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Beyond the Pitch Episode 69: BBC Women's Footballer of the Year, the Pixel Powerhouse Project and FA Cup
4 Plays21 days ago
Join Georgie and Paige as they discuss the results of the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year, before diving into the exciting new Pixel Powerhouse Project, designed to accommodate exposure and training to women in media, and finally touch on the thrills and spills of early-round FA Cup madness.
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Transcript
Introduction: Meet the Hosts
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to Beyond the Pitch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. Today, it's brought to you by myself, Georgie, and the wonderful Paige. Hello, Paige.
00:00:22
Paige
Hello, hello, how are we?
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Splendid, how are you today?
00:00:27
Paige
Weird, doing well for a Tuesday.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
For Tuesday. Glorious, glorious.
00:00:32
Paige
The sun's out, which is nice.
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yeah, it always makes a difference, doesn't it? After the after the weekend of Burt.
00:00:38
Paige
Yes. yes
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow.
Key Topics Overview
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, today, this glorious Sunday Tuesday, we're going to be covering the BBC Women's Football of the Year. b We're going to touch upon the Pixel FC Powerhouse project and also one of my favourites, the Women's FA Cup.
00:00:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So why why don't you kick us off um with the BBC Women's Football of the Year
Barbara Banda: BBC Women's Footballer of the Year
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
page? and Just announced yesterday, who was it? Drumroll please.
00:01:06
Paige
Yeah it was ah Barbara Banda which I think is an amazing side of the game that I don't think we sort of hear about enough in the women's game you know of African heritage and just everything that comes with that, ah the discrepancies you know of women playing sport in those minority kind of countries I think is really important for someone of her stature to be on this kind of global stage and to kind of get um the credit that that she deserves after you know what she's done obviously in the Olympics and then obviously more recently with um Orlando Pride and and that kind of thing so yes she is our winner as voted for by the public and not just BBC people which I think also is a great thing because obviously the public vote kind of counts and and matters within but in this and she's she's being beaten some
00:02:05
Paige
Top talent out there, for sure.
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, really interesting. I mean, it's so I always find these things a bit a bit odd because it's just a popularity contest, isn't it? Ballon d'Or and it's so popular amongst your peers or this where it's just like, oh, vote on Twitter or whatever. I don't actually know how it's voted for. But anyway, I mean, you can't deny that she's had an absolutely amazing year.
Banda's Journey and Challenges
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
We weren't touched by it briefly, but we know that she she didn't play in the 2022 AFCON for various reasons, but she came back this year, four goals,
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the nwsl playoffs um and obviously this weekend she scored the only goal of the match to oh god was it the only goal of the match so anyway they won fantastic and um and um getting a hat trick against australia a first half hat trick nonetheless in the olympics i mean what a player you wouldn't want to face up to her on a sunday would you Paige
00:03:03
Paige
Oh no, definitely not. Not with her boxing background either because I like to get tasty yeah and i think I think the boxing background would probably beat mine, so um definitely not. But no, I think, you know, it's great and and taking, you know, Orlando Pride, I think it was spoken about yesterday, but to their their first NWSL victory is is not, you know, nothing short of of something to be celebrated. So Yeah, congratulations to her. And as we've said, you know, she's beaten the likes of Bonmati, Sophia Smith, like some of these are outstanding players who are being spoken about in the Ballon d'Or levels, um you know, and being, you know, legends of the game already. So I think, you know, even to be named and to then win amongst all of those, you know, really talented um footballers and especially, you know, a lot of European names in there, but
00:03:53
Paige
American names as well who always get the limelight. I think it's, it's really positive for, for someone from, you know, the Africa's to get, kind of get that, that recognition. um And obviously, you know, it doesn't come without her own battles. You know, I think she's spoken on them before, but you know, her parents or a mum specifically not being super supportive of her playing football. And I think that loads of people can resonate with that across the globe. um And you know, she's she's gone on to show and to prove that, you know, it doesn't matter where you're from, first of all, or your agenda in being able to be successful ah in football.
