The changing faces of female football supporters

By Michelle D’Vaz

I have been going to football games for a long time now, but many years ago I was a novelty to the men that sat around me,  I became ‘the’ mixed race girl that came to football!!!

Back in the day, I tried everything to prove my commitment, I sang the songs, drank the beer and wore the shirts. I knew my stuff, I could hold down a full on football conversation with even the most hardcore of fans.

Walking to my seat in the ground week in and week out I was used to the sly looks from men and the lack of other female supporters to give me that ‘I know how you feel’  look.

Things started to change, over the next few years as I started to see more and more women attend the games. All sporting the same unfashionable and shapeless football shirts but what else was there to wear?

All of us women were in the same boat, being asked on a regular basis “do you even know the offside rule?” or “are you just here to look at their legs?”. The stereotyping of us females was a common ridicule and something that we had to battle each week.

Those women that started to attend the games started to familiarise themselves with other female supporters. We started to say a regular ‘hi’ to each other or a friendly nod of acknowledgement. 

Over the years I have met many many women that could stand up to any man with their footballing knowledge, their understanding of the game is something that has historically been challenged and mocked but now I see and listen to more and more male supporters actively engaging in conversation with us female football fans.

Another dimension of my struggle was the colour of my skin, to not only be a woman but, a woman of colour was an even worse challenge I had to deal with. There were again, the looks of contempt I got at games, snide comments and listening to the awful racism that I have heard shouted at our own football players, but that’s not for now, that’s another blog waiting to be written.

I will never forget in my early days of being a football fan, I was at my club and I watched a half time obituary on the big screen acknowledging the sad death of a life long female football fan, she was 95 and a season ticket holder who still went to every game. Not only was she a female that must of had to deal with worst sexism that I can even begin to imagine but she was Indian, my admiration for this woman has paved the way for me and has become a true inspiration.

After 20 years of sitting in the same seat at my beloved club I have come to love and respect all the women that sit around me and in fact I have been lucky enough to call some of them my most treasured friends in the whole entire world. The love we have for each other is great but the love of our club and football is something that will never waiver......

Photographer, Markus Spiske

Photographer , Nathan Rogers