While in secondary school, I had two close female friends who loved football and discussed it every chance they got.
I never knew a football match was scheduled to happen that day until they were discussing. Oh, well. It never did hurt me, so cool.
Except that my new roommate in a space of two weeks after meeting her asked asked me twice if I liked football. So the mind wheels got rolling on how and why women develop a liking for football. That is what this series is about + critiquing societal expectations.
Right now, I can name only a few football teams: Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, Barcelona. Boy, am I brilliant or what?
I’m granting some female friends short interviews on this subject. I can’t fit them all into one post so its going to come in form of a series.
Happy reading.
Simi
Simi is one of those friends from secondary school that I referred to earlier. Till date, her whatsapp status is filled with football discussions. I just don’t get it. She answers…
1. When did you have your first football consciousness? Did you love it immediately?
I guess I had my first football consciousness when I started playing with my brothers since that was the only fun thing I could do with them other than from watching movies. And yes, I loved it immediately.
Yes, I think they influenced my love for football in a way because we watch it together and we even play together.
Infact I remember vividly during the worldcup in brazil that should be 2010 or 2014 my dad used to ask me to wake him up whenever Nigeria was playing if it happened to be fixed at midnight. Sometimes if he was the one awake he would come to my room to wake me whenever the match was about to start. At first my dad didn’t like the idea of me playing but he eventually left me when he saw how much I loved playing football.
3. How do you describe the reaction from both sexes when people discover you love football?
I have found out that only females with the common love for football don’t find it surprising when I say I play football. But guys?? I have had different funny reactions. I have got reactions like “what is a beautiful girl like you doing here?“, “I can’t believe you till i watch you play”. Someone even accused me of being a lesbian.
Infact the funniest was when I collected the award for the sportswoman of the year in my department; when the Mc called me to come forward for the award he was like “Please, what sport?” and when I told him football he didn’t believe me. He said I don’t look like I can play. The sport either has to be table tennis or volleyball or better still, I bought the award!”.
4. I only watch it? Or I watch and play?
I watch and play.
5. On a wild trip, do you mind marrying a guy who has no interest in football? Do you think it weird?
I don’t think I can marry someone who doesn’t love football because there will be no one to discuss or watch football with. So yes, it will be wierd. Infact if I am attracted to a guy once I discover he doesn’t like me playing football or he don’t even like football at all I loose interest immediately.
Bonus question: what’s your football team?
Football team; Chelsea and Real Madrid.
And that’s that! When I was reading it, I was thinking ‘just take me to that MC, let me see what he looks like’. What did he mean by ‘or you bought the award’!? Hian.
P.s: I might be football conscious o. I know there was a Karius or Kairus crisis recently. ?
So tell me people, what do you think? Ladies, do you fancy football or you have teams just for the sake of being able to make contributions?
Guys, are you indifferent to football? Or you’re saying “please please please!, what’s the meaning of indifference?“
What else struck you in Simi’s conversation? (Don’t even get me started on the lesbian assumption!)
This is such an interesting interview with an amazing footballer. Love her responses. Great job… More of this.
Thank you so much. I hope to have two more interviews of this sort. Thanks for stopping by.
This is such an interesting interview with an amazing footballer. Love her responses. Great job… More of this.
Thank you so much. I hope to have two more interviews of this sort. Thanks for stopping by.
I don’t really like it when ladies receive ugly responses especially from guys as regards the lady’s ability to do something erroneously believed to be done only by guys. Yes, I said erroneously because football as the case here, is not gender specific.
I’m proud of ladies that are ‘extraordinary in this sense’, ladies who do the unexpected (positive things o).
I love being adventurous myself, though not so into football, I know I love doing things that people might want to say “…but you’re a lady now…”, things most ladies wouldn’t want to you attempt doing because they are ladies. You know what I mean!
Shout out to the exceptional ladies!!!
Shout out to us.
My point exactly. It’s O.K if I’m not interested in football and its O.K if many ladies aren’t, but to enforce a stereotype limiting others, on that basis, is just an overkill.
Thanks for commenting.
I don’t really like it when ladies receive ugly responses especially from guys as regards the lady’s ability to do something erroneously believed to be done only by guys. Yes, I said erroneously because football as the case here, is not gender specific.
I’m proud of ladies that are ‘extraordinary in this sense’, ladies who do the unexpected (positive things o).
I love being adventurous myself, though not so into football, I know I love doing things that people might want to say “…but you’re a lady now…”, things most ladies wouldn’t want to you attempt doing because they are ladies. You know what I mean!
Shout out to the exceptional ladies!!!
Shout out to us.
My point exactly. It’s O.K if I’m not interested in football and its O.K if many ladies aren’t, but to enforce a stereotype limiting others, on that basis, is just an overkill.
Thanks for commenting.
You are welcome, can’t wait to meet them.
You are welcome, can’t wait to meet them.
Ladies & football?
Interesting!
I know. ?
Ladies & football?
Interesting!
I know. ?
Aww lovely! Well done Debby! Simi great responses…it was exciting seeing you on Sunday after years!
No need for stereotype; women are men with a womb…WE DO EXTRA AND WE DO IT BETTER (football inclusive ?)! Yaay✌
??
Aww lovely! Well done Debby! Simi great responses…it was exciting seeing you on Sunday after years!
No need for stereotype; women are men with a womb…WE DO EXTRA AND WE DO IT BETTER (football inclusive ?)! Yaay✌
??
I used to love football a lot (watching not playing).
I would wake up at odd hours to watch a game.
I dunno how or why, the interest waned. I still love the game though. Just don’t watch as much as I used to.
I used to love football a lot (watching not playing).
I would wake up at odd hours to watch a game.
I dunno how or why, the interest waned. I still love the game though. Just don’t watch as much as I used to.
Pingback: Ladies and Football; 6 guys give their opinions. – Debby Hub
Pingback: Ladies and Football; 6 guys give their opinions. – Debby Hub
This is something so relatable for me. I watch football. In fact, I’m a fanatic. Watching football is basically my life. I don’t play football though. In my country, football is not the most famous sport. But there are some guys who watch football regularly. And when they find out they often look surprised the first time. But then they really don’t seem to be thinking it’s weird or anything. They talk about football with me most of the times, quite naturally. They don’t try to belittle my football knowledge because I’m a girl. And I think there’s no reason to do any of that. It is just another sport. And there’s nothing to suggest that only guys can enjoy a sport.
Yes, you’re absolutely right!
“Watching football is basically my life”, this had me smiling.
Thanks for taking out time to comment, absolutely appreciated.
Which country are you from if I might ask?
I’m from Sri Lanka
This is something so relatable for me. I watch football. In fact, I’m a fanatic. Watching football is basically my life. I don’t play football though. In my country, football is not the most famous sport. But there are some guys who watch football regularly. And when they find out they often look surprised the first time. But then they really don’t seem to be thinking it’s weird or anything. They talk about football with me most of the times, quite naturally. They don’t try to belittle my football knowledge because I’m a girl. And I think there’s no reason to do any of that. It is just another sport. And there’s nothing to suggest that only guys can enjoy a sport.
Yes, you’re absolutely right!
“Watching football is basically my life”, this had me smiling.
Thanks for taking out time to comment, absolutely appreciated.
Which country are you from if I might ask?
I’m from Sri Lanka