Bristol Rovers star opens up on ‘inappropriate’ messages as she leads anti-sexism campaign

A study from Durham University released earlier this year found a number of male football fans hold hostile and sexist attitudes when it comes to women in sport - providing proof that there is still some way to go when it comes to attitudes towards female footballers and fans.

Among those campaigning for change is Bristol Rovers player Alva Lang, who has been championing her team’s support for Her Game Too, an organisation originally set up by female football fans to combat sexism in the game.

Central defender Alva, who joined Rovers in 2020, has shared how she and her team-mates have previously had to address sexist attitudes aimed towards women footballers, claiming that they could not improve their sprints because of their physiology.

And sadly, throughout the sport and the fandom, attitudes like this are fairly common place.

In 2021, HerGameToo was established. It’s an organisation set-up by female football fans, the aim of which is to foster an ethos in football in which women are welcomed and respected equally.

It started after founders noticed sexist abuse towards female fans, pundits, referees, players and journalists, with studies like the one out of Durham University highlighting that some people still believe that women shouldn’t be involved with football either on or off the pitch.

Alva, from Clifton, said: “Most women in football have encountered sexism.

“I have had inappropriate messages and comments on social media which are really uncalled for, but it happens so often to myself and other females that it was not seen as a big issue when clearly it is really worrying.

“As an athlete, I am at the gym a lot and you get a lot of guys trying to help you but very much in a sexualised way. I have to tell them that this is my safe space.

“As a female, it is easier to confront these situations when you are in a big group, as we were in pre-season, but what we are looking to do is support women so they feel encouraged to challenge sexism when they are on their own, too.

“We are fighting against discrimination not just on the pitch but how it affects people such as supporters, too. If you are a female supporter your opinion can be disregarded because of your sex.

“It’s taken a long time to get where we are now but things are improving all the time and we need to carry on challenging sexism and improving the environment for women in sport. We are finding a lot of younger teams coming into the game which is a great sign and really inspiring.”

The UK government had previously announced plans for an in-depth review of women’s football later this year, with a focus on developing the game at elite and grassroots level.

We have already seen a rise in spectators at women’s games and an increased presence on TV, and people like Alva hope that this, along with addressing the issues around misogyny will encourage more women to enjoy the game as fans and players.