Women s football: Played, Watched, Talked about!

Transcription

1 The (un)changeable status of women s football: the case of Poland Honorata Jakubowska, Ph.D. honorata@amu.edu.pl Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland The Institute of Sociology, Department of Social Sciences Women s football: Played, Watched, Talked about! FREE Conference University of Copenhagen, June

2 This paper is a work in progress. Please do not quote without explicit written permission of the author. Introduction The paper presents the status of women s football in Poland. It starts with a short history (herstory) of Polish women s football and the current state of this discipline. The main content describes the situation of the discipline in three dimensions: economic, cultural and political, as distinguished by Nancy Fraser 1. The paper is based on the author s own qualitative research: (1) in-depth interviews with women playing football, trainers, representatives of football authorities, (2) in-depth interviews with representatives of feminist organizations and (3) focused group interviews with sports fans ( ). The article also refers to quantitative data from the Central Statistical Office ( ). The main questions are: 1) How has the structure of women's football changed in the twenty-first century in Poland? 2) What is the attitude of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) towards women's football? 3) How has the image of women in Polish football changed in recent years? 4) How are female footballers perceived by Polish sports fan? The theoretical framework for the research and analysis is Nancy Fraser s theory of justice. Gender equity seems to be a more appropriate idea than gender equality in the sports context. According to Fraser, justice is a complex concept related to three separate, yet interrelated dimensions: 1) distribution - economic dimension 2) recognition cultural dimension 3) representation dimension of power Fraser highlights the complexity of gender justice, and thus, points to the necessity of considering it in these three dimensions. At the same time, it means that if we want to change the situation of women's sports, including football, we need to make simultaneous changes in (all) the dimensions mentioned above. Women s football in Poland - herstory Women started to play football in Poland at the beginning of the 20th century when first unofficial matches and tournaments took place. The first Polish women s football club was founded in Poznań in 1921, as one of the sports sections of the Sports Association (Towarzystwo Sportowe) Unja Poznań. However, its story was very short and there is not much information about it. The true beginning of women s football in Poland dates back to the 70ies of the 20 th century, similarly to other European countries. This decade is marked by such milestone events in the history (herstory) of women s football as: the first professional women s football club, the 1 See: Nancy Fraser (1997). Justice Interruptus: Critical Reflections on the "Postsocialist" Condition, Nancy Fraser and Axel Honneth (2003). Redistribution or Recognition? A Political-Philosophical Exchange. 2

3 first official women s football tournament, the start of women s First League, the foundation of Women s Football Federation. The Polish Female National team played its first international match against Italy in 1981, and three years later, the first international female football match was played in Poland. Until the breakthrough of 89, women s football had been developing very well. Coaches and presidents of women s clubs emphasize that the funds, both for the clubs and for the players, were much better than nowadays: there were only a few clubs in Poland, but the girls had really good conditions. Players in most of these clubs had full-time jobs in factories or other workplaces. ( ) we took part in international tournaments and meetings regularly. We had exchanges programs with other East-Central European countries. (P., coach) Now, it s financially worse than it used to be. I could get money from school to organize a camp. I just presented a program to them, and I got money. Now, it s difficult. Very difficult. (J., coach) After 1989, the situation of women's football has worsened. In the words of one of respondents: It was going on very well. I thought it would develop, but then, there came the 90ies and that was the end. It all got lost. (P., coach). His words are confirmed by quantitative data before 1989, there were about 40 women s football clubs, out of which only 13 remained in It took about years to improve this situation. Football in Poland the current state Football is the most popular sport in Poland, both in active and passive dimension. Every year more and more people are practicing football in sports clubs and the number of football players is ten times bigger than in the next most popular sports karate and volleyball (Figure 1). Figure 1. Number of people practicing sports in sports clubs (2011) Source: Central Statistical Office One can considers the quota (share) of women playing football in Poland in two ways by referring to the percentage or number of practitioners. Percentages do not look optimistic, women and girls represent only 1% of all people practicing football in sports clubs. So, one can says that football remains a very masculine sports discipline, in contrast to other feminine sports disciplines where women are in the majority (Figure 2). 3

