Female fans of men's football: a case study in Denmark

Football is an invention by men for men, and today, the majority of players and fans are men. There is an abundance of literature on football and fandom; however, gender is mostly not an issue in these publications. Research about female football supporters and fans is very limited. This is also true for Denmark, the country, which is the focus of this article. Based on gender and socialization theories, this contribution addresses women and their (lack of) interest in men’s football. The main questions refer to the numbers of female supporters and their patterns of football consumption. The sources of information are reader and user data of mass media, results of surveys about the habits of the Danish population and the results of an interview study with female fans. A specific focus of this article is on the minority of female supporters who attend football games. How do they adapt to a ‘man’s world’ and what are their roles in this ‘male environment’? The statements of interviewees revealed that female fans have to cope with a measure of sexism, but that they can adopt the men’s perspectives in order to be accepted as ‘authentic fans’. Other women reacted on men’s domination in the football stadium by founding a women only fan group that allows them to find their own way to be women and fans.