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Beyond the Pitch Episode 72 :Championship on YouTube, The FSA awards and Italy victory in Germany!
8 Plays19 days ago
Join Paige and Cate as they podcast about the great news that the Championship will also be streamed on YouTube from next season ( yup every single game), they talk about the FSA Awards ( Football Supporters Association Awards) and the unexpected victory from Italy in Germany in the international friendlies window.
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Transcript
Introduction to Beyond the Patch podcast
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to Beyond the Patch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network. And today is brought to you by your favorite Italians, Kate and Pagina.
00:00:23
Paige
ah ina Wow.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Buongiorno.
00:00:27
Paige
and john now come and die
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bravo. Right, so we have a few topics to talk about
Football Supporters Association Award discussion
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
today. We will be chatting about the fantastic Football Supporters Association Award that was held last night.
YouTube streaming for Women's Championship
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to talk about more um the the women championship that is going to go live from next season, which is incredible live on YouTube.
00:00:50
Paige
Well done!
00:00:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry. And then we're going to have a quick chat about ah last night's international international fixture Galore and our fixture actually this evening. So let's kick it off straight away with the Women's Championship. So yesterday It was announced, it was yesterday, right? Yeah. Yesterday was announced that the women championship with all the games, that's the important thing. All games of the women championship will be streamed live on YouTube starting from next season.
00:01:29
Paige
Yes, yes, I think, ah first of all, how amazing because we've already seen such an incredible uptake in viewing numbers of the WSL as a result of it going on YouTube and now people being able to watch every single game and I think, yeah, just more visibility to to more women's football, more clubs around the country, more clubs that people can
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Incredible.
00:01:55
Paige
start to support and really enjoy and just gives more of that that presence doesn't it and I think the accessibility rights and that kind of thing have completely or the barriers to those accessibility rights have been ah taken away with you know it just going straight on YouTube everyone can access that as long as you've got an internet connection of course which let's assume most people nowadays do because I don't think life exists without internet um So yeah, I think it's going to be great. I think obviously Sky still have the opportunity to pull any of the fixtures that they want onto their pages but the game itself will still be shown um on YouTube and I'd probably encourage, if you can watch it on YouTube, even if it is on Sky, watch it on YouTube because
00:02:38
Paige
Yeah, I think the more games that we can get away from big companies like Sky and actually make it you you know accessible, as we've mentioned, to more people, the better. um But yeah, I think it's going to be really good for the championship. I think it's going to be really good for the women's game in general.
Impact of YouTube on women's football viewership
00:02:56
Paige
And yeah, 132 games, like let you just constant football. I love it. I love it.
00:03:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the great thing about it is that it stays there, no? So you can watch it after.
00:03:07
Paige
Yeah.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So even if you don't catch on it straight away, and it's also, it's a little bit less for now, it's a little bit less in the mainstream. So, you know how, you know, maybe you want to watch, let's say, for example,
00:03:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know, i leave a Liverpool game, considering you are you know riding the great wave of Liverpool this year.
00:03:24
Paige
Yep. The swam.
00:03:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Yeah, well done. ah But you want to watch it. and Maybe it's a big game, like the one that just happened at the weekend. And then you want you don't want to know the result because you're like, OK, OK, I can't watch it right now, but I'm just going to watch it later.
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
You have to be so careful not to open anything, not know what's up conversation. Nothing. like it has to be Like you need to switch off from everything, you know, you can't have a quick look at any TV because the results are out everywhere. Whilst in this case, it's not so overwhelming now everywhere on, you know, on the net or on the group group chat, et cetera. So you can actually say, you know what, I'm at work right now. I can't watch it. So I'm just going to go home and then just watch it later. Like, for example, when I work at the stadium, right? Like all the results are there, all the TV is there, everything is there. So I can't just say, okay, I'm working.
00:04:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just going to watch the game later, but in this case I can. Furthermore, for someone like, for example, like me, who is not always in here physically, it's so good to know that I can just tune in.
00:04:35
Paige
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:04:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's it's from everywhere.
