Women Footballers in a Men’s Team.

[Dr Who?]

There is a lot of talk about a certain Chloe Kelly being able to get into a premier league team. I do not think this is true and it is far off, but I do believe she could play at an English League Club. 

I have no idea what the rules are in the English Football League, but I think there is mixed football up to u16 and then they have divide into girls and boys teams. 

I think we are not there yet and it would kill the women’s game, IF the rules were changed and a handful of the better players got contracts in the men’s game, as the impact on the women’s game would destroy it taking the best players away. The whole impact on women’s teams would see the collapse of the women’s game and have a decremental impact on the future of female teams and players. Also how would it work? A lot of the women players could get into a mens team in the league, but then would they be able to play in the women’s international team or would they enter the men’s set up, would there be an England international team anymore? It would completely shift the dimension of the women’s game. 

Eventually it will happen, not in my lifetime, I’m not sure if we are ready for the change yet by a long shot, but if a woman has a trial at a football club and the club think they are good enough, why should they not have the chance of signing for them? I have no idea how the powers that be would need to go about this, but as I say, if they are good enough on merit woman should be able to play in the English Football League?

It is easy to say ‘so and so is good enough to play in a men’s team’ but there is so much more of a bigger picture and the politics and negative impact it would have when the women’s game has come such a long way. It would be crackers to change it for the few players that ‘might get in’. But this is football so nothing would surprise me. 

Thought it would make an interesting discussion. 😊 

[Lighthouse]

I highly doubt most of the lioness squad would get into a men’s National League side, it’s a non-starter. Anyone saying one of them could get a PL game is either delusional or trying to be edgy/controversial for attention and clicks.

[benjii]

She's great but she wouldn't make it above a low mens non-league tier. Physically she'd just get broken.

You'd need a skilful Caster Semenya type (bollocks) and even that would be a stretch.

[Ted Bates Statue]

The Williams sisters used to say they could beat any man outside the top 200, and then they had to have a rethink. This sort of chat doesn't really help anyone and it would come as no surprise to hear that none of this has come from the players themselves, who would know better to say such a thing due to regular training matches against boys' sides.

[Wade Garrett]

Top international women’s teams seem to routinely get beaten by decent schoolboy teams.

She is brilliant in her own game, but wouldn’t last 10 minutes in the Wessex League.

[hypochondriac]

For those who enjoy it just stick to celebrating and being entertained by women's football. It's essentially a different sport. No need at all to start making comparisons. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

AI: Several full international women's football teams have played matches against boys' or men's youth teams, often for preparation or exhibition purposes, and results have been published:

• Switzerland women's national team lost 7-1 to an under-15 boys team in a preparatory match before the Women's Euro 2025. This result was widely reported in June 2025 as a test game with no competitive implications. Swiss media highlighted the physiological differences influencing the outcome, noting men's game pace being about one-third faster due to greater muscle mass after puberty.

EUROS: Group Stage (Group A): Lost 1-2 to Norway, Won 2-0 against Iceland, Drew 1-1 with Finland (a stoppage-time equalizer by Riola Xhemaili secured their progression to the quarter-finals)

Switzerland finished second in their group behind Norway, advancing to the knockout phase.

Quarter-finals: Switzerland was defeated 0-2 by Spain 

• The United States Women's National Team (USWNT), one of the most successful women's international teams, has on many occasions played against male youth or college teams. These matches are often friendlies or part of training camps. For example, the USWNT faces male youth sides to test skill and fitness, though specific scores for these matches vary and are not always widely published.

• The Australia women's team reportedly lost 7-0 to a Newcastle Jets under-16 boys' team in May 2016; the women's squad was missing some overseas-based players.

Edited July 28 by Patches O Houlihan
tidy up

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

I highly doubt most of the lioness squad would get into a men’s National League side, it’s a non-starter. Anyone saying one of them could get a PL game is either delusional or trying to be edgy/controversial for attention and clicks.

Bet Dale Vince tries it at FGR. Mad as a box of frogs.

[Saint_clark]

"A lot of talk" from who? I haven't seen it once. She wouldn't be able to play professionally in the men's game and right now she's probably the best women's player in the game, I think she'll win the ballon d'or either this year or next. 