00:04:33
Paige
And, you know, she's potentially, you know, reached the highest of the highest with regards to obviously winning the league um over in the in America.
Speculating Banda's Future
00:04:43
Paige
and And now, you know, this own personal reward and and credit where credit's due.
00:04:48
Paige
So, yeah, I'm not mad at it. I'm not.
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
but sure Not, not mad, not mad. No, interesting though that. Yeah. I mean, we're talking about, um, the expectations of female roles and what like your mum might thought you'd be when you grow up.
00:05:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, I would just think that football is a bit of a professional boxer, but hey, she's done both.
00:05:07
Paige
Yeah.
00:05:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So why, why argue with that? um I suppose once you've already thought through becoming a professional female boxer, becoming a footballer is nothing, right?
00:05:12
Paige
Yeah, exactly.
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're just gonna not get punched in the face quite as much.
00:05:21
Paige
More of a gut spark. Yeah, exactly. But, you know, she's She's been successful. She's clearly a great athlete. And I think that's, that's, there's so many players.
00:05:34
Paige
I think that there's like recent TikTok trends isn't there where it's like, if you weren't a footballer, like what athlete would you be? And, you know, tennis players, track athletes, all of these kinds of things come up.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mmm.
00:05:43
Paige
Well, she can literally say that that she has already been another athlete um and that kind of thing.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And she's only like 24 or something.
00:05:49
Paige
for Yeah.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like what's she going to do next, you know?
00:05:53
Paige
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is this it? Has she completed football?
00:05:56
Paige
yeah
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:05:57
Paige
I'm sure but from her perspective, probably not. I think by the sounds of things, I reckon if Zambia can win maybe the Afghan or even bigger than that, that would probably be the pinnacle for for her and her career.
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
in
00:06:10
Paige
But yeah, I think, you know, she's done remarkably well. And as you've already said, you know, scoring the only goal of the game to win NWSL, everything that she's done within the playoffs and within the season as a whole, I think, you know, has obviously led to to her you know, being crowned that that BBC footballer of the year.
00:06:29
Paige
So
Award Reflections: English Nominees
00:06:30
Paige
well done to her. Shout out, Barbara. I like how she's talking to me.
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Shout out to Barbara. I do think, we'll touch back on the end of yourself, win shortly, but um the BBC football winner's football Football Player of the Year, not a single ah English nominee in that top five.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Where's that come from?
00:06:51
Paige
Is it one of those where you don't want to like put any in because everyone will be like, well, obviously they're going to win because they're English.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:57
Paige
Is that mentality, but also, I don't know, have ah in comparison to those on the list, you know, have the women's players done more in but the female English players done more this season?
00:07:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, arguably not, to be fair. um But then...
00:07:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
that
NWSL Victory and American Soccer Growth
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um um ah I'm tripping over my words here because I'm struggling to think, actually, so Barbara Banda has obviously, um this weekend, won won the playoffs and she's and she did very well in the Olympics.
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, they didn't, Zambia didn't get super far in the Olympics. Is it just looking at
00:07:41
Paige
No.
00:07:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I suppose England weren't in the Olympics at all. So, God, I'm going to have to eat my words here.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I suppose you're right. Putting it like that, I just suppose it's interesting if we think of of these things as a popularity contest that there weren't even any English players considered for once, which I do think is refreshing. Don't get me wrong.
00:08:02
Paige
Yeah.
00:08:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And obviously those that were in that top five shortlist, you know, can't argue with their inclusion there.
00:08:11
Paige
no not all i'm just trying to find if there's an actual list of all of them but i can only find the five so i'm assuming it is it's just it's literally five people
00:08:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:08:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Top five.
00:08:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, interesting. And um yeah, back to the Orlando Pride's win. I mean, you've got more experience with with American football than I do. I have to admit, I find the whole playoff thing completely baffling. You can go through an entire season be in the top of your game and then it can all just get absolutely wiped out in the blink of an eye.
00:08:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think it is, you know, good for Orlando for actually pulling through and winning it at the end um after, I think they broke the record for the longest and unbroken winning streak or something it on on their journey.
