Dame Tanni-Grey Thompson praises Manchester City

[Zabbasbeard]

Turned on Radio 5Live and they were talking about Scudamore and his emails. One of the people they interviewed was Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson who, to paraphrase was non-committal about whether he should be sacked or not (she'd want to read and hear more about it) but talked about the more important issue of Women in football, and she said City are doing great work in this area unlike the other Premier League clubs.

Now its a subject close to my heart. My little girl came home from school one day saying "girls don't play football". I'd confess to being a little upset about this (though it probably showed more as anger) as she quite likes playing football. She is only 5 and for her to come home having heard those stereotypes being enforced was a bit depressing (and yes I know boys and girls tends to gravitate into groups of their own gender but not exclusively in my experience at school - one of our best footballers n my class at Primary School n the 70s was a girl whose uncle played for Coventry City). Anyway we told our little girl that girls do play football, and we will be taking her to see MCFC Women's team at some point, when we cheer on the Girls in Blue.

I'm even more proud of City for being praised by someone as well respected as Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, especially at a time when a largely disgracefully biased media have it in for us, and more, importantly, prouder still that MCFC is leading the way in promoting the women's game.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Our club is doing a good job promoting the women's game, and I think Liverpool have been particularly good at it too. The reality is that we still need more women playing the game professionally though for the standard to improve, which will need a lot of investment before you get any return (our team seem to be taking a leading role). I think I read that Liverpool are the only women's team where all of the players are professional, with our women being about half and half.

 

[kp789]

It is horrific that there is a stigma attached to girls playing football. There is nothing strange about it at all.

I am so happy that the Womens Super League has been created and that BT sport are starting to cover a lot of the games and put a bit of money into it. Up until this season, most of the ladies teams were not directly affiliated let alone funded by the clubs! It was funded by the players themselves which is appalling! Why they don't get funding is terrible. Although, how admirable of the players to support it themselves, that really communicates their passion for the game.

It is fantastic for the Womens game that they are starting to get coverage as it is a game which is unfairly overlooked as their are some exceptional players. I have played with a Brazilian Coventry city player and an England under 21's player on my FA courses and they were far better than any of the other players there. You have to be a seriously backward and ignorant person to believe that women 'can't play football' because it is totally untrue.

The wonderful thing about womens football now is that there are tangible role models for players to look up to. Just look at Toni Duggan and the popularity she has among younger players, aspiring to be the next star England striker. Girls now have a same gender role model which is important as an aspiring footballer. How many times as a kid did we all pretend that we were Shaun Goater, Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee, David White etc etc!

The womens game will keep on coming forward and I for one am so glad that it does. I would love to see it get to the same popularity as in the USA. IT would be amazing to have some sort of champions leauge with the best teams from all over the globe playing each other!

 

[S04]

I´d love it if a girl of mine wanted to play footy at pro level.. I would even be willing to support her financially during the lean years

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Whenever DTGT appeared on the telly I'd be stretching for the remote. Perhaps I've been a bit hasty!

 

[dobobobo]

I follow her on Twitter, she's good. Strives for change and doesn't do it in a forceful and hateful way.

 

[Rascal]

Its always nice to recieve praise but when its from somebody of DTGTs stature its even nicer

 

[Centurions]

Our club is doing a good job promoting the women's game, and I think Liverpool have been particularly good at it too. The reality is that we still need more women playing the game professionally though for the standard to improve, which will need a lot of investment before you get any return (our team seem to be taking a leading role). I think I read that Liverpool are the only women's team where all of the players are professional, with our women being about half and half.

Given Arsenal's dominance of the womens game I'm quite surprised they're not too.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Both my daughters have season cards at the Etihad and both play girls/women's football on Sundays. They love it. I've always told them that girls can do whatever they want in this country. If they wanna play football then I'm all for it. This summer they're cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End with me. They're aged 18 and 16 and just because they're girls it has never stopped them doing anything. And neither should it.

 

[nmc]

DTGT is one of the best - praise from her is praise indeed. If there were any brains or common sense (I know both are very limited) she is exactly the sort of person the FA should be targeting in preference to Greg Dyke and his type.