July 6: It’s time to give women in sport the credit they deserve

FULL marks to Catherine Scott for drawing attention to the England Women’s football team (The Yorkshire Post, July 1).

Too many female columnists perpetuate the long outdated myth that football is just one of the irritating things men do. Women love sport, especially football, just as much as men. They are much more interested in keeping fit than their male counterparts, if the plethora of female joggers who pound the country lanes near me is anything to go by.

Football is the fastest growing female sport in Britain, if not the world. With its premium on balance and flexibility it is eminently suited to the female physiology and, like men’s football, size doesn’t matter.

I have long held these views but having now seen women’s football at the highest level I have been struck by the vision, technique and professionalism in the best sense of the word. Yet the majority of these ladies are paid peanuts compared to male footballers and female tennis players.

Women footballers, like the men, have to play 90 minutes plus extra time if necessary whereas women tennis players get the same prize money as men though they only ever play up to three sets. Come to think, though, who would want to listen to Maria Sharapova screaming for four hours or more?

From: Hugh Rogers, Messingham Road, Ashby.

THE state of women’s football is sad; women’s golf is sad; women’s cricket is successful enough but it’s still sad. Tennis ? Well they do have mixed doubles, but why not mixed singles? Serena Williams versus Andy Murray? Now that might be worth watching.

I’m all in favour of women in sport. My daughter, who is, I am told, a demon medium pace aC round the wicket bowler, plays whenever she can for her local village team. I don’t think they’ve noticed she’s a woman. And that surely is the point.

I look forward to the time when a woman soccer player can be picked to play for England alongside men without anyone being bothered to comment. Or when the Open Championship includes women golfers so routinely that nobody notices.

They’re getting there in motor sport – there are women racing motorcyclists and female F1 drivers. If there was a woman F1 world champion, I’d be in there cheering. Provided she was British of course. There is no reason on earth why such a thing couldn’t happen in other sports. Come on, people, what are you waiting for?