Women’s Sport is Attractive Enough As It Is

A byline opinion piece by Lex Sailer arguing that women need no ulterior motive to watch sport. She opens with an anecdote from the 2021 men’s Euros, queuing for a public viewing of France against Switzerland and following the game on a stranger’s phone, when he asked whether she and her friend watched football because they found the players attractive and would not let the subject go even after being told otherwise. The second half turns to the WSL and Championship rebrand, asking whether a collage of stickers reading “pitch please”, “force and flair” and “VAR can’t save you now”, in a league that has no VAR, really captures the distinct nature of women’s football. With fan responses largely negative and the words unserious and juvenile in circulation, Sailer questions how the league is now being marketed.