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So good for them.
00:09:04
Paige
Yeah.
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's that all about though?
00:09:06
Paige
Yeah, I mean, I think i think it it does sort of, it does define American sports, doesn't it? It's like, you know, you really have to earn this win. It's not something we're going to hand to you lightly, you know, and and there has to be a winner.
00:09:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
if
00:09:20
Paige
Like, I found that actually, ah like, unbelievable, that, like, you couldn't have a tie. Like, no, you couldn't draw. It wasn't just a 1-1, nil, nil game. Every game had to be, like, had to have a final result and it had to be one team winning and one team losing.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:09:36
Paige
in my in my college like days I mean I know it's obviously not the same within the national uh nwsl but I just I do think it's funny that they're all so competitive and there has to be a winner you can't both just share you know equal spills uh and kind of have done with it you know even at the lower levels and like league levels there was never draws like it had to it had to go and it would just be golden goal which
00:09:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:01
Paige
Again, not knowing that in one of my first few games, you know, we conceded after 90 minutes and I was like, girls heads up we go again and they were like nah it's done what it's not even you know two minutes into extra time what are you on about nah golden wall i was like oh my goodness me but yeah i think it just defines american sports and you know yeah you can't just win your your league and be crowned winner you've got to then go on and play a playoff against you know another area or another you know region and all of that it is funny but
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:10:34
Paige
Yeah, I think, you know, I think the record has been incredibly ah blessed with like the record attendances this year, you know, millions and millions have come out and I think hopefully and finally we'll start to see, you know, American soccer, let's call it because we're talking about it like become a bit more of a staple because I feel like it has such ebbs and flows, you know, there's real success for a few years and then it completely drops off and the pro league is scrapped and all of this. And I think now with the sort of investment that they've got and the teams that they're forming and the owners of these teams, you know, like we're we're starting to see the right people be within these clubs as well. So
Future of Women's Soccer in America
00:11:12
Paige
I'm hopeful that, yeah, this will only continue and we'll start to see, you know, more and more clubs, you know, gain success over the years and just be run correctly and give the right sort of support and environment for
00:11:26
Paige
female football to succeed. um So yeah, um um um yeah that that's me done on it.
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
A global sports podcast network is changing the face of football podcasting
Spotlight on Google’s Pixel FC Project
00:11:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
with dedicated daily content for every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football and a daily Premier League wrap-up broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcast.
00:11:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, so here we go. Topic number two, we are moving on to the Pixel project. So um this is a project that ah but Google have launched. I understand with the Pixel FC, and it's um an academy with a landmark program that will help young women break into the football media industry. um And I definitely think this sounds like a really interesting project. It's something that is um It's something that I probably wouldn't have thought of as needed until I heard about it and then I like, right, got you. Of course, of course, this is what's needed to to push it forward too, because you hear about all all the things put in place to push.
00:12:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Young girls and women into the sport in terms of actually playing and what we're doing with grassroots football there. And of course, there's a push to get more women their coaching managers and stuff. But then it's like, okay, what about visibility elsewhere? What about visibility of women in the media and surrounding? um And it's an incredibly important thing to do and it's an exciting thing to do and i I imagine it's a pretty fun thing to do. I actually heard about it too late, um might have applied for it but I know someone who did, Paige, tell me more.
00:13:13
Paige
Yeah, I think ah I'm really excited about it. I've been part
Opportunities in Football Media
00:13:18
Paige
of, and I've spoken about obviously past projects before, but I've been part of the collective, let's call them, ah the community, whatever you want to say, um for for a while, pretty much since its inception. And just like the opportunities that come from it, um you know, just the the opportunities we've had to like learn and develop and just grow our own network.
00:13:37
Paige
And it's been primarily focused, as you said, through that that coaching stream. So I think now to be sort of taking it in a new direction, especially when you've got the commuter twins who are obviously the lead on Powerhouse Project, but they're changing development from obviously being pro players and now into like that media industry. So why wouldn't they then focus on you know the media elements of it?
