HER GAME TOO SUPPORTS IMPACTFUL #KICKSEXISMOUT FILM

By Faye Hackwell

“You wouldn’t say no though, would you?” 

It’s a phrase that’s often bandied around as banter, but when Ellie Molloson leaned across the male actor sat next to her to deliver the line she felt deeply uncomfortable - even as an actress, playing the part of a ‘sexist and derogatory woman’ to raise awareness of the #KickSexismOut campaign. 

“Saying it as part of a script was bad enough, but how anyone can say that and genuinely believe it’s funny is mindblowing to me,” she said. 

Nottingham Forest fan Ellie was one of a large group of Her Game Too Ambassadors to take part in the filming of Kick It Out’s attention-grabbing new campaign video, which has had a powerful impact since its release on social media a week ago. 

The film tells the story of a male football fan attending a match and illustrates unpleasant elements of his day that female fans often report experiencing at games, including comments about how men can’t know about women’s football, unwelcome physical contact and the use of sexist language towards men.

Her Game Too’s Millwall Ambassador Jane Jeffery also volunteered as an extra in the filming and her role involved a prolonged touch of the male fan’s waist as he passed her to get to his seat - something she and many other female fans have been subjected to by men at football games. 

She said: “I was contacted early on about playing a part, so I had seen the script in order to agree my part.  

“Having attended football for years around men, I was well aware of the inappropriate squeeze and extra touch that, as women, we often experience, so I knew exactly what I needed to do.  

“However, being a woman of a certain age taking advantage of a young man felt wrong, so I had to remind myself that he was a consenting actor and I was not doing it for the same reason the men who have done it to me have done it.” 

Jane attended the film’s launch event in London last Wednesday and is pleased the film has brought the issue to people’s attention. 

“It’s a start in highlighting behaviour and encouraging a conversation about it; it won’t fix it and there is a long road ahead, but the problem of violence towards women and girls and sexism in football grounds is being tackled with women’s voices at the front.  

“I am proud to be a small voice in that big noise and proud of the multiple organisations working together to change football for the better.” 

Her Game Too also supported Kick It Out’s creative process in developing ideas for the film’s content and script, while also helping to source extras for the filming from the campaign’s network of supporters, including the linesman who was targeted with misogynistic comments in the film. 

The Her Game Too team at the #KickSexismOut filming day

 Caz May, Founder of Her Game Too, took part in a brainstorming session with Kick It Out to contribute common experiences received by Her Game Too’s reporting line that could feature in the film. 

She said: “They had the bulk of the idea in place and we bounced ideas back and forth to develop it further using the real-life experiences of women who attend games.” 

Priyanka Jasraj, Her Game Too’s Aston Villa Ambassador, also took part in the filming and was invited to be part of a panel of guests at the #KickSexismOut film launch, alongside Kick It Out’s COO Hollie Varney, retired footballer Wes Morgan and Catherine Clinton, who is a hate crime officer for West Midlands Police. 

The panel was hosted by football reporter and presenter Bianca Westwood, and Priyanka was asked questions about why she supported #KickSexismOut, her personal experiences of attending football and posting about the game on social media and what she would like to see happen to tackle sexism and misogyny in football. 

She said: “I think it’s all well and good being able to explain to people how it feels being a woman going to men’s football, but the cleverness of the film’s narrative to allow men to resonate with it in a different light is what makes it so special. 

“I’ve got incredible male allies around me who are very supportive of what I do and I know will unquestionably have my back, but for them to be able to see things in a different light - that hits home a bit harder.” 

At the launch event, Priyanka was interviewed by Sky Sports about volunteering for Her Game Too and she spoke about how the campaign’s partnership work with football clubs and other organisations to try to eradicate sexism and misogyny in sport. 

“I spoke about how Her Game Too doesn’t get enough credit for the rise there has been in reports and the changes that Her Game Too has facilitated in football for women and girls; because even though we don’t want there to be an increase in the reports we’re seeing, it’s actually a good thing that more and more people do feel comfortable to come forward and that’s a consequence of the campaigning that Her Game Too has done.” 

If you experience or witness sexism and misogyny in sport, tell us about it using the Her Game Too reporting line: hergametoo.co.uk/report