Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚽ In the modern variant of what was once Association Football, today renamed by me High Finance Soccer, the term Soccer is an American innovation and as they seem to have a monopoly of the game, due in no small part to their mega bucks it seems a fitting title.
Between the US and Arab billionaires, the game has become a game of Monopoly which happens to have football clubs on the modern playing board. There is, however, some positives about the modern game and one of those is the development of the women’s game. I have watched a couple of matches now, both admittedly involving Manchester United but, as with the men’s game, why would I watch another team unless they’re playing United? I mean, back in the day would I have gone to Elland Road or Anfield if the Man Utd game was called off? No, more chance of finding rocking horse shit than that happening.
Between the US and Arab billionaires, the game has become a game of Monopoly which happens to have football clubs on the modern playing board. There is, however, some positives about the modern game and one of those is the development of the women’s game. I have watched a couple of matches now, both admittedly involving Manchester United but, as with the men’s game, why would I watch another team unless they’re playing United? I mean, back in the day would I have gone to Elland Road or Anfield if the Man Utd game was called off? No, more chance of finding rocking horse shit than that happening.
Anyway, last Sunday was the Women’s FA Cup Final played at Wembley between Chelsea and Manchester United. The game attracted a world record for a women’s game of over 77,000, beating the previously held highest between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the final of the Copa de Rey, that was a little over 66,000. So, the women’s game is beginning to gather momentum. How long I ask before the cancer which has fucked the men’s game up, big business, does the same to the women’s sport?
The game itself was a lesson in football, fast competitive and entertaining, even though we lost 1-0. These players, unlike their male counterparts, did not chase the referee, Emily Heaslip, half way round the pitch trying to get an opposition player the red card. This happens all too often in the men’s game and as the great Bobby Charlton once said; he could not “understand pros trying to get fellow professionals sent off”. Neither can I Bobby. I often hoped the referee would send a player off, not a United player, and along with another 60,000 voices cheered like fuck if this happened. But, as for other players hunting the ref down to persuade him to send off a player that is a different scenario. This did not happen once in the women’s final.
Manchester United dominated the first half: no question there, and we had it in the Chelsea net after just twenty seconds only for the lineswoman to flag for offside. This decision was backed up by the ever-ruinous VAR. The goal was, in my eyes, perfectly alright but even a biased bastard like me accepted the official's decision. What I cannot accept, and never will, was the decision of a television set some miles away. The ref and lineswoman might have got it right, OK, I get that, so why fuck about with the VAR? There was no need whatsoever. United continued to dominate but Chelsea may have come the closest to scoring with a header which United keeper, Mary Earps, did brilliantly to get to. Unlike Male goalkeepers the women do not have six foot plus frames to fling across the goal and rely mainly on quick nimble footwork. Mary did very well to keep the Londoners out. On the right flank Nikita Parris continued to hassle Chelsea with her dribbling and crosses.
At half time Chelsea Manager, Emma Hayes, must have kicked her team's arses because they were a different side. The first twenty minutes were 50/50 but slowly Chelsea got into their stride. The breakthrough came for them when Hayes brought on Pernille Harder, rated one of the best women attackers in the world, who slipped the ball into the path of Sam Kerr to slot home. Nikita Parris should have had a penalty for Man Utd when she was brought down clearly inside the area. The referee indicated a freekick just outside the area. Again, I could accept that decision. Reluctantly, the ref fucked up but when VAR, the supposed fool proof support system, backed that decision up it proved to me the entire VAR project should be scrapped. Whichever dogs-bollocks was watching the VAR would have seen, the same as anybody watching, that the foul was inside the area and would have overruled the referee’s decision. I knew then my mistrust of VAR was well founded and that dislike of the system is now hatred of it. If the object of VAR is to minimise if not eradicate referees errors it is not working. All it is doing is wasting time and patience of football fans, that is those of us who can remember pre-VAR days.
