Not everyone who’s into crypto are fucking manosphere weirdos but all manosphere weirdos are into crypto.

And I think it’s unfair to say they have a silent majority of bigots. They have more than is comfortable but really don’t think it’s a majority.

It’s a provincial sport, it doesn’t NEED to be showing that it has all nationalities playing. Just that everyone within their community who wants to be involved in the sport can and is treated equally when they do. Not really a high bar is it?

…without really taking real, substantive action to change the cultures in their sport and amongst elements of their fan base.

Don’t stick it on a banner at the stadium or post about it in social media. ACT, make real changes and tackle these issues properly.

I have similar issues with the ‘take the knee’ and ‘rainbow laces’ in football too to be fair. All very noble gestures, nothing wrong in the act or the messaging - quite the opposite in fact.

HOWEVER it sometimes feels like sporting authorities come up with these ideas to say “box ticked”….

They are just pricks. Pricks have always existed but now instead of annoying people in their local pub or at the workplace they have a megaphone to the entire world.

I’d HOPE people in the women’s game will look at what they’re doing and achieving and just laugh at the sad internet warriors.

Also I for one wouldn’t be attending WSL games if I still lived there because I don’t support a team in that league (in the same way I wouldn’t go to Premier League matches).

Yeah. But remember there’s a whole heap of people who JUST get into football for the men in major tournaments too who don’t attend matches otherwise. So don’t think you’ll see a huge bump in attendance numbers necessarily. But it will be incremental and over a long term.

Will just say, these are a tiny (but sadly noisy) minority. I’ve seen nothing but positivity about this on my own social media feeds from fellow middle aged male football fans.

They have been celebrated and lauded by the vast majority of the country. And rightly so.

Don’t think that’s a priority. They just need their version of the ‘Washington Generals’ to be the opponent.

So fuck Joey Barton and angry Keith from Milton Keynes on Facebook.

Horrible, bitter old pricks. Fuck em.

Women's Euro 2025 - Lionesses: History Makers Relive England’s historic victory in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. With action from the tournament and interviews with key protagonists, this documentary brings to life the Lionesses’ journey.

At the end of this Rebecca (aka @selfesteem.music-social.com) says that a little girl in England can now say “when I grow up I want to be a footballer”.

And that’s the whole point.

Not just in England either, that’s a dream available to girls and boys all over.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

a man is yawning while talking on a cell phone with the word show written above him ALT: a man is yawning while talking on a cell phone with the word show written above him

Pre-season is no longer planned around football reasons at top clubs.

Not saying they are better technically or pure ability wise (some might be, others won’t) but that sheer physicality is a non- negotiable or they simply won’t survive. I just don’t see that here in Australia where the season is six months long and a game a week.

I can guarantee you that Southend United players will be stronger and fitter than your average A-League player. They played their last game of the previous season on 1st June and start their new season on 9th August AND had a full pre- season in that time ready for a 46 game league season + cups.

Whether it’s NPL or A-League they play half that amount and ultimately there doesn’t seem to be that jeopardy and tension around matches. If you’re in the AL you won’t get relegated and even if you fall out of favour at a club you’ll bounce round the others.

It’s one massive comfort zone.

My point being that playing 60 matches a season is a big factor in making them machines. You can train all you like and that is part of it too of course. But being proper match fit and sharp comes from playing competitively in matches that MEAN something for yours and other’s livelihoods.

I just like football, and above all else I love watching Southend United and England play football.

So I don’t really see it as men’s and women’s - if they are representing my club or national team I’m invested emotionally regardless.

Number of games played overseas compared to Oz had to be a factor in that too.

…so I’ll get across and watch them play for the first time when I’m back in Dec/Jan. We won’t be going pro immediately (we don’t have Wrexham money) and need to work up through the pyramid. But by all accounts they are serious about it as a long term project. Which is great.

Is there a Man U/Arsenal rivalry in the women’s game too? Or is that a wider club thing and more a men’s football beef?

The new owners at Southend have started to take our women’s team more seriously and brought them into the fold (they’ve previously been part of the community program)….

I’m not going to be too over confident about the World Cup. You have to say that Spain are favourites (despite the result on Sunday) and an Emma Hayes led USA will be back as a powerhouse. And someone else will surprise us too.

But England will be in the mix I’m sure.

Actually I think their views are heard MORE over there when Lionesses do well because it’s in the national consciousness and a topic of conversation generally.

However they don’t stand up well at all to the glare of public opinion and are made to look stupid in front of millions.

If she looked carefully out the window Chloe Kelly would have seen the same jar of pickled eggs that was on the shelf behind the counter from we were regulars. And we moved to Australia in 2008.

The Lionesses arrived back at Southend Airport yesterday and depending which way the coach went out there’s a decent chance they drove past the old fish and chip shop we used to go to.

Which has to top a trip to 10 Downing Street surely? 😂

Exactly, he doesn’t need a huge % of the population to agree with him to make money off them.

…but on this one thing (the growth of women’s football) I think it’s a net win overall.

(The internet as a a force for good in the world generally however? The jury is out I reckon but not looking promising sadly).

…because for all it can be a tool to share positivity and happiness it can also be a tool to share the opposite. A tool for the worst kind of people to find each other and for that to be monetised. Which is what Joey Barton is doing.

I wish we only had the good and not the bad of course…

The internet can be a wonderful thing, there’s a community online and I’ve watched many videos since the final (and before in fact) of people celebrating and embracing this team and their achievements (they landed at Southend airport and had a great crowd to welcome them).

BUT…there’s a flipside…

What have the National League got against Shrimps?

We’ve been there before and got through the other side. Hope they make it, but not looking good.