Professional women!

[tim_noone]

I look forward to seeing the Ladies in Big Cup Competitions......

[mikeS]

Just a thought.
If they go professional, what kind of wages Do they earn?

[Inchy]

Just a thought.
If they go professional, what kind of wages Do they earn?

Quick google search suggests top players in women’s prem earn 200k a year. Most new players start on 20k

[BleedingClaret]

No issues with it
Its just plain and simply shite

I can’t believe you wrote that
I thought it
But
You wrote it

[Rileybobs]

Just a thought.
If they go professional, what kind of wages Do they earn?

Hopefully for the purpose of gender-equality they are paid the same as our highest-earning male player.

[Inchy]

Hopefully for the purpose of gender-equality they are paid the same as our highest-earning male player.

No one will bite surely

[BleedingClaret]

Disappointing to be still seeing posts like this in 2021.
Whether you follow or like women’s football or not I’m not sure how you can argue that this isn’t anything but a positive move by the club.

The reality will not be equality in any way
From what I know currently it’s local women playing for Burnley women
I would expect it’ll just become a rag tag bunch of semi talented agent backed women being paid an amount that has no link to the revenue they generate.
Shame it doesn’t get to evolve naturally

[lewishamclaret]

It is a fantastic initiative full stop. Well done BFC

[Wellsy1882]

I can’t believe you wrote that
I thought it
But
You wrote it

Why not. Its toss
Open forum for thoughts

[Inchy]

I used to play for Burnley supporters team years ago. We were crap and half cut most of the matches. We were amateur level obviously and no one in their right might would pay to watch us. I’m beginning to wonder if we could reform and ask the club to pay us a salary

[CoolClaret]

[Citation needed]

60 mill loan 10% APR over 10 years by my calculations is a total repayment of 95 million- happy to be corrected mind.

Look, no one is suggesting not having a women's team or having BFC in the community coach girls etc, we're questioning having it as an added expense when women's football in the UK has been proven to run at a loss.

'Increasing exposure' - ********, who watches women's football globally? Next to no one, the market simply isn't there for it right now.

Infact- this will land me in a lot of hate and referred to as a 'caveman' no doubt but I actually think if they want to promote the women's game it should be completely revamped.

Smaller pitches, smaller sized goals, so the focus is more on skill and not power/athleticism, which will allow women to display their skill at a greater rate and offer a different product.. as right now it is clearly inferior... not to mention women actually prefer watching men's football (as you know, it's a better product).

Perhaps even have a bonus point for scoring so many goals to encourage attacking play- im convinced it could be more popular if it was packaged in a different way.

[BleedingClaret]

Why not. Its toss
Open forum for thoughts

Just made me laugh pal
With how precious everybody is about gender etc

[tarkys_ears]

Christ!

They'll be letting the Doris's vote next!

[Inchy]

Can any one answer me this?

Why can an amateur sport which doesn’t offer enough quality to finance its self be deemed as professional because another sport is paying for it?

Does this happen in any other sports?

[pushpinpussy]

I blame the parents

[aggi]

Can any one answer me this?

Why can an amateur sport which doesn’t offer enough quality to finance its self be deemed as professional because another sport is paying for it?

Does this happen in any other sports?

You don't really need to look at other sports. The U23 teams can't finance themselves.

In fact, realistically most championship teams don't generate enough revenue to finance themselves.

Elsewhere, county cricket mainly turns a profit due to revenue from international cricket.

Do you really think that the football clubs, not the most philanthropic of businesses, are all running women's teams out of the goodness of their hearts?

[Dazzler]

Can any one answer me this?

Why can an amateur sport which doesn’t offer enough quality to finance its self be deemed as professional because another sport is paying for it?

Does this happen in any other sports?

British Darts Organisation....But it went BUST!!

[Inchy]

You don't really need to look at other sports. The U23 teams can't finance themselves.

In fact, realistically most championship teams don't generate enough revenue to finance themselves.

Elsewhere, county cricket mainly turns a profit due to revenue from international cricket.

Do you really think that the football clubs, not the most philanthropic of businesses, are all running women's teams out of the goodness of their hearts?

