Heads Gone - The Peppino Impastato Memorial Thread

[oneteaminglasgow]

1 hour ago, Sortmeout said:

Will probably get hammered for this and I’m not “raging” about it because the outlay is probably minimal but I’m not a bit fan of Kilmarnock funding a women’s team either. If that team pays for its self then fair enough but other than that anything that doesn’t short or long term make the men’s first 11 better then I don’t really want the club spending money on it.

If the club was funding an over-35s men’s team to win a charity league and we were losing money on it I wouldn’t want that either.

Depends how you look at it.

In terms of Thistle’s women’s team, I believe they are entirely self-sufficient, financially, so it’s not relevant but even if it wasn’t, then you could definitely still view it as a long term investment in the men’s first team. By having a visible (and current relatively successful) women’s team playing in North Glasgow, Thistle are further embedding themselves in the local community. That could pay dividends in the future in terms of turning previously indifferent locals into supporters, both of the men’s and women’s team. I would think it’s unlikely, but not impossible obviously, that there’s too many supporters of women’s football in Scotland who never take any interest in men’s football.

The same could be said of your over 35’s charity example, or a host of other loss-making initiatives - kids go free unquestionably lost Thistle some income in the short term, but has created an awful lot of supporters for the club in the long term. I‘m sure that Killie will have donated season tickets for free in the past with the same aim.

Basically, my point is that even if you view the women’s team purely through the lens of how it would impact the men’s first team, then it’s possible to view it as a long term investment. Whether it works or not is a separate matter, of course, but aye.

Edit: obviously women’s football deserves to exist and be funded entirely on its own merits. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by oneteaminglasgow

[carpetmonster]

45 minutes ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

Don't forget Timmy Mallet.

Thank you.

eta. Just about sums up the whole tangerine pantomime.

Not having that, Mallett’s a good lad

https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/30/timmy-mallett-childrens-tv-what-he-did-next-interview

 

I also remember him from a Blair-era BBC2 show where they had the writer John O’Farrell campaigning for Labour in Henley on Thames. Lots of old plutocrats told him to ‘f**k off back to Moscow’, which I guess was the point, but he doorstepped a house and it turned out to be Mallett’s gaff. Mallett invited him in and tried to drill him about Labour policy about education and social care. O’Farrell basically bumbled and pretty much admitted they were just doing it to get him abuse from old Tories for the camera. Came across as much more of a c**t than Timmy did. 

[scottsdad]

13 hours ago, Sortmeout said:

Will probably get hammered for this and I’m not “raging” about it because the outlay is probably minimal but I’m not a bit fan of Kilmarnock funding a women’s team either. If that team pays for its self then fair enough but other than that anything that doesn’t short or long term make the men’s first 11 better then I don’t really want the club spending money on it.

If the club was funding an over-35s men’s team to win a charity league and we were losing money on it I wouldn’t want that either.

I’m sure this isn’t a one sided argument there will be female fans of the Kilmarnock women’s team who don’t care about the men’s team and probably bang their head off the wall at the fact 99% of the clubs budget is probably spent on the men’s team.

 

ETA - my own personal feelings on women’s football may change through time, they certainly have over the last 5 or so years as the game has grown but I saw a comment earlier on about the Partick women’s team having more chance of making Europe than them and I was just thinking that even if Kilmarnock womens team were playing in a European final at Rugby Park tonight I still wouldn’t go. 

To me, a football club should be about far more than just how the first team does. It should be utterly linked to the local community. It should be a touchstone for locals to engage with, and they do help provide a huge sense of place. When football teams have disappeared the effect on the local community is far deeper than, say, if a shop closes or some other local business. 

When my kids were at primary school, Falkirk sent round their mascot to meet the kids and pose for photos. It was a great day for the kids. 

I guess this is a different perspective. For me, a club should be a vehicle for so much more locally than just boosting the starting 11 and results on the pitch. It's also one of the reasons I cannot get my head around people from towns and villages choosing to spend their money on the arse cheeks than their local team. Rangers and Celtic have done f**k all for the schools in Falkirk, yet there are loads of people from Falkirk spending their cash on strips/mugs/scarves/tickets etc that just boost their old firm club. 