[Turkish]

Why do we have this nonsense?  My social media is alive with posts about chole Kelly would get in a top six team, Lauren James is the best player on the world and the hate for Womens football etc. They’ve just won the euros for the second time in a row. Please STFU about the comparisons to men’s football and enjoy it

technically some might be good enough but sheer physicality says they can’t compete. Let’s remind ourselves that international women’s teams have lost to U15 boys teams heavily. It’s not even a discussion and does the women’s game No favours 

 

before thick fucks on here say this is an attack on women it isn’t it’s letting them have their well deserved glory and stop the comparisons it’s fucking stupid 

Edited July 29 by Turkish

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Why would any top female football player turn down the chance to win the (women's) Champions League with a club like, say, Arsenal to instead sit on the bench (if that) of a men's team with the stature of somewhere like Romsey Town FC?

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

8 hours ago, Dr Who? said:

There is a lot of talk about a certain Chloe Kelly being able to get into a premier league team. I do not think this is true and it is far off, but I do believe she could play at an English League Club. 

I have no idea what the rules are in the English Football League, but I think there is mixed football up to u16 and then they have divide into girls and boys teams. 

I think we are not there yet and it would kill the women’s game, IF the rules were changed and a handful of the better players got contracts in the men’s game, as the impact on the women’s game would destroy it taking the best players away. The whole impact on women’s teams would see the collapse of the women’s game and have a decremental impact on the future of female teams and players. Also how would it work? A lot of the women players could get into a mens team in the league, but then would they be able to play in the women’s international team or would they enter the men’s set up, would there be an England international team anymore? It would completely shift the dimension of the women’s game. 

Eventually it will happen, not in my lifetime, I’m not sure if we are ready for the change yet by a long shot, but if a woman has a trial at a football club and the club think they are good enough, why should they not have the chance of signing for them? I have no idea how the powers that be would need to go about this, but as I say, if they are good enough on merit woman should be able to play in the English Football League?

It is easy to say ‘so and so is good enough to play in a men’s team’ but there is so much more of a bigger picture and the politics and negative impact it would have when the women’s game has come such a long way. It would be crackers to change it for the few players that ‘might get in’. But this is football so nothing would surprise me. 

Thought it would make an interesting discussion. 😊 

Jolly good engagement farming though. 

[CB Fry]

There's still a chance that Cherie Lunghi gets announced as our next manager though, right?

[AlexLaw76]

AFC Totton would easily beat the 'Lionesses" 

[Farmer Saint]

Didn't a depleted Wrexham once play the US women's National team when they were in League 2? The US team were 7-0 down in 19 minutes or something.

[Weston Super Saint]

There's a lot of doubters on this topic, largely based on physicality.

If I may be so bold as to point out Will Smallbone....

[Patches O Houlihan]

Lucy Bronze according to her wikipedia page played in a boys team up north - but only until she was 11:

"Having played football for Belford,^[21] Bronze joined Alnwick Town when young and stayed with them to the under-11 level, but Football Association (FA) rules prevented her from continuing with the boys' team when she turned twelve.^[34] In the Alnwick juniors squad, Bronze was the best player on the team, picking up six "man of the match" awards from eight games; the manager was so intent for her to continue playing when she turned twelve that he helped open a discrimination case against the FA in the hopes they would allow an exception. They did not, but did set a target to support more girls' football teams in rural Northern areas as an alternative solution."

Lauren James also famously played competitively alongside her brother and his mates in informal games. It would seem the FA has done their homework and decided that once boys hit puberty girls can't match them physically.

[Wade Garrett]

38 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Didn't a depleted Wrexham once play the US women's National team when they were in League 2? The US team were 7-0 down in 19 minutes or something.

It was actually a Wrexham Vets team, all over 50 years old.

[Sarnia Cherie]

I love football but common sense says to me that there will never be a time when there will be professional mixed teams. No matter how talented and technically gifted a woman footballer is the physical side will always be a barrier. I watch grassroots football quite a bit and even at that level women would not manage with the speed and physical demands.

Let's celebrate men's and women's football but accept that although playing the same game there are differences that will never be overcome to enable mixed teams playing in professional football. 

[waylander]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

Didn't a depleted Wrexham once play the US women's National team when they were in League 2? The US team were 7-0 down in 19 minutes or something.