Well the u23 example isn’t really the same is it?


Quick online search shows that only one club has made a profit, Everton women’s team. Although admittedly most women’s clubs are classed as small businesses so don’t have to submit their accounts.

If Burnley FC are doing this to the benefit of the men’s team (more fans more money) then it may make sense, but don’t be surprised when the back lash comes when we get rid of the team when we go down

[Jamesy]

Well they are going to be sharing Barnfield with the men so that could happen sooner than expected

I doubt it. Don’t lady footballers usually have an anonymous sperm donor to get pregnant?

[Jamesy]

Hopefully for the purpose of gender-equality they are paid the same as our highest-earning male player.

Yeah and Sky and BT and Amazon will pump circa £130 million pounds a season into our club for women’s football tv rights. That’s the reason the men get paid what they do.
When women’s football attracts crowds of more than a thousand or so paying considerably more than a few quid each to get in and the big TV companies get on board, then the players may earn a decent salary.

[superdimitri]

Plans for the board members many wives and daughters to play for us?

[Bosscat]

Why not. Its toss
Open forum for thoughts

Commenting on a forum regarding womens football and using the word "Toss" ... hmmmm Wellsy some might construe that in another way

[Paul Waine]

Congratulations, Burnley Football Club's women's team.

Good move by Alan Pace and the club.

A hundred years ago the women's game was bigger than the men's game - then, in 1921 the FA banned women's football.

There are some historical details on the FA's website: www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football/history

There's more history in this BBC report: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30329606

I'm looking forward to CT's reports on the BFC Women's team.

And, who knows, maybe in a few years time there will be one or two goal scorers ready to "help out" the men's team.

UTC

[ŽižkovClaret]

Who is in charge of merchandising at the club shop?

Judging by some comments on here we could be making a killing on club branded leather knuckle covers with all the wear and tear they get being dragged along the ground

[aggi]

Well the u23 example isn’t really the same is it?


Quick online search shows that only one club has made a profit, Everton women’s team. Although admittedly most women’s clubs are classed as small businesses so don’t have to submit their accounts.

If Burnley FC are doing this to the benefit of the men’s team (more fans more money) then it may make sense, but don’t be surprised when the back lash comes when we get rid of the team when we go down

It's a team that isn't able to finance itself but operates as part of a bigger club.

If you're judging whether football teams should survive by whether they make a profit we're going to be losing a lot of clubs.

Again, do you really think that the football clubs, not the most philanthropic of businesses, are all running women's teams out of the goodness of their hearts?

[CoolClaret]

It's a team that isn't able to finance itself but operates as part of a bigger club.

If you're judging whether football teams should survive by whether they make a profit we're going to be losing a lot of clubs.

Again, do you really think that the football clubs, not the most philanthropic of businesses, are all running women's teams out of the goodness of their hearts?

They also pay a lot of wages, women's football could not stand alone as a professional front in this Country - no chance what so ever.

Furthermore, the U23s is a platform for first team players to be able to get back to full fitness or for younger players to play at a higher standard before they either move to the first team or get sold/loaned to another club.

Youth football as a whole is obviously self serving because the players will eventually land in a first team somewhere one day.

Again the 'knuckle dragger' or 'caveman' comments are complete non arguments and are quite frankly ridiculous..

No one is suggesting that women shouldn't be given the opportunity to play football, more concerned that a club of our size with our new debt levels thanks to the new messiah (Alan Pace) should be focusing any resources on a something that won't return a profit? Especially when the first team is in dire need of investment

[Chester Perry]

While people are wondering about whether it is worth paying Kevin Long's wages to support a whole squad, the real question should be, is Gawthorpe really big enough to bring the women's team into - remember at the time of construction the club were prevented from constructing all the pitches that it wanted then, that was 6+ years ago, the club is a different beast now, with a much better staffed and sized academy.

I have no issues with the women's incorporation just intrigued by the complexities of them all being on one very constrained site that on the face of it offers little room for expansion

[Loyalclaret]

They represent Burnley FC - they should be supported to a degree by the club. The fact that until recently that they had to buy their own kit does not sit right with me.