This is getting away from the women's football point. I'm all for it, and kids football, kids go free days, community engagement, even your old folks charity cup. 

[Granny Danger]

30 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

To me, a football club should be about far more than just how the first team does. It should be utterly linked to the local community. It should be a touchstone for locals to engage with, and they do help provide a huge sense of place. When football teams have disappeared the effect on the local community is far deeper than, say, if a shop closes or some other local business. 

When my kids were at primary school, Falkirk sent round their mascot to meet the kids and pose for photos. It was a great day for the kids. 

I guess this is a different perspective. For me, a club should be a vehicle for so much more locally than just boosting the starting 11 and results on the pitch. It's also one of the reasons I cannot get my head around people from towns and villages choosing to spend their money on the arse cheeks than their local team. Rangers and Celtic have done f**k all for the schools in Falkirk, yet there are loads of people from Falkirk spending their cash on strips/mugs/scarves/tickets etc that just boost their old firm club. 

This is getting away from the women's football point. I'm all for it, and kids football, kids go free days, community engagement, even your old folks charity cup. 

Falkirk never struck me as a club who saw the first team as being the priority.

[hk blues]

47 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

To me, a football club should be about far more than just how the first team does. It should be utterly linked to the local community. It should be a touchstone for locals to engage with, and they do help provide a huge sense of place. When football teams have disappeared the effect on the local community is far deeper than, say, if a shop closes or some other local business. 

When my kids were at primary school, Falkirk sent round their mascot to meet the kids and pose for photos. It was a great day for the kids. 

I guess this is a different perspective. For me, a club should be a vehicle for so much more locally than just boosting the starting 11 and results on the pitch. It's also one of the reasons I cannot get my head around people from towns and villages choosing to spend their money on the arse cheeks than their local team. Rangers and Celtic have done f**k all for the schools in Falkirk, yet there are loads of people from Falkirk spending their cash on strips/mugs/scarves/tickets etc that just boost their old firm club. 

This is getting away from the women's football point. I'm all for it, and kids football, kids go free days, community engagement, even your old folks charity cup. 

To be fair, I think most clubs do engage with their local community more than we are aware of.  That said, Dundee don't seem to have done as well as Utd in this respect but that may be a perception issue.  

As for women's football - this has been a topic from time-to-time on another Dundee FC forum and the feeling was  mixed.  That said, the feeling was similarly mixed as to whether we should have an active youth set-up. It seems that many fans see such things as a distraction from the first team in terms of resources. 

[Guest DannyBlue]

Obviously, when you overhear things at a game, there is a chance it's complete nonsense. Still, at the Hibs Hamilton SWPL game last Sunday, I overheard a few Hamilton fans talking about their team, and they mentioned the entire budget is about £30k for the season. That's really nothing to run a team on, especially when you consider that travel costs and hiring pitches will likely come from that budget. Although gate money, sponsorship, and prize money are still low, it's hard to imagine whatever net loss it ends up being will be quite small and not really affecting the men's team that much.

As for the Hibs team, I had a season ticket last season, but had to give it up because of some commitments on a Sunday this year but I'll get a half season ticket in January. I personally think the games are enjoyable and the players make a real effort to connect to the kids who go along, staying behind after the game to sign autographs and take pictures. My mate, a Celtic fan, came along to Hibs v Celtic with his daughter and she stayed behind to get pictures and one obvious thing was how many kids and parents were leaving with smiles on their faces which given they had just spent 2 hours in Meadowbank Stadium is a miracle. Even if it is a loss on the balance sheet, I can't help but think the club, overall, gains something really good from that.

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

It's absolutely insane that people expect all newly introduced women's teams to be financially self-sufficient immediately. This is simply not how businesses work and it's quite the brass neck demanding it given the financial mismanagement that is so prevalent in the men's game.

[CarrbridgeSaintee]

15 hours ago, Sortmeout said:

Will probably get hammered for this and I’m not “raging” about it because the outlay is probably minimal but I’m not a bit fan of Kilmarnock funding a women’s team either. If that team pays for its self then fair enough but other than that anything that doesn’t short or long term make the men’s first 11 better then I don’t really want the club spending money on it.