00:04:36
Paige
It's accessible.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
You said it before, you know, once you have an internet connection, and I think it's extremely powerful because we are very spoiled here where we are. And in some of our countries where we, you know, we always have internet, no matter what, you can go in the street.
00:04:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously we have our mobile phones as well, but also there's free wifi in many places. You can hop into a place, but a lot of for a lot of other places, it's not like that.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. And actually having the streaming facilities, it's incredible because there can be just like maybe one big space where they have internet and they stream in and everybody goes there and watch it.
00:05:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, I think it's a game changer. It's definitely a game changer.
00:05:17
Paige
yeah Yeah and I think obviously I don't know what the sort of broadcast rights are in terms of like those kind of watch parties but it's even something like that's for the women's game you know we well I've experienced it um you know before and I'm sure you have where you go to like these women's watch parties and they're so much fun and you can network and you can just like build and and enjoy that community that that's created so now being able to potentially go to somewhere
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:45
Paige
knowing that you have not only WSL football that's available to watch but also championship and also like a full day of it kind of vibe, um I think is really exciting and and I think there's going to be loads of opportunities for you know platforms like you know we're a part of or or platforms that we see you know on social media and stuff to really buy into what the championship are doing as well and give them that additional platform so yeah i think it's going to be good i'm excited to see just that it's it's now become a consideration for youtube as well because so often you know it does focus on the top leagues and i think now
00:06:22
Paige
championship get in sort of that nod and as well not to mention the fact that it's going to be covered by a minimum of two cameras which I honestly think like it just like increases and enhances that viewing experience from sort of the get-go. I watch a lot of YouTube football and like the one frustrating thing is that you literally have one camera that just follows the game and it it can be annoying at times so not to know that there's going to be like a minimum of two just sort of enhances that the overall experience um and hopefully will draw in you know an increased amount of viewers and even the demographic of people that watch youtube is a lot younger than probably traditionally watches mainstream tv so might we even see sort of a ah bigger increase and uptake in you know the women's game from just that younger demographic already so yeah loads of positives to take i'm excited to see how it goes and
00:07:17
Paige
Yeah, shout out YouTube. Well done, championship. And thanks to I think the Guardian was the first person or the first platform to share on that. So yeah, going to be good.
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And also let's not forget that from a commercial point of view, it opens up to so many more partners.
00:07:36
Paige
Yeah, exactly.
00:07:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Because, and and also like the data analysis of YouTube, it's so on point. They like, they really know who is watching much more.
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Like, for example, let's say here is a, a ah let's say the BBC is showing it. Yeah. And I may be, I am at my English parents house.
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
because on that day I'm there, so I decide to put it on. So the BBC will be like, oh, okay, so it's two pensioners looking at the game. they won They won't be able to know that it's me as well. Whilst if I open up my YouTube, my YouTube knows pretty much everything about me.
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, my gender, my age, my gazillion of other preferences because they know what I search, what I look for, everything else. So they can start to use target adverts.
00:08:16
Paige
Yeah.
00:08:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
They can start to use algorithm in a completely different way.
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that really me commercially opens up to like. massive. It's like huge.
00:08:30
Paige
Yeah.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I love everything. I know I've said it many times. I love everything that Niki is doing. Like ah when when they announced her, you know, many, many months ago now that she was going to be the CEO.
00:08:38
Paige
Yeah.
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh my God. I've tried to do everything to work with her because I was like, okay, this is a woman who commercially, a strategically, so shrewd. She's so incredible. you know One of those people that you're like, I want to work with you every day because I really want to pick your brain on everything.
00:09:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I want to understand how you work.
00:09:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
just great And you can see, obviously, she has an amazing powerhouse of people around her, mainly women, and I love that.
00:09:10
Paige
Yeah.
00:09:14
Paige
Yeah.
Commercial growth in women's football
00:09:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you can see the massive changes that are happening from a commercial point of view, which then means, you know, it's going to get the game better because then, you know, teams are going to have more power for the league is going to be more powerful.
00:09:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's, that's the way it is. And and this is still on point.
00:09:33
Paige
yeah Yeah, and already to see so much stuff that that she's done in even such a short period of time.
