In the wet, brownish-grey quagmire of the comments section, one can get the impression that women’s football is fading. The truth is completely different, so that shot goes sky high over the target. “Women’s soccer is bullshit” “The reality perspective of modern women is completely absurd” “No one watches women’s soccer because it’s so fucking bullshit” No, this is not a clipping from the reader’s letter section of the local newspaper from 1983. These are brand new comments on a TikTok video . The video was published in connection with news launching the new series “Kampen”. It is about the RBK women’s dream of a packed stadium. We thought we had come further. We in Norwegian women’s football have been dealing with this for many years – and are used to it. But these days, fortunately, we only occasionally hear this out-of-date 80s thinking about women’s football. Therefore, it is disturbing to see these attitudes from a young Tik-Tok audience hiding behind the anonymity of the PC screen. Yes, the comment field is best known as a vomit bucket for anonymous users with warped attitudes. But when the harassment becomes so loud, it is unsustainable and we unfortunately have to spend time and effort on it – and it must be addressed. The three matches with the largest audiences in Europe in 2022 were women’s matches. Barcelona-Wolfsburg (91,648). Barcelona-Real Madrid (91,553). In the EC final between England and Germany at Wembley this summer, 87,192 spectators were present – the most visited EC final of all time, regardless of gender. And in Norway? Interest in the women’s top series has doubled in three years. 238,000 follow Toppserien on TikTok. Last year, two audience records were set in the league. Interest in women’s football is exploding among the younger generation. There is nothing wrong with the afterlife. More than 30 per cent of all those who play football in Norway are girls. Women’s football is also taking commercial leaps and bounds. Norwegian female soccer players are highly valued as good role models. Being associated with women’s football strengthens the sponsors’ reputation. The commercial growth in women’s football is expected to increase sixfold by 2033. As you know, Norway will face New Zealand in the opening game of the World Cup on 20 July in Auckland. The latest from there is that they had to move the match. The stadium was not big enough. Welcome to 2023. One of the comments reads: “The damn poor quality of women’s football”. Well, then it is fair to say that the quality of the comments is also poor. And no one doubts anymore that the public will flock to both Lerkendal and Koteng Arena to see the RBK girls play football. Watch the series here: As a child, Cesilie Andreassen did not dare to dream of playing at a packed Lerkendal. But now the football dream can become reality.
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Women’s football takes seven-mile steps – Ytring
