STFC thread on Slough Community forum

[Ted]

http://www.thisisslough.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10988

 

Quote "Good to see that going out of football competitions at the quarter-final stages of World Cups is not just the preserve of England's male footballers.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/7008367.stm

 

What I'd like to ask is this:

 

Would Slough Town or Windsor and Eton be able to beat the England women?

 

I say yes."

 

That was the quote, I'm not so sure.

 

 

 

 

 

[GarySTFC]

Having seen all three group matches, I was surprised to see just how poor the overall quality was. Taking the sexuality differences aside, on a technical level, I don't think there would be any competition.

[Tom]

Wasn't there a rumour that the england ladies team played a non-league side a couple of seasons back and got hammered?

[charlie]

My understanding of it is that the current standard of goal keeping in women's football at the higher levels is poor. Part of this is down to the girls' physical size, but there was a lot of basic goalkeeping errors on display these past few weeks. This is the principle reason for the massive scorelines over the world cup (I think germany beat argentina 11-1 in the group stages) and until that is addressed people will continue to dismiss women's football.

 

I would also point out that the standard has improved vastly in the past five years across the world and as the sport begins to become more popular (especially over here) the standards should improve further. While I agree that the standards are by no means on a par with men's teams, I think it's wrong to dismiss the whole sport as being of poor quality. Women have a different way of playing football but it's not the 'hoof and hope' days of old that everyone seems to think it is. And there's virtually no diving in the women's game, which is a definite bonus from a spectator's pov.

 

Anyone who still doubts that women can't pass along the floor, use zonal marking, put balls into the channel and score great goals should go and watch the ladies 1st XI at their next home game (details on the ladies' website www.sloughladiesfc.co.uk) Mark Betts did a few weeks ago and was genuinely impressed.

 

And yes, It is personal and I am biased!

 

(also, the sport isn't really fully professional over here, not one of the England squad gets more than £200 p/w playing for their team.)

 

 

[charlie]

found this through the 606 forum - thought David James made a few good points here. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/09/23/keeping_up_with_parttime_rache.html