Still a man’s game? Women footballers, personal experience and tabloid myth

The following chapter explores two dimensions of the relationship between women and football. First, drawing upon extensive ethnographic research, I examine the experiences of a women’s collegiate team in the south of England. In relation to social exclusion I address a number of issues relating to equity and equality within the sport and highlight how the women have had to battle hard in order to be recognised as footballers. I then focus on the image of the game and the perceived link between lesbianism and women’s football, as this was by far the strongest theme to emerge in the primary research, and was the most important issue to the women themselves.