This is not someone 5 aside team with a rip off BFC name but our female football team. Good move by the club.

[Billy Balfour]

Who is in charge of merchandising at the club shop?

Judging by some comments on here we could be making a killing on club branded leather knuckle covers with all the wear and tear they get being dragged along the ground

Every day is like groundhog day on here - one that is set in the 1950s. Life can be deeply unhappy for insular people: The world moves on while they struggle to do the same.

[diamondpocket]

You're the sort of person who shouts abuse from the top deck of the bus at the people on the pavement to look hard in front of your mates and then hides when the bus stops, in case someone gets on that you've just shouted at.

Good luck in life, I wish you no ill.

You must be the brute force that comes on looking then who takes a comment to heart who usually wants to show off his 'hardness' in front of his mates beating a little kid up like me. Usually a sign of 'smallness' down below that can't be accepted.

Still waiting for the Ben Mee relevance/reply.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Sensible move by the club and should be lauded.

Women's soccer in the USA is growing in popularity, to the extent that the Women's World Cup final had higher viewing figures in the US than the men's final the year before.

If Burnleys woman's team can reach the top flight, I've no doubt our owners will push the marketing for them in the US.

[StTedsOB]

While people are wondering about whether it is worth paying Kevin Long's wages to support a whole squad, the real question should be, is Gawthorpe really big enough to bring the women's team into - remember at the time of construction the club were prevented from constructing all the pitches that it wanted then, that was 6+ years ago, the club is a different beast now, with a much better staffed and sized academy.

I have no issues with the women's incorporation just intrigued by the complexities of them all being on one very constrained site that on the face of it offers little room for expansion

I’m surprised that Gawthorpe would not be big enough. How many training pitches are down there ?
It’s fantastic facilities and I was lucky enough to be invited down there when it first opened and part of the talk / tour Sean Dyche gave was to give us a bit of background on all the new pitches and the significant amounts that had been invested for not only the main first team training pitch (exact replica of Turf Moor in size, grass composition etc) but also all the various training pitches which were also big investments. I thought that with this investment in the number and quality of the pitches they would be able to accommodate all our various teams as a minimum. I know some of the younger teams play their actual games on the 4g at Prairie and we know the u23s play their league games elsewhere.
Not questioning your point btw - just surprised that we may have a capacity issue.

[dsr]

Congratulations, Burnley Football Club's women's team.

Good move by Alan Pace and the club.

A hundred years ago the women's game was bigger than the men's game - then, in 1921 the FA banned women's football.

There are some historical details on the FA's website: www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football/history

There's more history in this BBC report: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30329606

I'm looking forward to CT's reports on the BFC Women's team.

And, who knows, maybe in a few years time there will be one or two goal scorers ready to "help out" the men's team.

UTC

It was never bigger than men's football. There was only ever one match where the gate was over 50,000, and a high proportion of Dick, Kerr's matches were against the same opposition (St Helen's, from memory) because there were so few quality teams.

[Elbarad]

It's more enjoyable to watch then women's basketball in the WNBA at least.

[StuffyClaret]

Rileybobs wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:18 pm
Hopefully for the purpose of gender-equality they are paid the same as our highest-earning male player.

Yeah and Sky and BT and Amazon will pump circa £130 million pounds a season into our club for women’s football tv rights. That’s the reason the men get paid what they do.
When women’s football attracts crowds of more than a thousand or so paying considerably more than a few quid each to get in and the big TV companies get on board, then the players may earn a decent salary.

Looks like there's a nibbler

[Zlatan]

You must be the brute force that comes on looking then who takes a comment to heart who usually wants to show off his 'hardness' in front of his mates beating a little kid up like me. Usually a sign of 'smallness' down below that can't be accepted.

Still waiting for the Ben Mee relevance/reply.

What does that actually mean? Is it some kind of verbal diarrhoea associated to some kind of keyboard affliction? If so I apologise, it is a horrid affliction to have. As far as "down below", I have no issues in that department, I have children and it appears to have worked as nature designed. Size is not really relevant, unless we're talking intelect, in which case a larger IQ is relevant, but that fact would be lost on you.