00:09:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And again, Absolutely.
00:09:41
Paige
So to see what's going to come, you know, in two to five years and beyond and the things that are going to be put in place is going to be unreal.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:48
Paige
So yeah, exciting times then.
00:09:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. And you know yeah and i mean yesterday evening at the awards, they were mentioning you know the great the great job that you know the the company itself is doing, not just Nicky in particular, but everything. And I literally, I was just there and I was just thinking about her. And I was just thinking, where do you go after something like that?
00:10:09
Paige
I know.
00:10:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like you've done this in your life is that what do you go like what's next what was gonna be bigger than this is incredible for artse for me it's.
00:10:15
Paige
yeah
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unbelievable and i you know every time i see her somewhere i'm always like okay this is the time i'm gonna go and chat to her and i'm gonna tell us something and then i just get like. I'm just like, I cannot.
00:10:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. I don't even know how to put my mind. Me, like I can talk to anyone. and it just like
00:10:37
Paige
oh
00:10:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
i i She's incredible. What a woman. What a woman.
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. ah Right. So let's move on to the awards last night. So last night I was invited to the FSA awards. So the FSA, just to remind everybody, is the Football Support Association.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So these awards are actually nominated and voted by the fans. So everything happened through the fans. There's not a jury, there is not a panel of people, it's just everything is with the fans. And um so obviously, as I said, they nominated and then they also vote. I think they got kind of like around a quarter of a million votes, which was really great.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Right. A lot of really great things that happening in that room. It was really nice.
00:11:56
Paige
Okay.
00:11:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And every year they add more and more awards and especially towards the women's game.
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is really so good. um I am very happy because, ah you know, as a footballer of the met women, footballer of the year, ah one of my favourite Lionesses won. Who is it?
00:12:01
Paige
Yeah.
00:12:18
Paige
laham
00:12:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah! wow Oh, if I missed her at the game on Saturday, you know, when you just write, you know, when they were just coming down, you were like, what?
00:12:25
Paige
Trust me. Trust me.
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, she's not there. Like, why not there to put the ball in the middle?
00:12:32
Paige
Yeah.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's like, oh, and and yes.
00:12:34
Paige
Yeah. We'll go on to that. We'll go on to that.
00:12:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And she was, she couldn't be there last night because she's undergoing operation and it was so heartbreaking to you know, like she, she, she thanked everybody for the award. And then she was, oh, I'll be out for a few months. and
00:12:55
Paige
They haven't actually confirmed what knee surgery she's having though, has she? They've confirmed that it's not ACL, but I'm assuming it's probably meniscus. They're just probably doing a cleanup job in there because there's not really much else surgically that you would do with any of the other ligaments. So I'm assuming that it's probably it's probably meniscus. And yeah, after five knee surgeries, I can tell you they're not great, but she'll obviously be in the best care and have the best support to come back. And I think,
00:13:23
Paige
Yeah, she's she's very deserving of this award and I think she's one of those workhorse players that kind of goes under the radar a lot of the time. She's not spoken about in the same way that an LJ is or Akira Walsh is or, you you know, even the types of players that sort of get the main headlines like the Khadija Shores and that kind of thing. She's never really spoken about as that kind of player. And I think, you know, we kind of mentioned it, but like, you know, in the England game at the weekend, you did miss her, you did miss that sort of but threatwide that that workhorse type mentality, her speed, which I think you can't even look at her and think, now you look fast, like she just has wheels, like she just bombs it past people. And it's that like tenacity to kind of keep going.
00:14:10
Paige
and battle through things that just makes her like a really a really quality player that I think adds such value to every team that she's a part of, obviously from you know a city city perspective and a lioness perspective.
00:14:23
Paige
So yeah, I'm not surprised she's won and I'm not surprised she's one of your faves.
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know what you were sitting at Wembley, but I was sitting, like, in the middle, but more towards the right-hand side, like, where the tunnel is, or where the players come out.
00:14:37
Paige
Yeah, me too.
