One in five women suffers from unwanted physical attention at football matches, a study by the Football Supporters Association finds | Football news

One in five women has experienced unwanted physical attention while attending men’s football matches, according to a study by the Football Supporters ’Association (FSA), which is more than double the proportion compared to 2014.

Nearly half of the 2,000 match attendees who responded to the FSA survey (49 percent) said seeing sexist behavior made them angry, up from one in three in the past (29 percent).

In 2014, nearly one in three (32 percent) said they didn’t usually care about proving sexism in a match, compared to just one in seven (15 percent).

In the past, one in four (24 percent) women had laughed at sexism, while today it has dropped in one in eight (12 percent).

The Women at the Match survey also found:

• Four percent of women were willing to accept sexism as part of a match day experience, up from 10 percent in 2014.
• Most (59 percent) would like clubs to condemn those who show sexist behavior
• Four out of ten (39 per cent) would like sexists to be expelled from the stadium, compared with 26 per cent in 2014.
• One in 20 supporters (five per cent) say a witness to sexist behavior will not want to take part in football matches in the future

There is no place for sexist or anti-female behavior in football. We would encourage all supporters to challenge it and, if necessary, report it to their club or authorities.

“It’s encouraging to see a change in attitudes in recent years when fans are unlikely to accept sexist behavior or are willing to reject it or ruin it,” said FSA board member and Port Vale fan Ally Simcock.

“I’ve been in men’s football for a long time and have heard some sexist comments, but a lot has changed lately. # Things like the MeToo movement have helped change people’s perceptions of what they’re willing to present and what’s or isn’t acceptable.

“The FSA is very clear about this – there is no place for sexist or anti-female behavior in football. We encourage all supporters to challenge it and report it to their club or the authorities if necessary.”

At women’s football matches, 75 percent said they have not heard sexist comments or songs or experienced unwanted physical attention.

FA, PL and EFL “against all forms of discrimination”

In response to the survey, the FA says it strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and prejudice and believes that everyone must enjoy our game and that everyone can participate.

An FA spokesman said: “We recently released A Game For All, our new strategy for equality, diversity and inclusion, which sets out our commitment and plan to provide a game that is non-discriminatory.

“This commitment includes ensuring the greater inclusion of women and creating safer places for all, using innovative tools to prevent anti – social behavior, developing training programs for workers and shop stewards, and taking appropriate action against all perpetrators of abuse in our places.

“We believe that football is everyone’s game and will continue to do our utmost to make a meaningful change to make our game accessible to all. We encourage all fans and participants who believe they have been targeted or witnessed it. “Through our network or partners at Kick It Out. We will also continue to leverage communication both before and during matches so we can tell fans how they can report them.

The Premier League did not comment on the survey, but said it was committed to some of the next steps proposed within it, including the introduction of league-wide bans and the introduction of enhanced training for shop stewards.

After launching his enhanced anti-discrimination efforts at the beginning of the season, Richard Masters, the leader of the Premier League, said: “The Premier League and our clubs condemn all forms of discriminatory and abusive behavior.

“The commitment of all clubs to enforcing league-wide bans shows that there is no room for any form of discrimination in football and we will continue to work together to combat all forms of prejudice.

“Football is a diverse sport that brings together communities from different backgrounds. We ask fans to come together with us and our clubs to help combat discrimination by reporting and reporting abuse wherever they see it.”

An EFL spokesman said: “With 72 clubs across the country and more than 18 million people in turnstiles every season, EFL is constantly striving to make sure its matches are welcome and accessible to everyone.

“It’s disappointing to see so many female supporters subject to inappropriate and inappropriate behavior from other fans, but as with any view or feedback we receive, we’re considering how it can help improve match days and inform about future steward training.

“The league and member clubs have worked extensively over the years to increase the diversity of our collective fan base and ensure that it reflects the communities in which the clubs live. As always, we will continue to work with the FSA, football stakeholders and effective campaigns.

“After launching our Together Against Discrimination Day campaign at the beginning of the season, our message is clear: sexism and discriminatory behavior are not acceptable – those who disagree are not welcome.”

Results in full

The following results relate to 350 of the 477 respondents who stated that they supported the team in the women’s game and that they participated in matches before COVID – by deleting the data of fans who did not participate in the match.