Thursday afternoon saw the announcement from Leeds United that they had partnered with the Her Game Too initiative.
Twelve women decided that enough was enough after years of being abused just by going to a game of football, and their social media call to action certainly chimed with others.
Clubs right across the English football pyramid have aligned themselves with the movement, with Leeds the latest to do so.
What’s interesting, however, is this seems to be a complete about turn from the Elland Road outfit.
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Just over a year ago, Karen Carney was a pundit on TV for a Leeds game, and she was widely mocked by Leeds fans on social media after a tweet from the official Leeds Twitter account regarding her punditry.
? #LUFC announce partnership with @HerGameToo, which aims to raise awareness on sexist abuse within football
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 17, 2022
Although the club came out to condemn the abuse that Carney received as a result, per The Guardian, the damage was done and she had to delete her social media accounts as a result.
It’s all very well Leeds partnering with Her Game Too, proudly announcing it on their official website, but is it just paying lip service?
Are they trying to paper over what went before to change the narrative that, actually, their club and its supporters hold one and the same viewpoint?
Trying to jump on the bandwagon won’t wash. Actions speak louder than words.
Shoddy reporting and a very poor clickbate article.
If you are determined to write about any football team you should do your research first. The efforts made by the senior management at Leeds United before and after the Karen Carney incident far outweigh the unfair abuse she received by a small percentage of fans who claim to follow Leeds.
What should the club do? Not sign the deal because they may be accused by some gutter press of being hypocrites or instead move forward in the best interests of the game.