Match week 24+25

A week or two in which the self and the football has been on a break for self-preservation purposes

HEY, I’M HERE I PROMISE

It’s just been ~one of those weeks~ ey. Had to take some time to not think about all the recent things that have been reported on in the football world, and to definitely NOT keep up with the news. Not as a form of escapism or sticking me head in the sand, but rather as a form of self-preservation.

As a woman who works in football, already fighting prejudice and misogyny about my right to take up space in that sphere, following the reporting on the events of the last few weeks I’ve felt incredibly … exposed.

Exposed not as in ‘found out’ but exposed as in vulnerable, bare. There’s been a rupture in the ‘business-as-usual’ bubble of football, if only ever so small, in which the ways of the “real” world, and the patriarchal power dynamics that rule it, have operated in real time. It’s brought a piece of reality into a football world that likes to stay up in the clouds; secluded in a fantasy-like world tucked away in a pocket of space where nothing really exists outside of those 90 minutes on the pitch. Existing in-between these two worlds is an incredibly difficult balancing act, and it’s reminded me that, although there’s merit to focus on the things that unite rather than divide us, one of the biggest things that separates me from my male colleagues is the fact that for them, (statistically speaking?) meeting a guy like any of these football players off the pitch would most likely just turn into a fun hang-out for these guys, while for me it could end with a sexual assault.

(very timely, I just read the chapter Rooting For Your Team When the Star Is Accused of Domestic Violence from Jessica Luther and Kavitha Davidson’s book Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back, and it made me feel very seen.)

I will link some of the last two weeks at the bottom of this note, and if you need to ignore them at this time know that I’m right there with you.

There have been joyful things all over the place as well!

I was in Manchester last weekend to do some essential non-football related things, namely seeing one of my favourite artists (hint: it’s Snoh Aalegra) and it was a blissful diversion, along with the Whitney Houston tribute we danced to in a sweaty basement venue. But no visit to Manchester is complete without some football of course, even though we had to go to Liverpool to get it. Greg (who is an Everton fan) and I enjoyed a good and joyful game of football (at least for the home-side) as Everton beat Leeds 3-0 and being a spectator of a game in which the outcome did not matter to me at all was some much-needed balm for the soul. The match day steward at the door also gave me a compliment for my pink hair of the day (my wig) which made me smile. The day after we went to the National Football Museum which was a treat.

Obviously we got to see Calvert-Lewin play on the day (which was a personal highlight lol), as is Dom’s instagram which is a joy to look through. Especially this photoshoot which I never get tired of, as well as his poetic little tidbits interspersed with the great fashion content.

Cathkin Blazes have made it onto the page! Such a nice wee write-up about our team in our local magazine, which also features a whole other bunch of interesting articles. The mag is free and available in several languages. And do not fear, for more Cathkin Blazes content you’ll not have to wait too long.

The new football specifically made for the Women’s Champion’s League knockout stages was unveiled and it is an absolute beaut! Featuring high mountaintops to represent the environment, Turin, in which the final will take place.

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Things that make me angry:

The Ajax director of football who left his role after being found out for having been inappropriate with female personnel.

The unraveling story about the NWSL-coach who has been accused of having groomed and harassed female players, behaviour spanning two decades (which authority organisations were aware of but did nothing about.)

What both of these stories, like most of them, have in common (except for the glaring misogyny), is the fact that the perpetrators in question have been able to LEAVE, i.e. set their own tone to their exit from their respective clubs, as opposed to being FIRED. There’s a massive difference between these two ways of leaving your job, and the former just extends a lot more validity to the perpetrator, even as they should be stripped of all dignity and properly and publicly investigated.