d support whatever team appealed at the time and could never drum up any hatred for the other side. I hadn’t realised that I was watching, and enjoying, the women’s football because that anger and threat of violence was missing. I would like to thank Barney Ronay for the explanation.
Beth Bolton
Southam, Warwickshire
