The final round of the Women’s League will take place on Friday this year.
It has caused a lot of outrage among the fan groups of several clubs, who are now moving to bring about change.
– I think this is a scandal. We’re going to court to change this, says Simon Sandstrom, a committed Hammarby supporter.
“No matter how you twist and turn, there’s usually someone who isn’t satisfied,” answers Victoria Gillen who is the commercial director at Elitfotboll Dam.
For the first time ever, the Women’s League will be decided on a weekday.
The final round will take place on Friday 4 November at 18.00.
– From the start, it was set on Sunday, the same day the men’s league ends. It’s not very good for the interest of the women’s league or the fans who have to choose, because we have some clubs with women’s teams and men’s teams in the first league. We want to have our special day where we can be seen with an exciting ending to the season, says Victoria Gillen, Commercial Director at Elitfotboll Dam.
And Saturday?
– Then it is the super that ends. Then there was a clash at Grimsta with the BP men’s team.
Superetta in the future?
– They don’t want to move, no.
Rally for change
The announcement caused frustration and anger among supporters. So a committed Hammarby supporter, Simon Sandstrom, has mobilized several groups of supporters in the Women’s League and is now planning to fight for change.
– There will be a pro campaign hell now. We won’t have it on Friday. He says we will go into the tiles to change this.
The Supertans should never be allowed to dictate the terms of the women’s league. I think it’s a scandal that the women’s league is being moved to Friday. When we have one of the best women’s leagues in the world, a trash league like the Super Eta should be allowed to take the lead in choosing the day. I just think it’s hypocrisy. They are just trying to find excuses. The women’s league never ended any day of the week.
Possible gold matches
Sandström brought many supporting associations on the train. The Lions, who support Linkoping, are eyeing a possible gold match in the final round. LFC meets Örebro away.
We have some of the staunch fanatics who say they can’t go if that time comes. We want to have a dialogue where fans are included in the discussion about when the match will be. Our opinion is important. We can’t have an empty platform and think it’s going to be a hit on TV when it’s empty. The audience in the squares is part of the experience. Then you have to create the conditions for the teams to get more spectators in the stands, says Emma Holmquist, Lions vice president.
The supporting organization MalmöIPerna is also desperate about the current start time. He also finished series leader FC Rosengård, Brommapojkarna in Stockholm.
– That they put it this time. She says it’s worth less. It’s easy to say nothing can be done about it, but they chose to do it this way. All the time we put it … then you are answered. I thought we were on our way forward, says Anna Blixt, co-founder of MalmöIPerna.
“Puzzle to assemble”
Simon Sandstrom is happy that so many people are taking a stand and have no plans to accept the current situation.
– This is very much a matter of equality. They didn’t even dare to think about putting on the last round of the men’s league on Friday. Had they done that, there would have been a cry. Don’t think like that when it comes to ladies. You think there will be no reactions, but now they will have to look at something else. I can promise you that.
Viktoria Gelin at EFD again:
– That’s with the schedule so hard… No matter which way you spin it, there’s usually someone who isn’t satisfied. It is an assembled puzzle. We chose here to have our special day, and that was the most important thing.
Is there a perception by many that broadcasting companies are the ones who control a lot?
– I understand that you can often refer to it like this, because they clearly have a lot of power. But I have to say we have a streaming company that has a plan and a basic idea, they are very responsive. We have a common goal to highlight women’s football. We work closely and they listen a lot.
