So the Queen released her list of honours which included the likes of Kylie Minogue, as well as Ian McKellen and Michael Parkinson, all of whom have contributed to the entertainment industries in various ways. As a sports fan I tend to look out to see who was honoured in the world of football, we all remember Alex Ferguson being knighted after winning the treble in 1999. Bobby Robson has also had this honour and they join the list which includes world cup heroes Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst. Even the likes of Les Ferdinand, who was capped 17 times for England’s national team have been given MBE’s in the past.

So I have to ask the question, where oh where is the well over due honour for Vik Akers? Who you ask? For those of you who don’t know he is the manager of the football team that has won the league for four years in a row, the cup three years in a row (yes, that makes three doubles in a row) as well as the European Cup last year and are to play the final again later this month!!!

Yes, you read that right, he manages a team that has completed three doubles in a row and may well do their second treble later this month – but no honour for him – why?

Could it be that he manages a women’s team? The Arsenal Ladies to be exact. A team with unequalled success and quality internationals all over the park.

It seems disgraceful to me that he has been passed over once again, who else has the kind of record he has, a link to the full list is here.

Is the Queen sexist or is women’s football so overlooked that these achievements count for little. I fear it may be the latter.

It’s about time that women’s football got it’s just desserts. The BBC does show the FA Cup Final and a few other matches and the new Arsenal TV shows the women’s games but in general they are totally overlooked by the wider press. When Charlton Athletic were relegated from the premiership they threatened to pull funding to the women’s game altogether and scrap the team totally – this would have been a disaster as the Charlton Ladies are one of the best teams along with the likes of Leeds and their loss would have been greatly felt.

It’s about time we got behind the women’s teams and gave them the support they so richly deserve.

Edit

Am delighted to say that two of the Arsenal ladies have been included in the Queens honors list this year, see here for details.

“England star Kelly Smith has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of her services to women’s football.”

and

“Scotland captain Julie Fleeting has also been made an MBE in recognition of her services to the women’s game.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

No related posts.