We are a handful running Milan Club Svezia. I started with an Excel-file organizing get-togethers in various cities through email somewhere around 2001-02. Man did that get easier with Facebook.
There are a bit over 7,000 of us throughout Sweden now. Quite a decent number of these are women but as always within this particular part of life which is football, they seem not as keen on contributing in daily discussions and so on.
Not to brag but Milan Club Svezia is handled quite well as far as how the female fans are treated. Not talking about myself, by the whole. All in all I can't remember one single incident where someone has been disrespectful and arrogant towards one of our female fans in the way it sometimes can occur within football culture. And I know if someone did there would be people flocking to straighten that person our, demand he be kicked out depending on scale.
However, I am sure there are things which could be better in MCS as far as this topic goes. I'm sure it can be as intimidating and difficult for a female fan to elbow her way through all us dudes constantly commenting on every single little thing and taking command of every topic, never able to just shut the F up sit back and listen for a bit.
So as one step is we're helping in organizing a special event where the female fans (only) can meet one day. When I threw the question out - where all the voices of our female fans were - I got response immediately from several female fans that they themselves wondered as well. So this idea with an event was welcomed.
The other is I am putting up an article on our web page where the intention is to interview a handful of our female fans, 5-6 questions. The first one is the obvious and one which every supporter is asked; what made them follow Milan? I also have another obvious and that is; which irritating and/or ridiculous comment/reaction they have experienced from blokes related to them following Milan or football in general?
I can come up with this myself but why not throw it out and see what OTF-gem might turn up.
So this is where you come in, two-fold.
- Anyone out there who can share own experience with how to better a similar environment where female fans are encouraged to participate more, inviting in a sensible way without doing it moronically bad by being pushy instead?
- Any suggestions for questions to ask? A few more of them will be the same simple, basic as if you'd ask a bloke and why shouldn't they? But I would like suggestions on a few good to ask which is related to them being female. Which after all is the angle here. Something, when answered, which will possibly make all the blokes reading get to think a bit about the experience of the female fans amongst us.
I welcome suggestions for both serious questions, but also some which could be funny in-between them all. Funny to answer or where the answer could be a bit funny on behalf of the male fans. Spontaneously I thought "what would a female fan of Milan never degrade herself do, which you know/have seen male fans do?" Or maybe that's just a stupid question?
Cheers
And by all means ride away with the topic female fans amongst male testosterone, even if it doesn't relate to what I asked for above.
There are a bit over 7,000 of us throughout Sweden now. Quite a decent number of these are women but as always within this particular part of life which is football, they seem not as keen on contributing in daily discussions and so on.
Not to brag but Milan Club Svezia is handled quite well as far as how the female fans are treated. Not talking about myself, by the whole. All in all I can't remember one single incident where someone has been disrespectful and arrogant towards one of our female fans in the way it sometimes can occur within football culture. And I know if someone did there would be people flocking to straighten that person our, demand he be kicked out depending on scale.
However, I am sure there are things which could be better in MCS as far as this topic goes. I'm sure it can be as intimidating and difficult for a female fan to elbow her way through all us dudes constantly commenting on every single little thing and taking command of every topic, never able to just shut the F up sit back and listen for a bit.
So as one step is we're helping in organizing a special event where the female fans (only) can meet one day. When I threw the question out - where all the voices of our female fans were - I got response immediately from several female fans that they themselves wondered as well. So this idea with an event was welcomed.
The other is I am putting up an article on our web page where the intention is to interview a handful of our female fans, 5-6 questions. The first one is the obvious and one which every supporter is asked; what made them follow Milan? I also have another obvious and that is; which irritating and/or ridiculous comment/reaction they have experienced from blokes related to them following Milan or football in general?
I can come up with this myself but why not throw it out and see what OTF-gem might turn up.
So this is where you come in, two-fold.
- Anyone out there who can share own experience with how to better a similar environment where female fans are encouraged to participate more, inviting in a sensible way without doing it moronically bad by being pushy instead?
- Any suggestions for questions to ask? A few more of them will be the same simple, basic as if you'd ask a bloke and why shouldn't they? But I would like suggestions on a few good to ask which is related to them being female. Which after all is the angle here. Something, when answered, which will possibly make all the blokes reading get to think a bit about the experience of the female fans amongst us.
I welcome suggestions for both serious questions, but also some which could be funny in-between them all. Funny to answer or where the answer could be a bit funny on behalf of the male fans. Spontaneously I thought "what would a female fan of Milan never degrade herself do, which you know/have seen male fans do?" Or maybe that's just a stupid question?
Cheers
And by all means ride away with the topic female fans amongst male testosterone, even if it doesn't relate to what I asked for above.
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