A very subjective look into AWFC

At one point WOSO was just about the most welcoming and beautiful environment. Precisely because of this is why I embraced it, why invested in it literally and figuratively, and why I kept creating content. By and large most fans are incredible, kind, supportive but as with many things, the louder ones are usually the most vitriolic and that is antithetical to what women’s football, women’s sport and women in general should be. There is no room for hatred and abuse in this space but sadly it has become the norm.

You have seen it in person when footballers get yelled at or insulted for not giving someone their shirt… we’ve seen the disgusting rise in racist incidents and body shaming is not far behind. Nothing of the sort is ever warranted, never ever. There has never been or will ever be a missed penalty, a bad performance, an offside, a handball, etc nothing will warrant abuse or hatred.

Unless you’re a child or a very immature person, you can appreciate there’s a difference between criticism and hatred. Professional players can take criticism and some of them live for it, not because they wanna hear what they did wrong but essentially because it means their sport is getting the attention necessary for that criticism to exist. And because we all know what criticism is like, we can identify when hatred is just that… hatred. We gotta call it out. We gotta get it out of the game.

Now, it’s not lost in me that I am a man and as such I am partially responsible for toxic masculinity, if nothing else because of being man. I have said time and time again than men are going to be the end of women’s football in that for the sport to grow we need money, most money means business aka men in business aka no scrupels aka dark money aka toxic masculinity aka misogyny etc etc etc.

However, what I have seen lately on social media, not just about Ruesha but essentially any and all players its fucking horrific. How did this ever happen? How did these fans get so toxic and hateful? Who hurt them? Where are the parents?

One thing I’ll say is if you’re one of those fans that insults players and spews hate, is that Taylor Swift would absolutely be ashamed of you. All the people you love and admire would be absolutely sick to their stomach and feel extremely sorry for you and your behavior. And so would any and all of the artists you love. It’s just pathetic behavior.

There is something very interesting that happens in societies and it mostly applies to politics or at least that’s how it manifests itself a lot, and that is the paradox of tolerance… and this is basically what it means: if we tolerate abuse, abuse grows; and when abuse grows unchecked, genuine freedom and diversity shrink. Applied to women’s football, this means that allowing sexist, homophobic, or dehumanizing comments to go unchallenged in the name of “free speech” doesn’t protect the game… it poisons it. To preserve an open, inclusive fan culture, we have to draw a firm line against harassment and refuse to normalize it.

I really don’t know what should be done or how. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve criticized players before, a lot actually. I raise my hand and admit I could be seen as being harsh towards LWM and Pelova, but abusive? Absolutely not. I would fight a pack of wolves for them knowing I would die.

I have for sure criticized other podcasters and bloggers a fair bit and even though I think they absolutely deserve criticism, myself included!!!! I’m not perfect but I can assure you I sleep at night knowing I have done what I can to build women up, as much as I can on this space.

❤

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