The game itself was a lesson in football, fast competitive and entertaining, even though we lost 1-0. These players, unlike their male counterparts, did not chase the referee, Emily Heaslip, half way round the pitch trying to get an opposition player the red card. This happens all too often in the men’s game and as the great Bobby Charlton once said; he could not “understand pros trying to get fellow professionals sent off”. Neither can I Bobby. I often hoped the referee would send a player off, not a United player, and along with another 60,000 voices cheered like fuck if this happened. But, as for other players hunting the ref down to persuade him to send off a player that is a different scenario. This did not happen once in the women’s final.
Manchester United dominated the first half: no question there, and we had it in the Chelsea net after just twenty seconds only for the lineswoman to flag for offside. This decision was backed up by the ever-ruinous VAR. The goal was, in my eyes, perfectly alright but even a biased bastard like me accepted the official's decision. What I cannot accept, and never will, was the decision of a television set some miles away. The ref and lineswoman might have got it right, OK, I get that, so why fuck about with the VAR? There was no need whatsoever. United continued to dominate but Chelsea may have come the closest to scoring with a header which United keeper, Mary Earps, did brilliantly to get to. Unlike Male goalkeepers the women do not have six foot plus frames to fling across the goal and rely mainly on quick nimble footwork. Mary did very well to keep the Londoners out. On the right flank Nikita Parris continued to hassle Chelsea with her dribbling and crosses.
At half time Chelsea Manager, Emma Hayes, must have kicked her team's arses because they were a different side. The first twenty minutes were 50/50 but slowly Chelsea got into their stride. The breakthrough came for them when Hayes brought on Pernille Harder, rated one of the best women attackers in the world, who slipped the ball into the path of Sam Kerr to slot home. Nikita Parris should have had a penalty for Man Utd when she was brought down clearly inside the area. The referee indicated a freekick just outside the area. Again, I could accept that decision. Reluctantly, the ref fucked up but when VAR, the supposed fool proof support system, backed that decision up it proved to me the entire VAR project should be scrapped. Whichever dogs-bollocks was watching the VAR would have seen, the same as anybody watching, that the foul was inside the area and would have overruled the referee’s decision. I knew then my mistrust of VAR was well founded and that dislike of the system is now hatred of it. If the object of VAR is to minimise if not eradicate referees errors it is not working. All it is doing is wasting time and patience of football fans, that is those of us who can remember pre-VAR days.
Anyway, Chelsea came out 1-0 winners and lifted the Women’s FA Cup which could have gone either way. Why Marc Skinner substituted Nikita Parris I’ll never know. It turned out a bad move as she was causing the opposition huge problems on the right flank. In the 95th minute United almost equalised and how the Pensioners kept it out is one of those quirks of nature which happen in football from time to time. Manchester United are still top of the league, one point above Chelsea who have a game in hand. If Chelsea take maximum points from their remaining games they will take the league irrespective of how United fair. Let’s hope they lose at least one of their games and we win.
Manchester united women’s team have only been around since 2018, a little under five years, so we are very much a work in progress. FC United of Manchester (United rebels) have had a women’s side far longer than “Big United” and maybe us in the none league, where the game is still played in the traditional way, can teach the so-called big boys a thing or two. “Big United” are newcomers to the women’s game but watch them. If Marc Skinner can keep up the momentum, we are going to be a force in the game to be reckoned with, as Chelsea are now.
Finally, Man Utd present owner, or one of them, Avram Glazer turned up at Wembley for the game. One of the men who are responsible for the huge debts United have round their necks and the dilapidated state of Old Trafford decided today might be a good time to show an interest in one side of the club. Maybe he was hoping those nasty gobshites who follow the men’s team and are always protesting against him and his brothers, would not be present. He was right in one respect, the hecklers who gave him a hard time today, albeit on a smaller scale, were still present. You see, those who follow the women’s side don’t want the Glazers either! A final point, if Chelsea won, only just, on the pitch the United fans on the terra . . . in the seats outnumbered theirs, and they are London based.
United’s women’s side are a work in progress and already they are more than matching, at least for the first forty-five minutes, the established best team around, Chelsea. They can only go onwards and upwards and hopefully emulate the teams of their male counterparts in the past dating from the Busby Babes to the great sides built by Alex Ferguson. Looking at some of United’s present male superstars and one springs to mind, Bruno Fernandez, who is either brilliant, most of the time, or, like at Liverpool away, spends his time moaning and blaming others. If only he’d concentrate all of the time getting his team back on course, he would be complete. I suggest he watches the women’s team play and soaks in some of the commitment they give, all the time!
