As someone who has attempted to race a small dinghy around the lake of a local sailing club for the last twenty five years, I am full of admiration for Ellen MacArthur whose bravery captured everyone's imagination when she became the youngest person, male or female, to sail single handed around the world. It really seems that there is nothing that the so-called weaker sex can't do, won't do. And of course they have muscled in on our football.
Last weekend I refereed my first all-girls football tournament. It was a West of England tournament and teams had travelled from as far away as the Lizard in Cornwall. I was struck with their enthusiasm and joy in playing the game. Sure there were tears, tears over injuries, tears over losing, but I have seen tears from boys in the same situations. The final when a team from Bristol came back from two goals down to beat a team from Swindon by three goals to two was as exciting as you are likely to see.
Linda Little, one of our local women referees, tells me that women's football is the fastest growing sport in the country. Women referees are of course nothing new. Some may prefer to concentrate on women's football now that there are sufficient games played each week, but others are happy to make their way in men's football.
The best known woman referee in England is Wendy Toms who has reached the dizzy heights of Premiership and Football League assistant referee. She has appeared at the Madejski Stadium. I'm sure that Wendy was pleased to discover at the Madejski, as I was when I had a pre-opening tour, that the club had the foresight to build a separate changing room for any women officials.
They don't have that luxury at all grounds, especially lower down the leagues. In fact the changing
facilities are often less than adequate for three male officials, let alone a mixed team. One club chairman actually takes any women officials by car back to his nearby house to change, but generally they just have to get on with it.
The first woman referee locally was Wendy Prior who qualified back in 1976. Wendy was a keen footballer herself, playing for Reading and Bracknell Ladies, but she officiated in the local Reading men's league. When I went to give her some coaching in her early days, I was pleasantly surprised by the player's attitude, the low level of bad language generally and the absence of any abuse because of her gender.
That may sadly be changing. Shirley Elliot, an experienced referee in Cheshire, related in the national referee's magazine what happened to her recently after she had sent two players off . The first called her a lesbian and the other hurled the abuse 'slag' at her as he left the field. Her worst experience however was when, in another game when she blew for a free kick, one of the players shouted 'it's no wonder women get raped'. What on earth can that have to do with awarding a free kick? What a pathetic excuse for a man.
We have no women candidates on our current referees' course which is unusual for normally we have a number of women and girls. If you are interested in taking up the whistle then visit our website www.readingrefs.org.uk or ring 978 2681. The next course starts in September but we already have a waiting list. Courses are usually oversubscribed so early application is advised.
Finally, back to the all girls tournament. A team who had been doing quite well let in a soft goal. One of its players had a minor tantrum, but a team mate said to her, 'Just enjoy it. That's what football is for'. If only more players took that young
girl's attitude it would make life so much better for referees, male or female.
Dick Sawdon Smith