If the club was funding an over-35s men’s team to win a charity league and we were losing money on it I wouldn’t want that either.

I’m sure this isn’t a one sided argument there will be female fans of the Kilmarnock women’s team who don’t care about the men’s team and probably bang their head off the wall at the fact 99% of the clubs budget is probably spent on the men’s team.

 

ETA - my own personal feelings on women’s football may change through time, they certainly have over the last 5 or so years as the game has grown but I saw a comment earlier on about the Partick women’s team having more chance of making Europe than them and I was just thinking that even if Kilmarnock womens team were playing in a European final at Rugby Park tonight I still wouldn’t go. 

Good points.

I’m also scared that over time they draw fans away from the men’s game too.  Can’t see existing fans ‘switching’, but future generations growing up may choose to follow the women's team over the men’s.

I’ve often thought that the existence of junior and amateur leagues must negatively affect crowds too.

[Sortmeout]

2 hours ago, scottsdad said:

To me, a football club should be about far more than just how the first team does. It should be utterly linked to the local community. It should be a touchstone for locals to engage with, and they do help provide a huge sense of place. When football teams have disappeared the effect on the local community is far deeper than, say, if a shop closes or some other local business. 

When my kids were at primary school, Falkirk sent round their mascot to meet the kids and pose for photos. It was a great day for the kids. 

I guess this is a different perspective. For me, a club should be a vehicle for so much more locally than just boosting the starting 11 and results on the pitch. It's also one of the reasons I cannot get my head around people from towns and villages choosing to spend their money on the arse cheeks than their local team. Rangers and Celtic have done f**k all for the schools in Falkirk, yet there are loads of people from Falkirk spending their cash on strips/mugs/scarves/tickets etc that just boost their old firm club. 

This is getting away from the women's football point. I'm all for it, and kids football, kids go free days, community engagement, even your old folks charity cup. 

I hadn’t really considered the community aspect of it when I was saying I didn’t care about the women’s teams.

It hasn’t changed my thinking overnight but I’ve got a 6 year old daughter who I wish liked football more than she does and I had never put too much thought into the fact that the womens team might help her become more engaged with “my” Kilmarnock team. I

[tamthebam]

1 hour ago, DannyBlue said:

 and one obvious thing was how many kids and parents were leaving with smiles on their faces which given they had just spent 2 hours in Meadowbank Stadium is a miracle. 

I gave you a Charles just for that sentence!

[Molotov]

15 hours ago, Sortmeout said:

Will probably get hammered for this and I’m not “raging” about it because the outlay is probably minimal but I’m not a bit fan of Kilmarnock funding a women’s team either. If that team pays for its self then fair enough but other than that anything that doesn’t short or long term make the men’s first 11 better then I don’t really want the club spending money on it.

 

I believe there is “money on the table” for clubs to promote the women’s game which is why it will be actively supported. 
The women’s game is the fastest growing area of football. 

We are seeing increasing amounts of women and girls attending our first team matches. 
 

I saw a great presentation from our women’s team head coach and will try and get some details on it that may surprise you. 

I think you will find there is good reason why your club is supporting it. 
 

[welshbairn]

39 minutes ago, CarrbridgeSaintee said:

Good points.

I’m also scared that over time they draw fans away from the men’s game too.  Can’t see existing fans ‘switching’, but future generations growing up may choose to follow the women's team over the men’s.

I’ve often thought that the existence of junior and amateur leagues must negatively affect crowds too.

This thread has certainly taken an odd turn. 

[LiviLion]

1 hour ago, Barry Ferguson's Hat said:

It's absolutely insane that people expect all newly introduced women's teams to be financially self-sufficient immediately. This is simply not how businesses work and it's quite the brass neck demanding it given the financial mismanagement that is so prevalent in the men's game.

Exactly.

You get folk spouting shite about women's football not being good, then throwing a tantrum when there's investment put in to give women and young girls the chance to build a career in the sport and make women's football better.