4 Figure 2. The most feminine sports disciplines - % of women (2010) acrobatics equestrian sports dance figure skating 66% 71% 72% 73% fitness artistic gymnastics synchronised swimming 92% 95% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: Central Statistical Office But, one can also look at the number of women practicing football. Figure 3 shows that volleyball is the most often chosen sports discipline by women; yet, the popularity of football among women is similar to other team sports, like basketball or handball (Figure 3). Figure 3. The most feminine sports disciplines - number of practitioners (2010) handball equestrian football basketball karate swimming 5749 athletics 6628 volleyball Source: Central Statistical Office According to the respondents related to football, currently (2013), even more women train football than any other team sport. The growing interest in this discipline can be observed especially among children (girls), but changes can also be seen in senior football. In the season 2005/2006, women's games were reorganized and the Extra League (Ekstraliga), 1st and 2 nd Leagues were established. Another reorganization took place in the 2010/11 season, when additionally the 3 rd league with eight groups was set up. The current situation is presented in the table 1. 4

5 Table 1. The structure of women s leagues in Poland season 2012/2013 Number of group Number of teams Extra League 1 10 Division Division Division Total 146 The growing number of athletes and teams, and, in consequence, of leagues in which women compete can be perceived as an indicator of the growing popularity of football among women. This statement was confirmed by respondents: There has been a big boom in the last five years" (J., coach) Women's football in Poland was very niche-like until, I would say, 2005, and then it started to increase. And at the moment it is the most popular discipline among team sports " (H., ex-player) when we started, there was only one league and now there are four leagues. We observe the interest of young athletes. (...) Now in Poland, they are trying to create a sports class in secondary schools, so that these girls could play. I think [that] this is the future. Probably, it is one of the fastest growing sports in Poland among the youth " (A., player) Two respondents pointed out, however, that there are few girls willing to play, maybe not in Extra League, but at lower levels of competition. The majority of girls playing football in Poland are pupils and students, and only a small number of them continue sports career or adventure with football, which seems to be more appropriate term, after completing education. The main causes of the growing interest in football among women result from: (1) the move of the Department of Women's Football into Warsaw (previously the board of Polish Women's Football Association was established in Sosnowiec), (2) the inclusion of women's football into international competition and (3) organization of clubs and tournaments at the lowest levels of age for boys and girls. Respondents also pointed out the significant role of the Internet as a source of information about clubs and games, which is illustrated by this statement of experienced football players: "At the begging, the coach found me somewhere. I did not know that a women s football existed. We played with the boys on the field, in school, and there were some teams, not many. There was no Internet. And now, with the Internet, one can know everything (B., player) Without a doubt, changes in social consciousness played an important role. They contributed both to the increase of awareness of women's football and the growing acceptance of this discipline performed by women, albeit with large resistance to it. I will return to this issue later on. The situation of Polish women football is better now than few years ago, however, it is still marginalized not only in comparison to men s football which outranks any sport, but also to other disciplines, including teams sports. This marginalization, together with some positive changes, can interpreted with reference to Fraser s theory and the three dimensions she proposed: (1) economic (2) cultural and (3) political. Economic dimension 5

