[Albion] ‘Albion Sign Dutch international’ email (womens)

[BBassic]

Don't get the fuss personally. All the various teams (men, women, U23s, U18s, Powerchair etc etc etc etc) fall under the 'Albion' moniker so why wouldn't they say 'Albion sign....' ? Albion did sign.

 

[Nixonator]

Of course the people this marketing is aimed at aren't populating this little corner of chauvinism on the Internet, but you boys carry on why don't you.

Case in point, this chap.

 

[Nixonator]

Quite.

I've no particular interest in the international achievements of the Albion Powerchair players, or wear-blue-and-white-to-work day, or the next working breakfast at the Amex, but I just delete the emails/ ignore the tweets and get on with things rather than suggesting the Albion are somehow trying to impose their evil will on me.

Weird how it's just the email about the women's football team that's causing upset.

Not sure we can compare the anticipation of a new first team signing with a working breakfast. Come on.

The issue is not about spam, it's about the disingenuous nature of releasing an 'Albion sign Dutch international' headline. Not because many of us are that bothered about the seconds lost and/or disappointment in discovering what's behind the headline after anticipating a signing, but because it works against what they actually want to do in gaining traction with the women's team and generating interest.

How many people will have had a negative reaction when reading behind the headline and then be dismissive about the women's team because of it? I would wager many. An email stating that it was a women's team signing would have avoided this negative association.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Don't get the fuss personally. All the various teams (men, women, U23s, U18s, Powerchair etc etc etc etc) fall under the 'Albion' moniker so why wouldn't they say 'Albion sign....' ? Albion did sign.

Because it is devious clickbait which is clearly - from this thread - starting to slightly backfire and be resented.

Personally I don't bother with albion emails until I am clearing out the unread mails from the inbox, so not a big deal for me - but sharp marketing practices need to be discouraged.

 

[Sheebo]

Look at it from another angle though. There's absolutely no logical reason for these teams not to be equal - the only reason the men's team has been going longer and is more important to most fans is because of historical sexism - and pretty extreme sexism at that. Your original post was fairly harmless but was then backed up by lots of others. Basically if you or others are saying that the women's game is not equal, and shouldn't be equal, then that's sexist. It's not a card to be played, it just is what it is.

Imagine how all this reads to the father of a very good 13 year old girl who wants to be a professional footballer and has a shot at doing that, and then to know that this bias and disdain exists, its not great.

I completely get that angle of course (father to an 8 year old girl who got a goal for her birthday and has complained to me about sexist comments from boys when playing football which I told her was wrong and sexist!). Yes, perhaps there is a historical sexist issue here as to why it’s nowhere near as popular. BUT, I’d argue it’s not as high a standard as the men’s game in terms of skill and potentially never will be. Men & women are built differently, obviously, but there is a clear ability difference when it comes to most sports. Unfortunately in football it’s just not as popular, perhaps due to the standard or perhaps due to the fact it’s still fairly new. Tennis is a good example where the skill level is much similar (only power is the difference which is genetic) and petty much both men’s and women’s are pretty much viewed universally as equal. My post was totally harmless and clearly all I meant was the subject line - as in this instance, the men’s team is much, much more popular than the ladies. Doesn’t mean I had one ounce of sexism in my posts - as I said, I’d have had the same response if it was the men’s u23 team! It’s difficult to put into words without sounding slightly ‘sexist’ but without meaning to be one bit of that makes sense. I think attitudes are changing and the standard of women’s football has come on leaps and bounds recently - but it needs time & will never be as popular as the men’s game in our lifetime unfortunately.
On a side note, good luck to your daughter and good on her. Get her on the Albion books though!

 

[Sheebo]

Not sure we can compare the anticipation of a new first team signing with a working breakfast. Come on.

The issue is not about spam, it's about the disingenuous nature of releasing an 'Albion sign Dutch international' headline. Not because many of us are that bothered about the seconds lost and/or disappointment in discovering what's behind the headline after anticipating a signing, but because it works against what they actually want to do in gaining traction with the women's team and generating interest.

How many people will have had a negative reaction when reading behind the headline and then be dismissive about the women's team because of it? I would wager many. An email stating that it was a women's team signing would have avoided this negative association.

I did and I support the women’s team quite a bit. My daughter was a mascot at the first women’s game at the Amex and I’ve watched all England games recently, including live at the Amex. Not saying I’m a super fan, but I reacted negatively due to how the email was done when usually if I’d read on the club website we’d signed her if have been pleased...!

You get the point very well my friend.

 

[BBassic]

Because it is devious clickbait which is clearly - from this thread - starting to slightly backfire and be resented.

Personally I don't bother with albion emails until I am clearing out the unread mails from the inbox, so not a big deal for me - but sharp marketing practices need to be discouraged.

I disagree it's clickbait personally but I'm not going to argue about it. Plenty of others already doing that so no need to add to the noise.

 

[AZ Gull]

... the only reason the men's team has been going longer and is more important to most fans is because of historical sexism - and pretty extreme sexism at that.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Just to add some balance, my girlfriend came running in yesterday to show me the email and proudly tell me "Brighton have signed another Dutch international". When I said it's OK it's for the women's team but that's nice right, she paused, looked at the accompanying photo and said "oh I thought it was a man because of the face and hair" and went to make tea looking disappointed.

I might have giggled a little when she was well out of range.

 

[Solid at the back]

I don't care for Woman's football. Not because I'm sexist but because I don't think it's any good. That is my decision. If you like it - that's fine also, but for the rest of us, stop ramming it down our throats, trying to force us to like something we don't.
I'm not going to watch Eastenders for the same reason, I think it's pony, but I'm not having that rammed down my throat by the BBC.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Sorry mate, but banning women from playing football on FA-affiliated pitches from 1921 to 1971 is prety extreme secism in my book. Before that women's games were getting crowds in the 10's of thousands.