 

[Brother Blades]

Getting away from the women’s game for a second & concentrating on the community side of things, I was at Links Park on Tuesday night for my grandsons training session & there were 5 groups of youth training in the hour I was there. If even 10% of those start attending semi-regularly it’ll be a huge boost to the club, the fact that our women’s team now plays in the SWPL is due a lot to the community spirit of the club & the work done in previous years to explore finance from all angles.  First women’s game of the season (albeit v Celtic) had a crowd of over 400, ok the admission price is greatly reduced but I doubt very much if that didn’t contribute to the club coffers. Also see many more girls wearing club merchandise than ever before, so even on a purely financial basis I think at best it’s a borderline argument, certainly at my club. 

[ClydeTon]

I'm aware that Morton have a women's team but I don't even check the scores infrequently, I simply don't care. The most women's football I've watched was the Euro 2022 final, in hope that England lost. (That went well...)

I prefer men's football because it's generally just better to watch, personally, and of course the fan side of things is incomparable, the main thing I dislike about the women's game, but also like at the same time, is the passive way fans interact. Fans in the women's game don't have that same aggressiveness/banter (whichever you deem it as) in the fan culture as the men's game does. For me, that's just boring and takes the fun part out of it; At the same time, though, I respect that: Women's football doesn't want that, which makes sense. 'Football culture' is rooted in typical masculine traits and, well, women's football doesn't need to, and it doesn't, have that. And that's probably a good thing: Women's football has a unique character - which is now beginning to clearly show - and it's unlikely to be appealing for those in the men's game.

The community benefits - particularly of a youth system - are tremendous. Morton in the Community run 'camps' during the school holidays (Easter, Summer and October, I believe) which, whilst unrelated to their youth teams, have much the same coaches on hand, and are a great thing to keep holidays filled for the younger ones. I'm sure plenty of other clubs do the same.

It's those kind of things, as well as space for everyone; young, male, female; that transforms a club, into a club.

A club doesn't exist solely for one team.

[The Other Foot]

I think if you try to view the women’s game as a miniature version of the men’s game, then you’re always going to be disappointed. The way that many Scottish teams are beginning to look at it - and the way I agree with - is making it more of a ‘day out,’ along the lines of American sports. Men’s football is all about the 90 mins you spend in the stadium screaming at ‘the enemy’ (or, in Hibs’ case, your own team). Everything else before and after takes place in pubs or at home. The women’s game doesn’t have the vitriol, and can therefore accommodate pre-and-post game entertainment. Which I think is nice. Also means it can co exist with the men’s game and not compete with it 

[Miguel Sanchez]

1 minute ago, The Other Foot said:

I think if you try to view the women’s game as a miniature version of the men’s game, then you’re always going to be disappointed. The way that many Scottish teams are beginning to look at it - and the way I agree with - is making it more of a ‘day out,’ along the lines of American sports. Men’s football is all about the 90 mins you spend in the stadium screaming at ‘the enemy’ (or, in Hibs’ case, your own team). Everything else before and after takes place in pubs or at home. The women’s game doesn’t have the vitriol, and can therefore accommodate pre-and-post game entertainment. Which I think is nice. Also means it can co exist with the men’s game and not compete with it 

I didn't think someone could make women's football sound less interesting to me but by god, you've done it.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

4 minutes ago, The Other Foot said:

The women’s game doesn’t have the vitriol,

Women's football match abandoned in Fife after police called to fight | STV News

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

20 hours ago, carpetmonster said:

Not having that, Mallett’s a good lad

https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/30/timmy-mallett-childrens-tv-what-he-did-next-interview

 

I also remember him from a Blair-era BBC2 show where they had the writer John O’Farrell campaigning for Labour in Henley on Thames. Lots of old plutocrats told him to ‘f**k off back to Moscow’, which I guess was the point, but he doorstepped a house and it turned out to be Mallett’s gaff. Mallett invited him in and tried to drill him about Labour policy about education and social care. O’Farrell basically bumbled and pretty much admitted they were just doing it to get him abuse from old Tories for the camera. Came across as much more of a c**t than Timmy did. 

That's fair enough, I don't mind him really, he's a good artist/painter as well. Lorraine Kelly is a tax dodging c**t though. IMO.

Thank you.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Bigmouth Strikes Again

[The Other Foot]

1 hour ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

Women's football match abandoned in Fife after police called to fight | STV News

I mean…that’s Fife