Men Footballers Should Earn More Than Women

[Vinnie]

Male footballers should earn more than women... according to US football authorities

Is this really such a controversial view?  Mens games attract more supporters.  Given that football is now more business than sport, it seems only right that if mens football generates more revenue, the players at the centre of that deserve greater reward? 

Its the same with womens tennis.  They play fewer sets, why would they receive a greater reward?   

Or am I still stuck in some 1800's dark age? 

[Teuchter]

Women should certainly get paid fairly for what they do in the context of the business that they are in. The law already makes that clear in most countries.

The differential in club football is largely down to the same differential that exists between (for example) the Pars and Chelsea. Both employ professional footballers but they are paid differently for good reason.

For the specific example of the Yank woman's team, they probably have a case to be at least closer to their male equivalents. The same wouldn't apply to Scotland, Engand or France, for example.

In Tennis when there were massive discrepancies years ago, the woman rebelled and took matters into their own hands.

Good luck to woman footballers if they want to try the same and put themselves directly in the market under the umbrella of a breakaway governing body. There may be increased rewards waiting for them like for the tennis players, I don't know.

 

 

 

 

[SanguinePar]

What would make sense would be if all footballers, men or women, got a suitably proportional share of their club's income from TV/gates, etc. And that proportion (be it 5% or 1% or 30% or whatever) should be the same for both men and women - so it would be tied to the success of the club at attracting audiences at all clubs. Same principle for international teams (where as @Teuchter says the US women would almost certainly get as much or more than the men). Bonuses etc, could also be proportional.

Actually though, that would mean that that all players at a club would be paid the same, which obviously makes no sense. Hmmmmm. No, ignore that (I'll post it anyway, for the sake of discussion) 

As for things like endorsements and sponsorships, that would really need to be just the open market I think, you can't really start regulating what an individual negotiates privately for themselves with a private company who aren't their employer.

[Vinnie]

My question is, are players employees?  Or self-employed contractors?  

I suggest contractors, they sign contracts for a defined period, rather than open ended working contract that us mere mortals sign.  Therefore players and their agents negotiate contracts, therefore if women players put a higher value on their talents they should ask for more money.  I realise sports in the US operate slightly differently than they do here, but there are similarities. 

Without wanting to sound sexist, womens football is not at the standard of mens football, they dont play with the same levels of skill, or speed and intensity, and as a result they get less interest.  It is improving, interest is growing, and Im sure they are getting paid more than they were five years ago.  But for me, they are still miles and miles away from deserving parity. 

[Digs]

23 hours ago, Vinnie said:

My question is, are players employees?  Or self-employed contractors?  

I suggest contractors, they sign contracts for a defined period, rather than open ended working contract that us mere mortals sign.  Therefore players and their agents negotiate contracts, therefore if women players put a higher value on their talents they should ask for more money.  I realise sports in the US operate slightly differently than they do here, but there are similarities. 

Without wanting to sound sexist, womens football is not at the standard of mens football, they dont play with the same levels of skill, or speed and intensity, and as a result they get less interest.  It is improving, interest is growing, and Im sure they are getting paid more than they were five years ago.  But for me, they are still miles and miles away from deserving parity. 

They're not contractors. The club pays their tax and NI the same as any PAYE employee. They are effectively on a Fixed Term contract, which is a permanent role for a set period of time. Thousands of people work on this basis, particularly in the public sector.

If you want to be pedantic regarding the men vs women argument in the context of the USA, the mens team is absolute dung, whilst the women have been the best in the world for years. They have also brought in more revenue than the mens national team in the last year.

'Deserving parity' You are aware how mysogynistic that sounds?

[Vinnie]

5 minutes ago, Digs said:

'Deserving parity' You are aware how mysogynistic that sounds?

I wasnt, although I am now that you point it out.  Sounds worse than intended I guess.