 

[Farmer Saint]

10 minutes ago, waylander said:

 

Would have been 15 if it weren't for their keeper.

Edited July 29 by Farmer Saint

[Miltonaggro]

9 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Bet Dale Vince tries it at FGR. Mad as a box of frogs.

Hope so.

[Miltonaggro]

28 minutes ago, waylander said:

 

That's the most entertaining womens football match I've seen so far.  Are Wrexham over 50s planning to play a team of trained chimpanzees next, another sure-fire crowd pleaser - 11-0!

 

[Convict Colony]

10 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

"A lot of talk" from who? I haven't seen it once. She wouldn't be able to play professionally in the men's game and right now she's probably the best women's player in the game, I think she'll win the ballon d'or either this year or next. 

Must be from that great source "Self Delusion Today"

[Patrick Bateman]

3 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Lucy Bronze according to her wikipedia page played in a boys team up north - but only until she was 11:

"Having played football for Belford,^[21] Bronze joined Alnwick Town when young and stayed with them to the under-11 level, but Football Association (FA) rules prevented her from continuing with the boys' team when she turned twelve.^[34] In the Alnwick juniors squad, Bronze was the best player on the team, picking up six "man of the match" awards from eight games; the manager was so intent for her to continue playing when she turned twelve that he helped open a discrimination case against the FA in the hopes they would allow an exception. They did not, but did set a target to support more girls' football teams in rural Northern areas as an alternative solution."

Lauren James also famously played competitively alongside her brother and his mates in informal games. It would seem the FA has done their homework and decided that once boys hit puberty girls can't match them physically.

My son (and his year) are 10/11 - the girls are enormous! One of them (who plays football and is really good) is already about 5'8". But yes, different story in the next couple of years.

[iansums]

There have been many pointless threads on Saintsweb over the years but this one, honestly. 🙃

[lumuah]

The keepers would be better than Bazunu though!

[Marsdinho]

What we are all forgetting is that Chloe Kelly probably would have been our best player last season!

[pingpong]

You cant answer the question by quoting match results, as its not about a whole team of women, just one.

If you look at being a striker in our games last season, all they need to do is run around a bit, and they'll touch the ball 3 or 4 times.  kelly could have done the same job with the ball as archer or onuachu last season, and if we let her take corners, would have contributed as much as any of our front line did. Lauren james would definitely walk into last years team, she has an eye for a pass that noone in the team had.

The risk is that they get their bones broken by the opposition, but just don't go in to tackles, we had plenty of bottle jobs in the team already anyway.

[Crab Lungs]

This shit shouldn’t even come up.

There will likely never be a level playing field where you can splice men and women into the same physical sport. Well, not unless the fellas up their soy intakes considerably.

Let them have their success in their own category - and well done to them. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

15 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

but wouldn’t last 10 minutes in the Wessex League.

Exactly. I watch a lot of Wessex league games as my lad plays in it. A bird would be totally out of her depth, wouldn’t be able to cope with the physicality.
 

As the clown show penalty shootouts showed, birds also lack the mentality & the technique to play anything above pub league level.

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 hour ago, Crab Lungs said:

There will likely never be a level playing field where you can splice men and women into the same physical sport. Well, not unless the fellas up their soy intakes considerably.

I agree with you

But I'm also a petrolhead so I feel obliged to post this

 

Edited July 29 by Patches O Houlihan

[Turkish]

To @Dr Who? point about what the rules are I don’t actually know but we’re just about to go into U13s now and there will only be one girl left playing in that league next season compared to 2 years ago when most teams had 2 or more girls. The best have been picked up by local pro academies a few are in Leeds or Bradford most of the others have moved to girls teams now.

U12s was the first year you notice the girls struggling more. Technically good but some of the boys who have hit puberty are giants now and look a good 3-4 years older. It’s not just the girls though my son son is small and light we have got kids in our team who weight twice as much as him so despite being technically better than most he doesn’t have the size, power or strength to compete like he did 2 years ago. The difference is with boys they’ll eventually catch up and in 2 years it’ll even out again, with girls that isn’t going to happen.