6 Nowhere are the financial disparities between men's and women s sports as big as in football. Respondents accuse primarily the Polish Football Association for this situation. In football, contrary to other team sports federations, where money is divided equally between women and men, women football received only about 2-3% of the total amount disposed by federation. Women s football teams and women s football league have trouble finding sponsors. In handball or volleyball, women s and men s national teams have the same sponsors. Women s national representation in football does not have a sponsor. The Polish Football Association does not support women s football, as the players said: they themselves do nothing, and they don t allow us to do anything (N. ex-player, coach), they don t want to give [money], and they don t accept when we do anything on our own (A., player). The attitude of the federation is broadly described by one of the respondents: "Even if the people working in women's football in Poland find a sponsor for the [women s] national team, this sponsor has to be accepted by the Football Association and become a sponsor for the whole federation. This is linked to agreements about the rights, marketing issues, etc., which have to be signed with Sportfive company. This company, exclusively, is responsible for finding sponsors, and it is interested only in men s football and could not care less about women s football. ( ) It is an impossible situation that a company comes and says, Ok, we give 2 million zlotys, but this money is only for the female representation. Those guys [Sportfive] won t agree to that, because they don t care, they don t want any female football, because for the budget of the federation the money they assign to female football is nothing, but they have to have it, because, otherwise, UEFA will punish them. (H, ex-player) Only the players from Unia Racibórz (Poland s current women champion), a few of the best players from other clubs, as well as foreign female players have professional contracts. According to one of the respondents the highest earnings in women s Polish league is 3.5 thousand PLN (..). This is the absolute top. Female players who receive this money are few and far between (H., ex-player). Other athletes get scholarships, usually very low sum, between PLN in Divison 1, and up to PLN, in the best team of Extra League. Few clubs help their players by paying the rent for the flat or finding a job as a P.E. teacher or trainer for children. Only in the case of men is football the real job. In the case of female players, as one of the respondents said we all have to have additional jobs, because we would not make it without it (just from football); it is not easy (A., player). For this reason, women s team usually consist of schoolgirls or students, players who later quit the team to look for regular job. The lack of sufficient funds is also seen in the infrastructure which is accessible or rather inaccessible to women s teams. Around 95% of the women's football teams do not have their own stadiums and a "real" clubhouse. They usually rent sports facilities for training and matches. When a women s team is a section of a sports club it happens that it is not allowed to use the main field(!): Club activists reluctantly let girls use their facilities. I remember, once we were moved from one field to another. They claimed that we damage the grass, but we used the field in the same way as the boys did (K., player) Even if a female team owns a club, the conditions in which it trains cannot be compared to men s club. It is very well illustrated by two clubs playing in the highest leagues from Wrocław Śląsk Wrocław (male team) which uses one of the stadiums built for Euro 2012 and AZS Wrocław (female team). It is also important to point out 6

7 that even the presence of women's team in a higher league does not guarantee them better access to sports infrastructure in the city. Unequal access to sports facilities is also evident in the case of grassroots sport. In the frames of the programme My sports field ORLIK 2012 ( ) over 2,6 thousands of general-access, free of charge sports field with locker rooms and sanitary facilities were built. These fields, as research shows, are used primarily by schoolboys and young men 2. The analysis pointed out two main reasons for this situation: (1) girls self-exclusion from sports activities and (2) the lack of an interesting offer to girls. Equal opportunities for girls and boys is certainly one of the conditions for equal access and treatment in senior/professional sport. The disparity between funding women's and men s football, but also the federation s approach to both representations is perfectly illustrated by the issue of sportswear. In 2008, when the Polish FA s contract with PUMA ended and the federation signed a new contract with Nike, it had to dispose the old equipment and sportswear. Used sports clothing, as well as equipment, were handed over to women s football clubs and the women s national team. On the one hand, women's clubs enjoyed received clothing, because the money in women's football was even less than it is today, but, on the other hand, they received T-shirts which were not only unaesthetic and unfeminine, but also impractical: it often happened that we had shorts in size XL and we had to tie or roll up them four times. The same situation concerned shorts for games we had to roll up them three times because they were long to the knees. (A, player) we looked terrible, like clothes hangers. (H1, player) For several years now, women s and men s outfits have been different. Women play in female outfits shirts fit in the waist and shorts with a slightly different cut than the men s shorts. The main difference with reference to women s and men s sportswear in Polish football, however, does not apply to the style, but the number of pieces or sets that women and men have at their disposal. Women s outfits are stored in a store-room and are distributed among the players at the beginning of each training camp and are collected at the end. One of the experienced athletes describes this situation: I played in the national team for 10 years, and I got, I could take three shirts within this time. For 10 years. And we had to ask for permission and write applications to exchange T-shirts with our opponents team. Once we exchanged shirts without permission; it ended up as a scandal in the whole Polish Football Association. We had to pay for these shirts. At another time, we also had to pay, 100 PLN to get a T-shirt. We could not keep the T-shirts after every game, but when the qualification end, then the team writes a letter to the head of the Polish Football Association and ask if we can get the T-shirt as a reward for the [successful] qualification. (A., player) Another player has similar experiences: When I was playing for the Polish national team, we were allowed once to exchange shirts. Once. We played with Ireland, and they let us exchange the shirts. It was a reward after winning the match and the qualification to play-offs to enter the European Championship. (B., player) 2 Sport women in Poland. Invitation to diagnosis (in Polish). Projekt Społeczny