00:13:59
Paige
um And I think teaming up with Pixel FC or Pixel as a as a brand, like now all I see is like, oh, I'm now joining Pixel. like Trent, I think, did it the ah like literally yesterday. It was like a new signing for the Pixel team. And it's like, I want to be part of the Pixel team. I don't want an iPhone anymore. I want a Pixel phone because I want to be shooting sick content and like doing everything and getting you know, Farrah Williams and Karen Carney all up in my phone and all of that, which obviously they're advocates for for this programme as well. So now I think it's really good to start to look at opportunities off of the pitch, um because just because you're a female that is interested in football doesn't mean you want to be a coach, doesn't mean you want to be a player, um doesn't mean that you want to be a referee. You might want to do something completely like off pitch,
00:14:46
Paige
or pitch side that really still resonates with the football community at the end of the day.
00:14:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely.
00:14:50
Paige
Football well isn't football without the media that it comes with and I think in the women's game especially and the growth and development that the media side is having and will continue to have, there's going to be so many roles coming up that you know, all these existing content creators or all these budding content creators are going to need, you know, career jobs in.
00:15:11
Paige
And why would you not want to be working within football if you're a fan of the game? um And it's certainly what I want to be in. So please, if you listen, accept my applications.
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:22
Paige
No, I think, you know, it's an amazing opportunity. I think there's really great opportunities for learning. I think they're partnering with Chelsea, with Liverpool, And I'm sure there's going to be some really great media talent there that are going to help to sort of, yeah, just shape it and make it, you know, a really cool experience and a really valuable one that will hopefully see, you know, these girls, these women transform into actual real paid jobs because so much of content, especially at the lower levels when you're not like,
00:15:52
Paige
100k deep and followers on TikTok or even more. I don't even know what the baseline is. you know It's not conducive to ah to a wage, to a salary or to a livable salary. um And hopefully you know platforms like Pixel Academy and stuff can help to to get women and girls where they want to be in terms of a career. And I think you know I want a career in football. I'm in a career in football, but I want to be you know on the media side of things. I want to be pushing content. I want to be you know more on that creative side. So programs like this and partnerships like this can really help to develop that. um So yeah, it's exciting. More women within the game, but more women off the pitch. And I think
Challenges and Support in Media Roles
00:16:30
Paige
that's also a key element of the women's game that will continue to grow.
00:16:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. and And as you said, i think it I think it really is important to push stuff like a different aspect of oh how you can be involved in women's football because, you know, you look on you look on the current um current media for women's football and it's like ex-players, which are absolutely fantastic. Obviously you want to hear from them or, you know, yeah your classic Gabby Logan. is Of course we want to hear from her, and you know, but it's like,
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
On to what we talk about with them with Barbara Banda, with her mum being like, no, you can't be a ah female footballer. It's like, how do you know what you want to be until you see it? It's like, I want to be a woman in in media, in women's football media specifically, but I can't be that unless I've been an ex-professional football player or unless I've already been, you know, an anchor on another program for 10 years.
00:17:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, how do I get there?
00:17:23
Paige
Yeah, exactly.
00:17:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think, yeah, having the ah having a clear pathway of how you do that is is a fantastic idea. and um Yeah, I guess just just more women in media in general. you know I work in in the media industry myself and I've actually been very lucky um in the places I've worked where there has been strong female representation and female leadership. But even then, sort of going above my immediate level, if you if you go to the CEOs of of the um agencies that I work for, it is all male still.
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
um It's getting better, don't get me wrong, but you do still, you need to see what you want to be, right?
00:17:59
Paige
Yeah exactly.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
So get more women in media, this is great.
