#HerGameToo

brinyhoof

This may sound harsh given how many things are going well at the club at the current time but I thought there were so many things wrong with the club's approach to the Her Game Too initiative on Saturday. In my view, the club did not ensure a thorough job was done, something I don't think would happen, for example, on a military day. For example:

Music playlist - included no local female acts, then was inaudible in SSU pre-match anyway. Until that is they played that bloody Neil Diamond song, Depeche Mode (Martin Gore in a leather miniskirt doesn't count, lads) and the Fratellis (which literally translates as 'the Brothers'!). I mean, how hard would it have been to get this right? And its a bit of a self-own of course, an admittance that every week is pretty much the same white male indie landfill. Why can't we have a diverse playlist every week? I know JB has offered enough times!

Players t-shirts - why were they not instructed to give these to girls/females? Most seemed to go to lads with only a few players making an effort to ensure the message wasn't lost. (big Steph was one, obvs)

Flag bearers - from what I could see there was one girl out of what, 20 kids? Given how many girls teams there must be in and around Oxford, would it not have been more appropriate to ask them, in fact to ask dozens of them?

Mascots - four mascots, three boys, one girl, say no more.

PRB - as far as I heard, no effort was made to promote or even acknowledge HGT apart from the usual pathetic attempt at half-time 'entertainment'. I'm still not sure what the game actually is - hit the crossbar? score? nearest to the goal line? I also think PRB needs replacing and has done for many years. Nice bloke I'm sure but would be nice to have someone on the pitch with even the slightest bit of oomph.

OUWFC - I know the initiative is to combat sexism within the mens game but surely part of this is to promote and highlight the achievements our women's team? Why weren't the team the guests of honour?

As I said, it feels harsh to pick up on this but given the attention to detail that is being paid to the players, the tactics, the recruitment, the marketing, the stadium plans, etc, etc. but I also think that is the point. How were these details missed when we are so thorough in nearly all other areas?

JonnyBiscuits

Agree. It was very half-arsed. We observed many of the same things as you.

They had the same issue with the volume of the music last season too, albeit I think it was eventually turned up at some point last time (and not just when the male-dominated walk-out music kicked in). Quite apart from the HGT stuff, what's the point in asking people to take part in suggesting songs and then having them play at a completely inaudible level?

It wasn't clear who the girls walking round the pitch for a round of applause were or why they were walking round the pitch - none of them seemed that bothered about it either. It was all breezed over by PRB. Agree with the broader point PRB - he works really hard for the community and is a positive link to the heart of the club and its history that you wouldn't want them to delete him entirely, but his role in the matchday experience has become hackneyed and pedestrian.

Back to HGT - there are so many things they could have done - invite Robyn Cowan to do the stadium announcer stuff for example - I know she works for the BBC on Saturdays, but I dare say they could have afforded to pay her 5Live/MOTD freelance fees for one week. Or get someone like Sophie Law from Radio Oxford to do it. They're both women from Oxford who've done well in broadcasting (one incredibly well!).

JonnyBiscuits

There's even Cecily Wellesley-Smith who has played for England age groups a few times now that they could have got involved - what a great inspiration for young girls in the crowd she would have been had she been introduced and talked up how she was playing for the young Lionesses.

brinyhoof

I guess the question is how to potentially address it. Plenty of supporters were kicking off last year when something on military-industrial complex day wasn't quite right.

The ambassador Grace clearly works really hard on this and I would hate to think she feels in any way responsible for any of these oversights.

Maybe the podcasts could talk through it? cc @SiHath

JonnyBiscuits

brinyhoof Yeah, I was gonna drop a line to that supporters panel thing, as this is clearly in their fudgy remit. I think the point is to make it clear that whatever Grace's involvement is, it's the club's delivery of the ideas that is lacking rather than the ideas themselves.

On the surface of it, the music, a girls team being the focus of half-time, the t-shirts etc. could have been enough if the club had made a big enough deal of it and thought it through a bit.

They just went through the motions - but that's been the problem with matchdays for such a long time. I'm hoping they're just limping on until if/when there's a new stadium and then reset all of that stuff and start again.

Lars

I have tried to find an article on the delegation from Oxford United who "went to London/Whitehall to campaign for something about ”protection” for football clubs."

There was a photo.

My thoughts were that at least there was one woman—whew!

To have success when fighting for a new stadium or seeking other political support, the club can’t treat women's football as an afterthought.

JonnyBiscuits

Lars There's this article, which includes the picture below.

Lots of wealthy white men and the women's team's general manager.

JonnyBiscuits

The club is talking it all up on the website. All sounds good, but it doesn't change the fact that in the ground it felt like a total afterthought.

https://www.oufc.co.uk/news/2023/september/her-game-too-round-up/

I didn't see anybody outside the ground interacting with anybody between the car park and turnstile - presumably they were all round the front of the South Stand.

brinyhoof

JonnyBiscuits no one near the SSU east turnstiles. No one in the concourse. No one on the pitch. No one over the tannoy. But hey, we have a hashtag!

oxblogger

And yet, on military day we can organise to have a tank on the pitch with its gun turret pointing at the home bench along with some kind of marching/matchball presentation, the opportunity to hold a semi-automatic weapon and point it at your gran for larks, and brinyhoof's favourite bit, the national anthem.

brinyhoof

oxblogger such a jolly ditty. I only sit down because I am overwhelmed with patriotic pride.

TrevorAylottsHeadband

oxblogger I only wish there was footage of THAT helicopter flypast still available…

LeftSider

My niece came to the game (she’s 8) and loved it. She saw some of the women’s team and lots of other girls wearing Oxford kit.

For her, it was job done

JonnyBiscuits

LeftSider That's nice to hear.