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So in the middle, but towards the right-hand side. And you know she always comes down, right, on the left-hand side, and then put the ball in the middle. but And honestly, like, I was there, and I was just thinking, like, oh, yeah, she's not in today.
00:14:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I was like, why? why you should what I am so used to. You just watch a game where she's playing. That's just what she does. she just You don't exactly as you say, you don't even see her somewhere.
00:14:59
Paige
Yeah.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then eventually you see someone running down on that side, yeah on the left side, going down and i's putting the ball in and you're like, there she is. There she is.
00:15:11
Paige
Yeah.
00:15:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
There she is all the time.
00:15:13
Paige
Yeah, exactly.
00:15:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
You really missed. And it's interesting because um so when we arrived, And we were just, ah you know, looking at this looking at that and when we went into this straight away people were like, Oh, who do you think everybody honestly was just like, Oh, it's gonna be bunny. It's gonna be bunny. Oh, for sure. For sure. And I was like, actually, I don't think I said straight away. I said, I really hope is actually going to be you know, Lauren, Lauren hemp, because obviously Lawrence James was also there, ah voted, and sorry, um as a finalist. But I was like, I actually hope so exactly for the reason you said, because I'm thinking, if you are a fan, if you really follow football, you can see she's so underrated for what she does. And I've never heard the ones complaining. I never heard, you know, nothing, nothing whatsoever. It's just like, I go there, I do, I do my job. And then I go,
00:16:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's interesting because so I know it's a boy but and and this is a women's football podcast but I think it's worth a mention because um so Cole Palmer won the men's player of the year and I actually think that It's like for me, they are exactly the same. I'm not saying technically, but court parliament for me is exactly the same. That's exactly how I see him. It was interesting because ah ah the person that was there picking up the award for him
00:16:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
said exactly the same he was just like that's exactly how he is he's a choir person he just goes there he gets his job done you know he's unpredictable okay maybe Lauren is a bit more predictable but um just that's that's it and i love the fact that the funds actually sold out about them and wanted to recognize it.
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were like, do you know what? Don't worry about it. you know if if If the juries, if you know the judges and all of that, they're not going to want to give you an award, we will. And it's really good.
00:17:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because again, let me remind you, these are awards that have been you know nominated by the funds and voted by the funds. So you can't just be nominated randomly. like you The funds have to nominate you.
00:17:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And and that's really good.
00:17:22
Paige
Yeah, I think to me that's that's one of the best awards that you can win when it is from people who pay money to watch you, right?
00:17:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:17:32
Paige
In most instances, they pay money to go and support you week in week out, whether that's on international duty or on domestic duty. And I think you know either that or being voted by like your fellow teammates. I think those are the two awards, even like at a grassroots level, ah Spectator's Player of the Year or Player's Player of the Year are the two awards that I always want to win because your manager is going to see yeah the great qualities that you have from a technical aspect or what you bring to the team from a leadership perspective. But the people who are kind of obviously in the grassroots game are forced to watch you because they're parents or whatever.
00:18:05
Paige
if they can then recognise it and they might not be like massive football fans but they can see the value that they that you bring or your teammates who you go to battle with week in week out they're the ones that are going to like you know put that kind of trust in you those are the two awards and I think yeah it's one that that, like you said, you know, being being voted by by your fans, by the footballing community that, you know, might not know everything about football from a technical and tactical perspective, but they can see that the work that she does deserves to be recognized. And yeah, like you said, alongside, you know, someone like Cole Palmer, who again is is
00:18:43
Paige
you know he's He's got personality, let's be real, but he's not one of those players that I think stands out all the time. He does bits and obviously he's had an unreal season and will continue to and I think he's one of the english England's brightest stars now and moving forward. but you know, he's reliable, you know, he was during the Euros and it's exactly the same with Lauren. You recognise when she's not there, you recognise when there's, when, when, when she's missing out of the team and I think that was exactly the case this weekend. So, yeah, congrats. And I think, you know, she's also saw off some real good competition, you know, in the likes of LJ. Erin Cuthbert is another one that gets a lot of like credit for her work. Bonnie Shore, as we've mentioned, and I think, yeah, a lot of Wubham Moy as well. And also Grace, work Grace Clinton was also nominated. So,
00:19:27
Paige
You know, she's she's there with some some experienced players and also some new and up-and-coming players, and I think she's the right woman for the job.
