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by Caroline Elwood-Stokes (Author)
I was privileged to be able to interview Keith Boanas, ex-manager of the Estonia women's national football team, now president of Surrey Coaches Association UK, replacing the late Sir Bobby Robson. Me: Did Women's Football go so wrong? or are women partly to blame for the lack of equality? After all, women were never banned from playing, they were only stopped from playing on FA approved fields. Keith: Answer to this first point is contentious as it's a different era and we could be talking about multiple sports not just football. True women were not banned from playing and in fact did continue to play and they played for the reason most people and kids let alone women played the game, simply because they loved to play. My own wife who you know very well, was and still is one of the most passionate ever to play the game in England. She like so many paid to play and was happy too. Sacrificed a complete social life and that included weddings and family christenings to play. It's a cliché but imagine what salary she might command now and that is the only thing we wonder about, but if you ask her, she would not change anything. She loved her time playing the game the players she played alongside for club and country with tremendous pride. Was it ever about money? Absolutely not but did they deserve to at minimum at least get expenses if not more of course they did. Also, the players from those eras are the ones that broke the ground for the players who are reaping those benefits today and maybe deserve more recognition for that. But she is not bitter. Like any equality issues in any environment, culture or profession or sport, someone must kickstart the changes. That has happened now it's about the way forward and the speed in which it moves.