Look, you come onto this public forum in a poor attempt to be controversial about Womens Football asking questions like:

I wonder what happens contractually when they get pregnant?

and statements like:

Hope they've got Creche facilities!

I'm a sports agent and looking at getting into women's footy.

and then when someone (me) questions the integrity of your contribution as they (I) suspect you're trying to be inflammatory you pick up on an autocorrect grammar error and attempt to mock. You deserve my responses since then, and if you fail to understand the relevance regarding Ben Mee becoming a parent when you openly ask a woman about becoming a parent I'm not going to help you out.

[CoolClaret]

They represent Burnley FC - they should be supported to a degree by the club. The fact that until recently that they had to buy their own kit does not sit right with me.

This is not someone 5 aside team with a rip off BFC name but our female football team. Good move by the club.

Totally agree with that - no question.

Being paid a professional salary for returning nothing? That's where I'm getting a bit concerned

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Totally agree with that - no question.

Being paid a professional salary for returning nothing? That's where I'm getting a bit concerned

Returning nothing?

Sounds like a number of the team from the Bournemouth game need to watch out

[djemba-djemba]

Had to log in to like this post...

Wellsy correcting spelling classic

Like you’re ever logged out...

[Bosscat]

Like you’re ever logged out...

[Chester Perry]

I’m surprised that Gawthorpe would not be big enough. How many training pitches are down there ?
It’s fantastic facilities and I was lucky enough to be invited down there when it first opened and part of the talk / tour Sean Dyche gave was to give us a bit of background on all the new pitches and the significant amounts that had been invested for not only the main first team training pitch (exact replica of Turf Moor in size, grass composition etc) but also all the various training pitches which were also big investments. I thought that with this investment in the number and quality of the pitches they would be able to accommodate all our various teams as a minimum. I know some of the younger teams play their actual games on the 4g at Prairie and we know the u23s play their league games elsewhere.
Not questioning your point btw - just surprised that we may have a capacity issue.

Most big clubs that integrate the academy and main squads facilities have pitches numbered well into double figures, we fall some way short of that and my understanding is that the club was told that was that. If you want to keep your training pitches in good nick and similarly to the turf then you probably need to rotate them quite heavily I would think.

Then there are the changing facilities to consider, it may be that there is a clear timetable of access and but it you would imagine the best approach would be having a route to the first team structure for the women's academy/team that is current for the existing infrastructure, while there will be an amount of overlap on the medical/analysis/lounge/meeting room and catering side the increased in numbers may also merit further development. Without it you can foresee arguments over access priorities particularly on the medical side

All in all this should not be considered a small undertaking, if you truly want to develop the capability of all the clubs players and teams irrespective of gender.

[Quickenthetempo]

Most big clubs that integrate the academy and main squads facilities have pitches numbered well into double figures, we fall some way short of that and my understanding is that the club was told that was that. If you want to keep your training pitches in good nick and similarly to the turf then you probably need to rotate them quite heavily I would think.

Then there are the changing facilities to consider, it may be that there is a clear timetable of access and but it you would imagine the best approach would be having a route to the first team structure for the women's academy/team that is current for the existing infrastructure, while there will be an amount of overlap on the medical/analysis/lounge/meeting room and catering side the increased in numbers may also merit further development. Without it you can foresee arguments over access priorities particularly on the medical side

All in all this should not be considered a small undertaking, if you truly want to develop the capability of all the clubs players and teams irrespective of gender.

I was told that Alan Pace had assessors down at Gawthorpe to check the quality of everything but Dyche wouldn't let them over the bridge.
I presume they went back in after Dyche had left?

[Bosscat]

Like you’re ever logged out...

Like you're ever logged in...

[Edd_Claret]

This is great news and long overdue

[Burnley1989]

Only read the first page, expected a few disappointing comments but not that many.

I’ve had a female family members play and manage academy football, and I’m really proud of them and how good they were and enjoyed it.

Got a message from my 84 year old Grandad moaning about it earlier, which I sort of expected from men of his age.

[tim_noone]

Only read the first page, expected a few disappointing comments but not that many.