It can only be hoped the players in the women’s game generally do not become like some of their male counterparts and merely follow the money. Inevitably as a symptom of the capitalist economic system the lure of high wages will start to become a major factor for the elite of the women’s game but let’s hope it does not take preference over playing football and certain loyalties to their team’s supporters.
Manchester united women’s team have only been around since 2018, a little under five years, so we are very much a work in progress. FC United of Manchester (United rebels) have had a women’s side far longer than “Big United” and maybe us in the none league, where the game is still played in the traditional way, can teach the so-called big boys a thing or two. “Big United” are newcomers to the women’s game but watch them. If Marc Skinner can keep up the momentum, we are going to be a force in the game to be reckoned with, as Chelsea are now.
Finally, Man Utd present owner, or one of them, Avram Glazer turned up at Wembley for the game. One of the men who are responsible for the huge debts United have round their necks and the dilapidated state of Old Trafford decided today might be a good time to show an interest in one side of the club. Maybe he was hoping those nasty gobshites who follow the men’s team and are always protesting against him and his brothers, would not be present. He was right in one respect, the hecklers who gave him a hard time today, albeit on a smaller scale, were still present. You see, those who follow the women’s side don’t want the Glazers either! A final point, if Chelsea won, only just, on the pitch the United fans on the terra . . . in the seats outnumbered theirs, and they are London based.
United’s women’s side are a work in progress and already they are more than matching, at least for the first forty-five minutes, the established best team around, Chelsea. They can only go onwards and upwards and hopefully emulate the teams of their male counterparts in the past dating from the Busby Babes to the great sides built by Alex Ferguson. Looking at some of United’s present male superstars and one springs to mind, Bruno Fernandez, who is either brilliant, most of the time, or, like at Liverpool away, spends his time moaning and blaming others. If only he’d concentrate all of the time getting his team back on course, he would be complete. I suggest he watches the women’s team play and soaks in some of the commitment they give, all the time!
It can only be hoped the players in the women’s game generally do not become like some of their male counterparts and merely follow the money. Inevitably as a symptom of the capitalist economic system the lure of high wages will start to become a major factor for the elite of the women’s game but let’s hope it does not take preference over playing football and certain loyalties to their team’s supporters.
As a trade unionist and socialist women’s pay equality must be supported in all walks of life and football is no exception, but unlike some of their male counterparts try not to make it the be all and end all of playing. Remember it is a game and those who come to watch are entitled to some loyalty, as the players of both genders have the right to demand the best in wages as are all workers. Women should not be allowed to become exploited. As the men’s pay scale rockets so too should women have parity. What do we expect from gifted players, of both genders, when we see greedy owners like the Glazers, whose leveraged takeover at Old Trafford back in 2005 taking money out of the club, while allowing the stadium, once Britain’s finest, to fall into ruin? There can be little doubt the aspiring women’s game will follow the same trajectory as the men while the present system of club ownership continues.
The women’s game is certainly in the ascendancy as crowds and interest gather momentum. One of the United players, Rachel Williams, is a plasterer by trade and intends returning to the building game when she is finished playing football. A veteran at 35 she must now be coming to the twilight zone of her career so having a trade to fall back on is handy.
The women’s game is certainly in the ascendancy as crowds and interest gather momentum. One of the United players, Rachel Williams, is a plasterer by trade and intends returning to the building game when she is finished playing football. A veteran at 35 she must now be coming to the twilight zone of her career so having a trade to fall back on is handy.
Another sign of how society is changing not only on the field of play but also in the professions modern women are taking up. When I left school the idea of a woman becoming a Plasterer or Bricklayer was unthinkable, it was the factory or, for some, possibly secretarial work. Today these limitations are being broken down which is progressive and these barrier breakdowns are also represented on the football pitch.
🖼 Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist.
No comments