[Miltonaggro]

4 minutes ago, Turkish said:

To @Dr Who? point about what the rules are I don’t actually know but we’re just about to go into U13s now and there will only be one girl left playing in that league next season compared to 2 years ago when most teams had 2 or more girls. The best have been picked up by local pro academies a few are in Leeds or Bradford most of the others have moved to girls teams now.

U12s was the first year you notice the girls struggling more. Technically good but some of the boys who have hit puberty are giants now and look a good 3-4 years older. It’s not just the girls though my son son is small and light we have got kids in our team who weight twice as much as him so despite being technically better than most he doesn’t have the size, power or strength to compete like he did 2 years ago. The difference is with boys they’ll eventually catch up and in 2 years it’ll even out again, with girls that isn’t going to happen.

Exactly right, and common in all physical sports.  On average an adult man has something like 40-80% more maximal force than a woman and between 60-70% in terms of upper body strength.  In contact sport this can be highly dangerous as much as anything else. The boxing pantomime at the last Olympics was a horrific case in point. 

[spyinthesky]

I went along with my uncle a couple of times to watch Saints Ladies when they were a top team in the female game but could only play on public pitches.
Not being unfair to the team at the time, as they were the best in their field and, of course, they were amateurs but the standard was not great.
The move to professionalism has increased the skill levels significantly particularly in the art of goalkeeping which was quite abysmal back in the day.
If any one is interest in the history of ladies football have a look at Dick, Kerr Ladies who played in front of 30-40,000 crowds back in the 1920's until the FA put the mockers on female football.
 

[pingpong]

28 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Exactly right, and common in all physical sports.  On average an adult man has something like 40-80% more maximal force than a woman and between 60-70% in terms of upper body strength.  In contact sport this can be highly dangerous as much as anything else. The boxing pantomime at the last Olympics was a horrific case in point. 

Not that horrific, all the matches were competitive and no-one got injured, it was hardly the Somme.

It was also not a mixed event, despite what any harry potter author may tell you.

I think and hope that one day there will be some mixed sport events, eg in chess, or darts, where women can play safely against men without fear.

 

 

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, pingpong said:

Not that horrific, all the matches were competitive and no-one got injured, it was hardly the Somme.

It was also not a mixed event, despite what any harry potter author may tell you.

I think and hope that one day there will be some mixed sport events, eg in chess, or darts, where women can play safely against men without fear.

 

 

Some of the female darts players I’ve seen would scare the shit out of most blokes anyway. Didnt they have some mixed couples of Bullseye?

[spyinthesky]

3 minutes ago, pingpong said:

Not that horrific, all the matches were competitive and no-one got injured, it was hardly the Somme.

It was also not a mixed event, despite what any harry potter author may tell you.

I think and hope that one day there will be some mixed sport events, eg in chess, or darts, where women can play safely against men without fear.

 

 

Apparently there are 14 Sports were males and females can participate on equal terms.
Sumo wrestling is one that is not included.

[Doctoroncall]

17 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Bet Dale Vince tries it at FGR. Mad as a box of frogs.

He already hired a female coach. Didn’t last long, not sure what the issue was with her departing earlier than her contract. 

[OldNick]

17 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Bet Dale Vince tries it at FGR. Mad as a box of frogs.

Well the ladies dont eat meat and so are bang on right for him

[Miltonaggro]

58 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Some of the female darts players I’ve seen would scare the shit out of most blokes anyway. Didnt they have some mixed couples of Bullseye?

[Toussaint]

I'm a big fan of women, in general

[Dr Who?]

13 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Lucy Bronze according to her wikipedia page played in a boys team up north - but only until she was 11:

"Having played football for Belford,^[21] Bronze joined Alnwick Town when young and stayed with them to the under-11 level, but Football Association (FA) rules prevented her from continuing with the boys' team when she turned twelve.^[34] In the Alnwick juniors squad, Bronze was the best player on the team, picking up six "man of the match" awards from eight games; the manager was so intent for her to continue playing when she turned twelve that he helped open a discrimination case against the FA in the hopes they would allow an exception. They did not, but did set a target to support more girls' football teams in rural Northern areas as an alternative solution."

Lauren James also famously played competitively alongside her brother and his mates in informal games. It would seem the FA has done their homework and decided that once boys hit puberty girls can't match them physically.

My son’s team is now under 15s and still has girls in the teams. But we are op north.