Bite-size Turkish Delight...

Momentous Occasion: The 'other' sex 

Tuesday 20th September; a day where the Turkish footballing world was put into a state of shock after yet another 'crowd abuse' headline broke free and chained Turkish Sport yet again to the rail of poor discipline at the hands of current Turkish Super Lig Champions, Fenerbahce. However, for pretty much the first time in history, the context of the headline was perceived in many respectable circles as 'positive'...
  Yes, a positively received football headline revolving around the subject of hooliganism.  The headline itself, came courtesy of the Turkish F.A, after they sensationally announced that the Fenerbahce versus Manisaspor  fixture would be open only to women and children.The amazing revelation was uncovered after Fenerbahce appealed against an initial decision to enforce a 'behind closed doors' rule for two home games. After considering the appeal, the Turkish equivalent of our own F.A decided against their initial ruling, instead deciding to exploit the diversity of fan base at the club. In a still mainly male dominated sport such as Football,

  Not only was the shocking move, errrr: shocking, but it was a success; 41,000 alternative fans turned out for the match. A figure just a tad under the 41,500 average attendance that the club enjoys on a game to game basis. In the grand scheme of things, the match was a great day for Football, with the Turkish club becoming representatives metaphorically for global football, and projecting the image of a much more diverse array of the sexuality and age of fans/supporters of the game, then what maybe be more commonly perceived in the eye of the mass media or your average 'Joe Bloggs' off of any street.
  I personally took this decision by the Turkish F.A as a hugely significant one; surely it's one that signals and solidifies the shift from the traditional, stubborn view of football being 'male only', and supports the growth in Women's football, the fastest growing sport currently in the world.  It speaks volumes about the generic 3pm kick off around this country in particular, no longer being conventionally about the husbands escape from domestic reality or the teenage lad's big day out, but maybe more of an event catering for the 'family together' experience that has, is, and always will be at the very forefront of the majority of any form of family in our society and culture.

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