00:18:02
Paige
Yeah and the one thing that I do hope out of this is that you know however many hundreds of thousands of millions let's say of applicants that you know maybe will have applied for Pixel Academy like I hope that even those that aren't successful are still given the opportunity for support because I think that's often like a real gap that potentially programs like this or programs in general kind of miss, like, just because you haven't been selected to be the main cohort, why aren't we then keeping, you know, that group of of individuals, you know, it can be across anything that we're talking about in the mix still and and still trying to create a community for them so that, you know, should opportunities arise and should those networking
00:18:44
Paige
you know opportunities come, there's still like a network of people. like Ultimately, if you don't get into their Pixel FC Academy, it doesn't mean you never want to work in media. right You're going to still try other angles.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:55
Paige
So can we start to recognize that you know there still needs to be a community that is built on not being successful in just this type of program?
00:19:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:06
Paige
So hopefully, you know through what they already do with the Powerhouse Project,
Inclusivity and Career Diversity in Media
00:19:10
Paige
they can kind of recognize that um and hopefully keep those women in that conversation and give them the support that they need maybe outside of the you know however many are selected for the actual academy side of things um because yeah like you said you know that that shouldn't be a door closed it should be you know one's ajar and you can still get x get access and see what you want to become and I think it's great like as you said to have worked in environments where there is good female representation from you know the the lowest of the levels all the way up and maybe obviously we want to see more at the top
00:19:43
Paige
But I think ultimately, as you've said, you need to see people there to be able to recognise that it's ah ah ah something you're capable of doing. and i think By creating platforms like this, as you said, you know you're changing the narrative and it doesn't have to be where you have to have had ah an ex-football career or you have to have you know done the Grand National or whatever it is, like to be able to meet the prerequisites of a media personnel. like Anybody is capable of talking about football. If you have enough knowledge and passion about it, you can be successful. You're just going to need that you know that may be that training or that exposure in front of camera or whatever it is, because obviously,
00:20:19
Paige
the the world of media is multifaceted and it's not just now being that anchor type person but it's being all the other roles that are included within it and the way that social media is now there's millions of um aspects to like content and media side of things that you know, we probably still even haven't even scratched the surface on of what that could become from, you know, career perspective. So yeah, I think it is, like, as we've said, you know, a really great thing that they're doing, helping women break into that football media industry, which is something that I don't think that
00:20:51
Paige
we've maybe seen enough of because there's been such a focus, especially from like FA and England learning driven programs to focus on on-pitch stuff, i.e. coaching, reffing, playing. So now like looking at it from a broader perspective, which means that more women can be involved because you don't have to have had you know a background in playing to be successful as a coach or you know, whatever it might be, you can actually come from a real fresh perspective of actually all I do is watch WSL as a fan. And now I can, you know, break into that industry as a career because I love the content, the media element, the creative direction element, whatever it is. So yeah, shout out the girls at Powerhouse once again,
Podcasting with Zencastr
00:21:31
Paige
and the partnership that they've had with Pixel FC, and hopefully we will see and experience more of that journey. Fingers crossed.
00:21:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
specifically Specifically, vote for Paige.
00:21:42
Paige
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, just me.
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fantastic.
00:21:46
Paige
Literally me.
00:21:51
Paige
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner with 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs. It's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
All righty, hello and welcome back once again. um We're on to our third and final topic of today and um we're
Women's FA Cup: Significance and Challenges
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
on to the Women's FA Cup, which is getting spicy. We're into the second round. um I mean, let's ignore the fact that a power outage during the third round rule got a bit more coverage than the rest of all the previous stages combined. But anyway, whatever, I'm excited. I love seeing there's a perfect opportunity for I don't know whether to call it grassroots because it is still division football, but, you know, lower club teams making their way up through the ranks of the FA Cup.
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're in the second round um and a game very close to our location page, if not our hearts. Stevenage versus Luton Town on Sunday. I mean, I'd like him both to go through, let's be honest, but it's going to be spicy.
00:23:07
Paige
I may have a favourite, but we'll not disclose that.
00:23:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, go on.
00:23:12
Paige
Only because I know, I know girls that play on both teams, but um i I've... No, I'm not going to say. I'm not going to say.
00:23:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ah, cough out.
00:23:20
Paige
I don't want to jeopardise anything. I don't want to jeopardise anything from a refereeing perspective. I'm just going to leave it at that.
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, I see. Yeah, right. We're uncovering your bias here.