8 When players did not return outfits after a training camp, they had to pay for it the catalog price, that is about PLN per shirt. Female players also have to account for the socks. One of them laughed: fortunately, they [the Football Association] do not always manage to get it straight with the socks. (N., ex-player, coach) Regulations concerning women s and men s outfits prescribed in official documents of the Polish FA are different, including the issues related to numbers and names on the T-shirts. Each player of a men s team has his own (fixed) number and the name on the shirts. In the case of women, as we read in the regulations, "the players who begin the game must have numbered shirts in accordance with the referee s protocol. The names of players (women) on the shirts are only in the case of international matches (UEFA s and FIFA s requirement). Regulations concerning outfits can be considered an indicator of the economic situation of women s clubs, but also an indicator of the (un)sustainability of women s and men s football. The situation of male players is more stable (they have professional contracts), meanwhile a constant rotation of the squad is a characteristic feature of female football in Poland. There are still only few female players for whom football is the only and permanent occupation. Cultural dimension 1. Interest in women s football According to the Polish players the awareness of existence of women's football has increased. One of them said, "when I started to play football, and I told someone that I played football, the reaction was Is there such a team, such a discipline?. ( ) Now, the interest is much greater, there are many more athletes, there are people interested in football who know that there is women s football, the Extra League, sometimes, they even know about Division 1 and Division 2. Before, people had no idea about it. There is some progress, certainly. (H1, player). But, in the opinion of her colleague, the progress is minimal and little has changed in terms of public awareness. It happens often, especially in smaller towns, that nobody even knows that there is such a discipline, that girls play football. In bigger cities people know something, especially due to Eurosport s transmission of major female events (A, player). Usually attendance at women s extra-league matches, according to the respondents, is not higher than 100 viewers, in the case of a good match they range between people, while a decisive match for the title of Champions Polish is able to attract up to 500 viewers. These matches are, in contrast to the male league, not ticketed. The audience is mostly family and friends, as well as a youth team and a small group of "external" supporters. Matches of women s representation enjoy a bit more interest than league s matches. Respondents vary in their estimates on the number of viewers; it can be said that the average attendance is about 2000 people. Prices of the tickets for these international matches are often symbolic about 10 or 20 PLN, sometimes even 1 PLN. The attendance is usually bigger at matches played in smaller towns, where as one of respondents explained it is a kind of event, a curiosity that women play football, it is a novelty (P., coach). 2. The perception of footballers 8