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I agree. I agree.
00:19:36
Paige
A worthy winner.
00:19:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was very happy. And um yeah, as I mentioned, um another award that the FSA has put on this year, which is the first time it was actually the award for women's football media of the year.
00:19:53
Paige
Okay.
00:19:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
and That was really good. It was won actually by the BBC Women's Football Show. So
Recognition of diversity efforts in football
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
congratulations to them. But it was really nice to see more I want to say out essay sector, a bit more niche, um you know, journalism or media that is dedicated just to the woman and to the growth of the game as well. I love the fact that um pretty much everybody who is working on this, on the sixth nominations at least, are women too. So it's like women for women. And I really, really like that.
00:20:30
Paige
Yeah.
00:20:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
and um I think we also wanted to give a little shout out to the Sheffield Wednesday Women's Supporters Group ah that won actually the Fans for Diversity Award. Very, very, very important. It was picked up by two very emotional girls that just couldn't believe it. It was really cute because they really thanked the Fulham Lilies who were ah some of the nominees as well.
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
because they help them setting up the group and that just I think that just speaks like so loudly about how collaborations are important.
00:20:59
Paige
right Yeah.
00:21:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and actually the great thing about the Sheffield Wednesday Women's Supporters Group is the fact that ah they only started about a year or so ago. They already have 400 plus members and the only reason why they only have 400 members is because literally they cannot keep up with it.
00:21:26
Paige
Yeah.
00:21:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's growing and growing and again it shows the need of this type of supporters group. ah it' It's just really, really, really important the work that they do, you know, to really diversify ah the fans coming to watch the game and for them to feel extremely and comfortable in coming to the game, attending the game, pre-game, post-game, creating community,
00:21:39
Paige
Yeah.
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
working with other football fans, you know, support the club, et cetera, to make it even safer if you travel away, if they come to visit you. just I love everything that is happening in football right now with regard to that, to diversity, to the inclusion, to pushing more on women. i'm I'm really glad that I'm here to witness it.
00:22:19
Paige
Yeah, exactly. And even just one thing to mention before we head into our final topic, but the work that the they did in raising money for the Bradley Lowry Foundation, which is something that's not even attached to their club, like Bradley Lowry is a Sunderland fan, and still the work that they've done to sort of support and provide, you know,
00:22:49
Paige
provide financial support and and just a place where people could also share. you know the love with something that's so powerful. And I think obviously, you know for those that don't know, Bradley Lowry was a young Sunderland supporter who lost his battle with Nero Blastoma in 2017. And you'd have you'll have seen him all over social media, but you know he was someone that a lot of clubs court sort of bought into and I think a lot of fans do as well because he he's just a little boy, isn't it? you know You see him in every single club across the world. So um it's just amazing. I think they raised
00:23:24
Paige
almost 30,000 I think just shy of 30k which you know for a club outside of the club of ah someone going through something like this is is really um amazing and um I think that they have chosen to build a ah holiday home in Scarborough as a sort of memory building type environment for children and their families who are going through you know similar sickness and illnesses so it's unreal and and I think yeah they're they're certainly very worthy winners and I'm sure that the work that they do both on and off the pitch for for women and for and the next generation of women coming through loving you know the game creating that supportive
00:24:03
Paige
community engagement kind of environment is is top tier and I hope that more more clubs and more fan engagement and more yeah folks fan groups and that kind of stuff can be supported and and influenced by the work that but these types of groups do.
00:24:19
Paige
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00:24:30
Paige
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00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Last but not least topic, we only have a few minutes, but we wanted to have a quick chat about the international fixtures, some of them that are coming up today, quite excited, not
Italy's victory against Germany
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
just the England one, but also ah as Piajina and I are two original Italians, obviously paid more than me.
00:25:04
Paige
ah three Yeah, clearly.
