Women at the Match
There are women of all ages who are passionate about West Ham. We think it’s time to give female supporters a voice and a platform to promote a more diverse fanbase. Consequently we are launching a female-run supporters group called Intrepid Irons. The concept has been in the making over the past twelve months after listening to women share their matchday experience at home games, away and online too. The aim of Intrepid irons is to improve the female matchday experience.
WHUST are developing a network for female fans to connect and share their West Ham experiences - both good and bad. In October we are planning a meetup with Fulham Lillies prior to the game but we hope to plan a range of other chances to meet up at both men’s and women’s fixtures this season. WHUST board member Rachel McFetridge, and one of the co-founders of Intrepid Irons, said that the inspiration behind the nickname Intrepid Irons came from the fact that following West Ham is certainly an adventure.
WHUST hope that Intrepid Irons is the start of a new adventure for female West Ham fans. Follow us on Twitter @Intrepid_Irons and on Instagram @Intrepid_Irons
Women in Football and Anti-social behaviour. This work started initially after a WHUST committee member spoke to a number of women at away games who were regularly affected by inappropriate behaviour. As part of WHUST response we are planning to work with the WHU Foundation as one aspect of this. We will also be involving the FSA in this and using their expertise and contacts.
Women are less willing to accept sexist behaviour at games, according to a new survey from the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), which measured current attitudes against those of fans in 2014.
The Women at the Match survey was completed by more than 2,000 match-goers with almost half of the respondents (49%) saying that witnessing sexist behaviour made them angry, up from one in three (29%) previously.
Back in 2014 almost one in three (32%) said they were generally not bothered about witnessing something sexist at the match, whereas nowadays only one in every seven fans (15%) would have the same attitude.
Previously one in four (24%) women at the match would have laughed off sexism whereas nowadays that is down to one in eight (12%).
Fewer women again are willing to accept it as part of the matchday experience, 4% down from 10% when compared to 2014’s figures, and most (59%) would like to see clubs condemn individuals who exhibit such behaviour. Four in ten (39%) would like to see sexists ejected from the ground – up from 26% in 2014.
One in 20 supporters (5%) say that witnessing sexist behaviour at the match makes them not want to attend in future.