00:23:28
Paige
Yeah, I don't want to say anything.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hey, are you going to be wrestling any of these games?
00:23:31
Paige
I don't want to say anything. um But yeah, I know, I think it's it's great. It's great, but it's also sad because we've got two really local teams that are going to compete and ultimately one of them is going to go through to play Portsmouth in the next round. But, you know, only there is only going to be one winner. We're not in the NWSL or college football where it's going to be.
00:23:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:23:52
Paige
winners across the board.
00:23:54
Paige
But um yeah, no, I think as you said, sort of the FA Cup and the excitement of the FA Cup, you know, we will have both grown up on the excitement of the FA Cup from a men's perspective and never really thought of it from the women's.
00:24:05
Paige
But obviously, like now, the more that the exposure becomes and the more that you actually think about, you know, all the other players that are at your level global like or nationwide, let's say, they're all going through like they're all going through this excitement and they're all going through, oh wow we're getting to play in the FA Cup.
00:24:24
Paige
like It's a massive competition and it's a massive thing for the culture and heritage of football in in the UK. I think everyone loves an FA Cup game.
00:24:37
Paige
Men's, women's, bottom of the table, like lowest of the lowest class that you see on like
00:24:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:24:45
Paige
you know, a Sunday afternoon at three o'clock on you know ITV, I think it used to be or something. And you'd be like, why am I watching, you know, this just shocking football, but also the beauty of it and like the amazing sort of elements that you have, even if it's, you know, people in the stands or just like the the absolute states that go on on the pitch because, you know, the pitches that are horrible or the conditions.
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah and oh i mean especially this weekend imagine playing on some of them pitches during good old storm burr that would have been absolute carnage i would have paid uh some sort of subscription to watch that on telly for sure in the warmth and comfort of my own home obviously
00:25:08
Paige
yeah
00:25:13
Paige
Exactly. Yeah.
00:25:23
Paige
A hundred percent. listening But it is.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah like yeah, the magic of the FA Cup, there's always room for an upset. There's always room for like a good old trouncing as well. I'm just looking through some of the um of the second round scores um that have past Liverpool Feds butted South Shields, 11-0.
00:25:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, obviously, no fun for South Shields, but great fun for Liverpool Feds.
00:25:45
Paige
No, but shout out Feds, that's one of my old clubs, love Liverpool Feds, love Liverpool Feds, and I've got a big game against Sheffield United in the next round, so I think that could be a really interesting and exciting tie for them.
00:25:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, there you go. Yeah, coming through.
00:25:56
Paige
um They're doing relatively well within National League North, I think they are, um and yeah, think like you said, you know, an 11-0
00:25:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Mm hmm.
00:26:07
Paige
win in their FA Cup is probably not what you want to experience as the opposition right but also you know there's kind of still positives to take from it one they've made it that far two they then get a little bit of cash if we they can get the cash at that at that level right so
00:26:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, get a little bit of money and also just get a little bit, you know, I don't know anything about Sal Shira, so I don't mean to completely slam. And the only thing I know about them, in fact, is that they lost 11-0 to Liverpool Feds on Sunday. But it's like, I do know the feeling of wanting to play against teams and players who are better than yourself just to get that experience. It's like, you see something on telly and you go, oh, how good are they actually, whatever. And then you come
Financial Disparities in FA Cup
00:26:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
and start actually playing them. I know we had the opportunity a few years back, it was a few years back now to play against Spurs ladies.
00:26:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
at the time and whilst they weren't who they are now, still the level, the level that like the discrepancy was absolutely mad between me and us as a team versus them.
00:27:03
Paige
Yeah. just yeah yeah close my they've secure I was going to say ultimately they've secured their club 750 quid which for you know a grassroots club or even you know
00:27:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it is like, yeah, like it's still an opportunity to to place and and obviously that own that opportunity only gets more exciting as you move up into the rounds and if you get into the third round and the fourth round and stuff like that, very exciting.
00:27:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have just seen Fulham, oh go on.