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
We also wanted to say massive congratulations really to Italy. And I really don't think it's just because we are Italian, like everybody was talking about last night, well, all the women that are into women football at least, of just saying like, I don't think anyone was expecting it.
00:25:24
Paige
No.
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe, maybe a draw. But for Italy to win in Germany's soil, 2-1, that is one of the things that you're like, whoa, what's going to happen next year in Switzerland at the Euros?
00:25:34
Paige
First of all, yeah.
00:25:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait a minute. What is going on?
00:25:39
Paige
Firstly, firstly for us to even do anything in Germany rather than just actually picking to be German for the day.
00:25:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was fantastic.
00:25:49
Paige
Because, you know, as Italians, they just like to pick whoever's with it at the time. But ah yeah, unreal, unreal. When I saw it, I was like, well, hang on a minute. Surely someone's done a typo on that. There's no way, especially when you look at the stats, like it's so heavily favoured on the Germany side.
00:26:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes!
00:26:06
Paige
um But but we well done. you know I think that shows the progress and hopefully the global progress and development that women's football is having. And I think obviously we do talk a lot about the women's game here in England and the WSL championship and like a national league. And you know we're starting to talk more about other leagues and other countries. But I think there is a real big development shift coming from a lot of countries.
00:26:35
Paige
And it's really great to see because, you know, you and I would never, never, never in a million years have said that Italy would be able to compete with the likes of Germany, especially as you know the powerhouse that they are. And I think now to sort of see that is a really proud and pivotal moment, really, because, you know, there are so many challenges that the game faces in Italy. And I think for them to come out and compete, you know, away from home,
00:27:03
Paige
against a really strong German side. It's a really positive progress, progress really positive.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, I'm going to correct today. i'm More than say, I never thought they could. I didn't think they were able to right now.
00:27:16
Paige
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:27:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can see i can see how the team is progressing.
00:27:18
Paige
That's what, yeah, yeah.
00:27:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can see how the team is progressing. I think they have incredible opportunities. Again, um I said this a few times before, but let's also not forget the job that UFI is doing. I know they don't get everything right. I'm sure no one gets everything right. But what they want to do and the pathway they are creating for women, you actually can see it in different countries.
00:27:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
playing in a different way and really stepping up in level like for example the fact that we had two teams you know Juventus and Roma in the Champions League this year it's very important and it gives them the opportunity to go to play with different type of team a different type of football to kind of like do things in a different way and it just you know a lot of the players that are in Roma and Juventus also play for Italy sorry You can see how that changes. It changes your mentality. It changes the way you play football. It makes you more aware of so many other things. And I think those types of competition are actually really important.
00:28:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So when I understand it, like, for example, you know, Pep Guardiola was talking about it like a few weeks ago. Yeah. Okay. He's having a bad moment, but I still like him. He's, you know, it's, um he was talking about it when he was just saying like, we have so many competitions and now obviously they also have the FIFA club competition. It's like, they
UEFA competitions and team development
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
literally have no rest whatsoever.
00:28:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, of course, I get it.
00:28:53
Paige
Should we get the violin out? knee
00:28:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, um come on, but I get it.
00:28:58
Paige
yeah
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
At the end of the day, they're humans. And and you know playing that level of football is intense on your body, on your mind, and on everything else. I get it. I totally get it. But then on the other side, some of the competition, like the one that the UFI is going to introduce for women's as well next year, it's like it's great.
00:29:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It gives them the opportunity. Because like how does a team that play you know international football but not to this type of level can progress and yeah international friendlies are good it's nice you know it's cute and whatever but when there is a little bit of competition in there you know, a cap, you know, an award, something.
00:29:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You do want to play, you know, you've got, there is a little bit more skin in the game. And I think by implementing more of those, ah we will see the level rising pretty quick, I think, in the women's game.
00:29:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pretty, pretty quick.
00:29:55
Paige
yeah
00:29:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, that's it. So bravo, bravo regards. Well done, Italy. Very good. So let's hope we are going to perform in the same way tonight as well.
00:30:05
Paige
Yeah.
