It's Nice That featured an article by Gem Fletcher on the visual culture of women's football and the wider implications for reforming the visual culture of sport. It's both insightful and interesting.
Living in the UK, football is as inescapable as inclement weather. I am no authority on the beautiful game but know enough by assimilation and inescapable national obsession to be familiar with the rivalries and tribal fandom. Beckham. Messi. Southgate. Ronaldo (not the one who had the 'I lost a bet' haircut).
You could be forgiven for thinking that nothing else happened in 1966 as the last time England lifted the biggest prize in football. But then along came the Lionesses as back-to-back European Champions in 2022 and 2025. They were World Cup finalists in 2023. Judging by the scale of fan turnout in the wake of their recent victory, they are inspiring a generation.
I surprised myself by watching some of the recent '25 Euro final, and it was blissfully free of the histrionics and writhing around on the floor that irritates me about the men's game. Get tackled. Get up. Play on. The Lionesses showed incredible resilience and fortitude.
The article speaks of a broader cultural reimagining – not an alternative to the men's game but one that I'd argue is better and more enjoyable to watch. Creativity and identity over aggression and spectacle.
"...dismantling the old world of tribal fandom (you can only be a fan if you know everything) and becoming more about fun and community, rather than posturing.”
I thought this was an interesting insight:
“Historically, the football industry has been very insular, gatekept and also very commercial. It’s not typically behaved like a cultural industry,” says Holly Gilbertson, managing partner of Pacer, a creative studio built to accelerate the cultural visibility of women in sport. “Covid got a whole generation of women thinking about movement in a different way. It re-coded sports because health was wealth, and going out for a walk became the only thing that kept us going. At the same time, Tiktok reframed beginnerism, creating a more holistic culture around participation.
Hopefully this starts to pave the way for pay equality, not only in football but for women's sport more widely. It's long overdue.