I’ve had a female family members play and manage academy football, and I’m really proud of them and how good they were and enjoyed it.

Got a message from my 84 year old Grandad moaning about it earlier, which I sort of expected from men of his age.

I didnt realise Eversteadyeddie Was 84? Good Effort

[Dazzler]

For goodness sake! not one poster seems to be against women playing football, it's the thought of the Women's team having a detrimental effect on financing the Men's team.

[diamondpocket]

What does that actually mean? Is it some kind of verbal diarrhoea associated to some kind of keyboard affliction? If so I apologise, it is a horrid affliction to have. As far as "down below", I have no issues in that department, I have children and it appears to have worked as nature designed. Size is not really relevant, unless we're talking intelect, in which case a larger IQ is relevant, but that fact would be lost on you.

Look, you come onto this public forum in a poor attempt to be controversial about Womens Football asking questions like:

and statements like:

and then when someone (me) questions the integrity of your contribution as they (I) suspect you're trying to be inflammatory you pick up on an autocorrect grammar error and attempt to mock. You deserve my responses since then, and if you fail to understand the relevance regarding Ben Mee becoming a parent when you openly ask a woman about becoming a parent I'm not going to help you out.

you are wrong, alongside many others, in so many ways you just don't get it. I wasn't being controversial at all but it easily proved a point. Look at Jackmiggins' reply for that.

If any of you do do some research on the topic of pregnancy and professional female sport, you will find it is an extremely pertinent and valid discussion point (I've already posted a link that shows some examples of how the situation is in UK footy, even our much loved Chelsea Manager is quoted about a negative aspect). There are many more articles around. The creche thing was in response to a previous reply about mixing the men's & women's squads, which I thought was quite funny and tongue in cheek. Interesting that that wasn't deemed an offensive post. I was just commenting that if both sexes from each team does partake in a bit of mingling then a creche facility would be helpful!! Get it? Both parents at the same club training.............
But as the Chelsea manager quotes, facilities in that area in training centres are lacking to say the least. I wonder if Gawthorpe has a designated area for their employers/parents with children if they need to take them to work in an emergency situation, for DAD'S like Ben Mee or female employees?

I admit I am really thick to see the Ben Mee thing you've created in your head. I have absolutely no issue with professional sportswomen having children nor should they lose pay/contractual discrimination/take time off, etc.. Please do highlight my error of judgement. It is like any other line of work for me & I subsequently tried to say that but you weren't interested in reading or highlighting them I see. Doesn't help your AGENDA.

The fact is the real neanderthals have come out judging everything by its cover because someone used the words 'women, pregnant, contracts, football, etc' in a sentence and immediately thought that it was a sexist, discriminate reply. You interpret it how you want. If I had said I had a daughter being chased by a pro club, would it have made a difference? I suspect it may have.

Poor attempt? I'd say it was pretty successful seeing your knickers and others go up in a twist!

Finally, pointing out a grammar mistake isn't mocking and I wasn't. I'm used to it because I often make mistakes when I don't check what I've written. Some are text errors, others are knowledge errors. If I make an error, I'd like to know even if it is a sensitive subject, as I've seen on here. You wanted to fine comb tooth my posts earlier, go ahead & enjoy yourself, I couldn't care less. Many more harmful things than that.

Enjoy your life, too.

[boatshed bill]

you can get an argument a night on here.
more if you stick around long enough

[Jacko]

they could play on the Turf straight after a game, if we have the Saturday 12.30 slot. Keep the kiosks open. Have a family funday in the fan zone area.

I like this idea - I don't see much of a downside to it, where possible; surprises me that it doesn't happen more often.

Strikes me that the biggest challenge for growing the women's game is building that emotional link to teams. The argument about quality being linked to interest doesn't convince me - after all, most people who go to games don't do so because the team they're watching are 'the best'; certainly that's not why I support Burnley - and I don't see it being as simple as, say, 'I'd watch if the goalkeepers were better'. Think the club need to be creative to see if they can provide a bridge between supporters of the men's game to the women's team. On that basis, i think a stronger link between the two is a good thing.