Abstract

The interconnectivity of sport and politics is pivotal to how we understand our social-cultural environment. Women’s football in England provides the backdrop for this chapter due to its heavily politicised , historically marginalised and complicated existence as ‘other’. Football in England has traditionally been guarded by male gatekeepers, meaning that women seeking to enter, enjoy and work in the sport have experienced some level of injustice. Despite recent signs of progress and development, there continues to exist a gulf between women’s and men’s football in terms of socio-cultural acceptance and political positioning. This chapter will examine the social patterns that inform gender politics in connection with gender (in)justice in women’s football. Both the macro and micro experiences of the game will be discussed to platform the complexity and depth of inequality present. This chapter will conclude by offering a vision for disturbing ingrained cultural patterns that persistently constrain the progression of women’s football.