9 Football in Poland has a homosocial 3 character, especially in relation to the authorities and ultra fans and, much like in other countries, it is very strongly identified with masculinity. This affects not only the disparity in funding women s and men s games, but also results in the lack of common knowledge about women s football and the perception of female playing football. Players are often perceived in a stereotypical way. As one of them said: It is a contradiction for people. A woman and [the game of] football. Here, she comes onto the field in football boots, shin pads and socks, which are perceived as men s work tools. On the other hand, after the game, she is a woman, she cooks, cleans and washes (D., ex-player, coach). Players are sometimes labeled butch, tomboy or, regardless of their sexuality, lesbian. At the same time, however, most of them notice a positive, albeit slow, changes in the perception of women footballers. Respondents pointed out two main sources of this change. The first one concerns gradually increasing interest on the part of the media and, in consequence, the growing awareness about women s football. The other is related to the changes of the image of the footballers themselves. The first factor was raised by an ex-football-player and coach it [the growing interest] is only because it [women s football] is being shown and talked about more; that it is not any different [from male football], that it is not bad, that it does not harm anybody when they [women] compete; just like in other disciplines (D., ex-player, coach). Another respondent pointed the other factor: "Ten, maybe 15 years ago, the female players actually looked like tomboys. There tended to cut their hair short, they wanted to look like men. I think it stemmed from the fact that they felt unaccepted, in some way, and they thought that by doing that they would enhance their qualities. Nowadays, the image is completely different. There is a small minority of these girls who look, colloquially saying, as tomboys. Generally, these girls take good care about themselves, they are very feminine (H., ex-player) The players perceived as masculine are in minority. However, they are still exposed to various types of labels. As one of them said: "I have short hair and I'm a football player, so they will call me a tomboy. When I walk with another girl who also has short hair, and looks just like me, she is accepted, only because she does not play football (A., player). It is also worth emphasizing that one of the interviewed coaches was very unwilling to talk about the perception of women playing football. As he explained: This issue will always come back. We have been working to change this stereotype of a football player as a tomboy for years, [trying] to show that these girls are very pretty and feminine. And it is happening, I assure you. But the more we talk about it, the more often this issue comes back. And why should it come back if it is so uncomfortable? (J., coach). On the one hand, we can see image changes from tomboy to feminine women, but on the other hand, negative stereotypes about female footballers as well as the problem of (supposed or actual) homosexuality are still common. Another issue is the perception of the women s game. 3. Perception of the game 3 See: Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (1985) Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. 9

10 The vast majority of participants of focus groups set clear boundaries between competitions of men and women, particularly in relation to football and volleyball. In women s group most respondents spoke critically about women's football: "I do not like football, and I can even imagine myself watch women s football. This is a typically male sport to me. I know few women who play football [personally], but I have never been to their games, I've never been interested in how they are doing" (P., women, sports fan) "I watched one game played by women. It was hard for me to watch it. [Why?] Women run more slowly, their tactic is quite different, it is not so harmonious as in the case of men. I think so. I don t know why. I prefer men s football. It is dynamic. In women s game, it is much, much slower (M., women, sports fan) I could handle it for 5 minutes! I did not like it. They looked as if they were tired. ( ) It is no pleasure for me to watch somebody look so tired Why should I watch it? I prefer to watch someone who does it well and professionally (M., women, sports fan) Respondents from the mixed group were more interested in football. They pointed out the greater dynamism and speed of men s football, but, simultaneously, they appreciated women s game. According to these respondents, a lot of women s teams represent fairly high level, some of them are even better than the men s teams in the Polish Extra Class. Respondents noted the efforts and commitment of female players, for example, one of them said, "[when I watched it] there was a battle in the field, this rivalry interested me, this determination" (D., men, sports fan). Opinions in group of men varied from very critical ones, e.g. "soccer and handball played by women cannot be watched [are too much of a strain on the viewer] (...) They are like a men s game in slow motion (M., men, sports fan) - to very positive ones, e.g. "I have seen women s games on TV. It is amazing that women can play in this way[so well]" (K4, men, sports fan). One of the respondents also noted the progress that had to take place in the women's game. He observed that once, when he attended these matches: ( ) the game of football looked in such a way, that the goalkeeper remained in her position and the rest of team ran after the ball. The same was happening on the other side [of the field]. I looked the same the whole time. The only difference was observed when there was a girl who had previously played with guys. Only two or three girls could play and the rest were just fillers [added to complete the team]. This may have been the beginnings. (K3, men, sports fan). The speed is one of the most valued aspects of sport, including football, which, in the opinion of the fans, favors male sports against female sports. Differences between male teams are often ignored, especially when compared with feminine football, and thus the speed is treated as a feature attributed to the entire male football. At the same time, female football is perceived as worse and the high level of achievement represented by at least a few women s representations is ignored. As highlighted by one of the respondents, speed is one of the characteristics of the discipline that has evolved over time. One can assume that women's football a sport with a much shorter tradition - will also evolve and the players will become better and better, also in this aspect. Dimension of power Eighteen men and not a single woman are the members of the Polish FA Management Board. The issues of women s football are managed by Women s Football Committee where there are 4 women and 9 men. People related to women s football have little impact on the selection of the management which has a rather 10