00:27:31
Paige
regional club that's a lot of money that and I'm sure maybe they maybe made some money on the gate or whatever selling programs or maybe whatever else they've done it's still the beauty of the f FA Cup and they're still you know it's not the the win that they would have wanted but you know they've got money for their club and I think that they can be proud you know you've even getting to to that stage and and doing that kind of thing so yeah there's loads to take
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah definitely because you get you know you with the world women's football is getting a bit more glitzy and a bit more glamorous and there is there's not enough but there is a bit more money involved and and it is you do forget that yeah not far not far below the WSL and the championship which i know have been lauded for to actually paying their footballers properly you've got people who are still working in the police and have got a day job and are nurses and are in childcare and like slogging away and then going just turning up in an evening um so to play the sport they love and and yeah 750 quid good for you, good for you lasses.
00:28:25
Paige
and I want to put in work. Yeah.
00:28:30
Paige
Yeah, exactly that.
00:28:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
On the subject though I don't think we can and talk enough about and money discrepancy in in women's football but as we're talking about this a little bit off mic page before um the men's fa cup winners get a whopping two million squids for winning the fa cup uh women's if they won the fa cup the team gets 430 000 pounds like what's that all about i don't i know we speak about it it feels like we speak about this every week but come on guys
00:28:55
Paige
Yep.
00:29:07
Paige
I know that amount of money is the same as what the quarterfinal winners of the men's cup get. Well, they get 450,000 to win in the quarters. And then from the female side, you then have to go and win two more games just to get that.
00:29:23
Paige
um I think it still it it says a lot obviously that it's progress right because I'm sure it was never even up to anything close to that so we'll take it and there's no complaints about the fact that you know we've come a long way but it still just shows how far we've got to go and I think even you know that the
00:29:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:29:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:43
Paige
stadium sellouts that we're getting from these FA Cup Finals, both men's and women's, you're still selling out the stadiums, you're still doing incredibly well.
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
who
00:29:52
Paige
Obviously all the royalties that come with the media deals and all of that side of things is going
Progress and Future of Women's Football
00:29:57
Paige
to be you know a lot more in the men's game, but you know from the women's perspective you're still having sellout Wembley stadiums for both men's and women's, so it's like you're still reaping in the same sort of on pitch rewards if you will you're still kind of getting everything that you get out of the men's game in the women's game um from the from the sellouts of the stadiums and stuff but it just it does just show that you know well maybe from an exciting perspective that that's the scope that that these clubs can be talking about you know in a few years to come we might be talking about the fact that you know the women winners of the women's f fa cup are earning two mil like how how amazing could that be
00:30:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yet
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely.
00:30:37
Paige
you know, and if that's going to continue to increase and that that's great for the women's game because the more money that can get pumped into it at the in the right ways and be used in the right ways, of course, the better um and the exposure that that can bring. So yeah, whilst the discrepancy is I mean, huge um at the moment.
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:58
Paige
i think it I think it's a good and a positive thing to see that, you know, there is still a significant amount of money, like 430,000 to any club, I think is.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, not to be sniffed at. It was, and obviously we've just spoken about how much even 750 quid can mean to a small local club.
00:31:10
Paige
Yeah, that's not right.
00:31:15
Paige
Yeah, exactly.
00:31:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
So absolutely not Not slamming the 430K, it's just the discrepancy, I suppose. But you're right, you're right.
00:31:22
Paige
Yeah.
00:31:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's shed a positive light on this. If things have improved, hopefully things will continue to
Closing Remarks
00:31:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
improve from here.
00:31:28
Paige
Yeah, 100% and one day we'll see, yeah, the winners take home 2 mil and we'll all be celebrating it.
00:31:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, Millie. It's stunning. Well, good luck to Steven and Joel Luton. Give me your favorite again, Paige, what was that?
00:31:44
Paige
Um, yeah, both. Yeah, both. i figure hip
00:31:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Such a cop out. All right, well, thanks very much, Paige. and That's all we have time for today. Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of Beyond the Pitch. Thank you.
00:32:01
Paige
Thanks for having me.