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
with Switzerland. We're playing in Sheffield. I'm not going to the game. ah I'm going to watch it, but I'm not going to the game, unfortunately, not all the way up to Sheffield. What about you?
00:30:17
Paige
Uh no, I'm not going. No, not after the experience I had this weekend watching England USA, which I know we've already spoken about on one of the previous, you know, previous pods, but I just want to throw my little two pants in there. I know we've kind of talked about it a little bit, you know, prior to coming on air kind of thing. But, oh, Serena, what are you doing? What is going on? Where?
00:30:49
Paige
I want to know where is Gareth Southgate? Where is he? is is he inside Is he inside Serena's body?
00:30:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
What is it?
00:30:56
Paige
Is this what what's happened? we have ah We've lost one England manager. I think we might have lost two because I don't know where she is. Serena Safegate.
00:31:08
Paige
is is her new name. I don't know, I just, ah it's very frustrating.
England's women's football performance critique
00:31:13
Paige
I'm very confused. I just don't understand. And and and ah yeah, she's got 100 of youngsters sat on her bench.
00:31:25
Paige
Give them a chance. There's a reason that they're there. And it is injury. Yes, there's a lot of players that are injured, but they're obviously doing amazing things for club and 23s. Give them a chance, especially in that game on Saturday. I really and truly felt that that was the perfect opportunity to introduce some of these young players to that stage. There was zero pressure in that stadium.
00:31:48
Paige
It was one of paper airplanes and flashing torches. Nobody was, there was literally the biggest issue that the fans had was people not starting a Mexican wave quick enough. So throw them in there, give them something, you know, give us something to watch, but also give the players like a platform, an audience to go and show out on like I think it works both ways. I don't think America was all that great either, but I don't really care about them. I care about what the lionesses are doing and how we're progressing or not progressing. And that's exactly what it seems like. And I'm frustrated by Leah's comments about, oh, we were really, you know, we wanted to make sure we focused first and foremost on being solid. Girl, you gave the ball away how many times?
00:32:32
Paige
The transition and turnover and play happened consistently. That's not being solid. Being solid is holding possession, maintaining shape, being rigid as a unit to get past. And I don't think that we were that at all. We created nothing. Nada, zero, zilch. Nothing.
00:32:51
Paige
like what i just i'm very frustrated as you can see and i've talked for about three minutes now but go ahead bring me some bring light into this darkness for me cat please god yeah
00:33:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have absolutely nothing else to say. The only thing I'm going to add to that is that I was so happy to see Emma there. I missed her. I missed, her I missed, I missed just looking down and seeing her there, you know, but gesturing in and and doing her things and walking around and doing that type of thing.
00:33:22
Paige
yeah
00:33:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I was just like, Oh, but anyway, uh, I'm a good,
00:33:26
Paige
Yeah, I learned one bit of positivity to, sorry, one bit of positivity to my input on this is that looking down on the touch line to see two females stood in the technical area and a fourth official that was female, a lion's woman that was female, another lino that was female, and a referee that was female.
00:33:44
Paige
Yes, love it, love it. There was so much female representation. I'm about it completely. And that's one of the only positive things I have to say about that game and the
Female representation in football
00:33:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and and the attendance and the fact that there were you know nearly 80,000 people, you know more than 80,000 tickets sold, and then the attendance was a little bit lower, but like fantastic, no troubles whatsoever.
00:33:55
Paige
light show.
00:33:57
Paige
Yep, attendance. Right, so. Yeah.
00:34:08
Paige
Nah, never.
00:34:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
People went home, people went to our party
Closing remarks and farewell
00:34:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
after, and we just showed we just showed that you know it can happen, it can be done. And to be honest, when people say, oh, but the football was a bit boring.
00:34:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I've watched some England men's game being more boring than this and just going like, what is that all about?
00:34:23
Paige
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:34:27
Paige
And that's why I'm saying Gareth might be on the touchline.
00:34:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway.
00:34:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, that's great, but I think 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 is a good bye for me.
00:34:46
Paige
And a child from me.
00:34:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yeah, the Italian way!
00:34:50
Paige
When I say.