International week #
A week in which a lot has been happening on the pitch but even more has happened off it
TRIGGER WARNING: in this text there will be mentions of r*pe
Good whatever-time-of-day-this-reaches-you ♡ Coming through from a noisy café that is bustling with movement, which is a change-up from the past few weeks setting of quiet house and sleeping cat by my side that I got used to. The last week in the football world has been a lot in a lot of different ways. The transfer window closed, some players bid farewell and others were welcomed, the AFCON and the AFC Women’s Asian cup have both progressed into the final stages with exciting teams, but all of this has taken a backseat to the repeated reporting of several instances of some really disturbing news.
A football coach who suggested gang-r*pe as a bonding activity.
A famous football player who was arrested (released on bail) and is now under investigation following allegations of r*pe, assault and threatening to kill a woman.
A football club who signed a football player who had been found by a civil court to have r*ped a woman, but he had “a proven track record as a goalscorer”.
The football coach in question was recently hired by Rayo Vallecano to coach their men’s first team, that plays in the top division in Spain, La Liga. The Vallecas team was recently in the headlines for not providing medical staff to their women’s team (which I mention here) amongst other things. Generally, the club is well-known for having fans that are very outspokenly anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-establishment, sentiments the club also seems to echo, for example sporting the famous rainbow kit a few years ago, and being located where they are, in the heart of a working-class neighbourhood they’re supposed to represent, exist in a symbiosis with the people making up the tissues of the club.
Therefore it baffles and angers me how the club gets away with treating women with such a lack of respect, at all levels of the club from players to fans. When fans of this very club, specifically, have clearly shown, through previous actions, how powerful it can be when people collectively put their foot down and say ‘no more’.
The football player represents Manchester United, is an England international, and currently under investigation after incredibly severe allegations. According to the Daily Mail, many of the players’ sponsors like Nike and Cadbury have immediately pulled all of their backing, United have gone out to say that fans can exchange their shirts that bear the name of this player for free. Furthermore, his name has been removed from United’s online store and FIFA 22 have removed him from their video game.
While there is, and rightly so, a lot of focus and flurry around everyone distancing themselves from this one player, it’s worth noting that this player also shares a dressing room with another player who has been accused of r*pe, and across the same City, a player is facing nine charges, including seven counts of r*pe. In the football world there are countless examples of abusive and violent men, like this former Manchester United star and Wales manager who was in court last year for allegedly assaulting and controlling his ex-girlfriend, or this former world-star who has been sentenced to nine years of prison in Italy for taking part in a gang-r*pe (but he’s staying put in Brazil so he is now thought to be on Interpol’s list of wanted criminals.)
In a time when everything is clicks and eyeballs, it’s hard to discern what becomes mere reporting on a situation and what is just to drive traffic. In some instances people are very quick to loudly judge, and in other instances they want to “wait for the facts.”
The football club signed a new striker in the winter transfer window who was recognised by the civil court as to have r*ped a woman together with another fellow footballer in 2011. The player has had a continuous football career in Scotland and England, and Raith Rovers were eager to re-sign him because according to the manager it was “crucial to the club’s promotion push in our quest to reach the SPFL Premiership – it is a great signing for Raith Rovers as a club, as [player name] is the top goalscorer in Scotland.” Following the signing, the captain of the Raith Rover’s women’s team declared online that she was going to step away from the team because of the signing, along with several people working in the club like the club’s supporter liaison officer, director, and the stadium announcer. One of the most vocal has been Val McDermid, the best-selling crime author and (former) devoted fan and shirt sponsor for the club. The club released a tone deaf statement that showed no understanding of the issue at hand, ending with “it was a football related decision.” Even Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took a stance in the matter
Eventually the club made a u-turn, saying ‘we got it wrong’ and that the player will not represent the club.
The Raith Rovers women’s team, who are the oldest affiliated women’s team in Scotland, meanwhile have completely cut ties with Raith Rovers the football club, although they will remain part of the Raith Rovers Community Foundation. They’ve changed their names and will from now on play under the name McDermid Ladies, with their first game coming up on Sunday against Livingston Dev at Windmill Community Campus in Kirkcaldy at 2pm.
What all of these stories have in common is the violence of men, and also the bravery of the women who dared to speak out about their experience and tell their story, knowing full well what they might stand to lose, as well as all the folks supporting them and taking a stand. But I also want to acknowledge that there are people who cannot tell their story just yet, and that they are brave too ♡ In this text I’m not bothering to mention the names of the perpetrators (but it’s obviously just a click away) and that is to make a point. It’s not just about the individuals and the who’s-who, but about the structures of men’s violence against women that permeates through our society, as well as the adherent culture of silence, and the part that football plays in upholding it and perpetuating it.
This is such a heavy topic, and I do want to point out that there are nice things that have happened as well in the last week, like: Tottenham’s men’s team actually signed some decent players! With Australia and Japan as heavy favourites to go to the final, it’s unexpected and fun to see South Korea face China in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup! The NWSL have finally signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and Trinity Rodman became the highest paid player in NWSL history as she re-signed with Washington Spirit in a deal reportedly worth $1.1 million!