11 negative attitude towards women s football. In the opinion of some respondents, women s football exists in Poland,[only] because this is a FIFA s requirement. Coaches and presidents associated with women s football for years call themselves a group of enthusiasts who supply money from their own pockets in order to maintain the women s football clubs. While the people involved in the club or team provide support (including financial support) for the activities of women s football, sports authorities and the local governments often act as an obstacle in raising funds. If there is a women s football club or section in the city and there is also a men s team, no matter if we [women] play in Division 1, and the men s team plays in Division 4 or lower, the presidents and activists will always opt to give money to the boys than to the girls (B., player). Media as the fourth estate All respondents related to women's football have described the attention of the media as very little. According to one of the coaches media are not generally interested. It is very difficult. (P., coach). According to another coach, there exists an unjustified belief which dominates the sports environment that women's football is not a product, and [that] no one wants to watch it (J., coach). At the same time, respondents note some positive changes. They point to the examples of broadcasts of the games by the women representation in the sport channel of public television (TVP Sport), which first took place in 2011 and transmission in local TV. The TVP Sport also showed selected matches of the Olympic women's tournament in The whole tournament in London was also shown by nsport, a private TV channel, where female players and coaches were invited to comment matches. It should also be noted that the Eurosport channel broadcasts almost all major women's football tournaments. However, several respondents also pointed out that the subject of women's football usually appears as a side issue at the biggest men s football tournaments, as a kind of peculiarity. One of the players said: when there is an event, such as the men's World Cup, the media always wake up and want to speak about women, as a kind of an opposition. The same situation took place during Euro Interviews with women players were published. Usually, it is the case that there must be an event in men's football to show or print something about women. (A., player) Her words have been confirmed by other respondents. Women's football is thus seen in the media mainly as a kind of curiosity, by the way, or in opposition to other (male) events; however, is not usually transmitted. Considering the fact that football is the most popular sport in Poland which dominates the media coverage, it is essential to bear in mind that this applies only to men's football. And although in other sports 4, there are also differences between the media attention to men and women sports, in this case we can talk about a chasm. Conclusion In Poland, football is the national sport and it is very strongly identified with masculinity and homosocial character. This makes the women s football marginalized. The enormous disparity of funds, infrastructure, sportswear issues and the absence of women s sports in the media are all indicators of this marginalized 4 H.Jakubowska (2013). The World of Sports in Daily Newspapers Based on the Results of The International Sports Press Survey, Studia Medioznawcze (Media Studies), 1/52 (in Polish); Sponsoring Monitor 2012/2013 (research report). ARC Rynek i Opinia, (in Polish) 11

12 status. At the same time, however, over the last several years, one can see some positive changes, such as an increasing number of girls practicing football, the number of women s professional clubs and players and the number of matches in television broadcasts on public sports channels. Further changes are necessary to really change the situation of women s football in Poland. They should be related with each of the three dimensions distinguished by Nancy Fraser: economic, cultural and political. Women s football needs more money and more sponsors to improve the infrastructure and the situation of women football players. People related to women s football should be more numerous in the Polish FA and have a bigger impact on the situation of their discipline. Frequent broadcasts of women s football can change the perception of women s football and the perception of female players. It is equally important to encourage women to support women s sports, including football. And last but not least, sport should become more popular, as an area of interest, in Polish gender studies. Gender perspective is not common in the analysis of sport in Poland. Most authors focus on the issues of sexual dimorphism, differences in training, differences in sports results, etc. If they undertake the issue of gender, they usually represent the traditional approach to gender roles and images. On the other hand, sport is very rarely a research area of Polish gender studies. Also feminist organizations represent a rather negative attitude towards sport, especially with regard to (men s) football. The point is that sport can be seen as an area of discrimination, similarly as politics and labor market are perceived. Football is a very good example of this and it should be identified as such. 12