England’s Alex Greenwood is calling for more pubs to show women’s football

Gathering around a table with a few pints of beer and a packet of crisps is a rite of passage for any soccer fan, but it’s harder for those who follow the Women’s Super League (WSL).

Until recent years, women’s games were rarely televised at all – let alone in pubs or bars.

Research by pub chain Greene King found that two-thirds of Britons (66%) still felt there was a lack of awareness about women’s bands.

Only 26% believe their local watering holes show enough women’s sports.

English footballer Alex Greenwood, who plays for Manchester City in the WSL, has gained a wave of new fans since the success of the Lionesses at the Euros.

She explained that allowing games to become as “accessible” as possible is key to maintaining the new support.

It wasn’t until Greenwood started training with the likes of Farah Williams that she saw women’s football players in action, as you couldn’t watch them when she was a kid.

She told Metro.co.uk: “Women’s games weren’t on TV when I was younger. I grew up being taken to pubs for matches but you’ll never see women’s matches so it’ll be nice to see that change now.

“Going into pubs and watching the women’s game will be great visibility for us.

“It makes matches more accessible to fans, they are places where people go to socialize and watch football together.

“All broadcast opportunities are important and start at the grassroots level – it’s about taking that opportunity in women’s football.

“Broadcasting more women’s matches in public will help us keep up the momentum and continue this improvement.”

More Brits now than ever support women’s sport, according to research by Greene King.

The figures, which were commissioned for International Women’s Day, also revealed that three-quarters of the nation (76%) believe awareness of women’s sport has increased, but two-thirds (66%) still believe it is lacking compared to men’s teams.

Pubs appear to be recognizing the demand for women’s sport, with 42% saying their local pubs now show more women’s sport than ever before, but only 26% think their local pubs show enough women’s sport.

Greene King has pledged to give women’s sport the airtime it deserves by pledging to show all WSL games for the 2023 season in a number of city center pubs.

READ MORE: What record viewership for women’s sport in 2022 means for the future

Amanda Royston, marketing director at Greene King, said: “Pubs are the original social network – offering people the chance to relax, unwind and socialize with friends.

“We want our pubs to be safe and friendly spaces for all people, which is why we engage in integration not only on International Women’s Day, but every day.

“It’s clear from our research that people believe pubs have an important role to play in raising awareness and supporting women’s sport.”

Research by Greene King has shown that confidence in the skills of lionesses is also at an all-time high.

More than three-quarters (78%) of Britons are confident that the team will win a trophy at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Greenwood told Metro.co.uk: “We’re going to play the tournament as it is, that’s what we believe.

We have quite a long preparation period before the start, which we will take really seriously to be ready for the first game.

“Of course we want to be successful, and success looks very different to everyone. For us, we want to continue to strive to improve and create opportunities for the next generation.

“I hope football follows suit.”

Contact our news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.

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