Sunday 10 March 2019 12:29, UK
Should men's and women's players be paid the same? The Sunday Supplement panel discuss the legal action taken by the US women's team.
Players for the US women's national team have filed a federal class-action lawsuit seeking equal pay to their male counterparts.
The players allege they have been subject to ongoing institutionalised gender discrimination, including unequal pay, despite having the same job responsibilities as the men's national players.
Speaking on Sunday Supplement, New York Times' chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith welcomed the action taken by the US team, believing equal pay, at international level especially, is a must.
"It is a really important issue," Smith said. "It is not just about receiving equal pay, but equal working conditions, travel, training pitches. That is crucial to it as well.
"They want it equalised so that when they play for their country, they get the same as men, and that, I think, makes perfect sense. They are both playing for the United States, they are both doing the same job, they should receive the same money for that job, and that is fundamental to equality.
"If you take two players that play for Manchester United's men's and women's teams, the men's team attracts bigger crowds, attracts bigger audiences, or sells more shirts. You could make a freemarket argument that the men's players are worth more to that team than the women's players, purely on a capitalistic purpose.
"I don't know if that seems right to me, as it is a complicated subject, but in case of the national team it is much more straight forward. They are employed by the same person, and do the same job.
"If you look at some of the teams that will be in the World Cup this summer, some of the treatment they receive is appalling. If you look at Argentina the facilities that are available to the women are pathetic. They aren't paid at all I don't think, they often have to arrange their own travel, they are not treated like elite athletes.
"Part of the benefit from this US women's case is it will try to encourage a basic form of respect that is afforded to the women's teams that isn't always there.
"I think the [English] FA probably do a good job compared to other federations around the world, and it is for these other federations to see that these are equally significant representative sides of their country to treat women with that respect."
The Sunday Times' Jonathan Northcroft envisages major change on the horizon, too.
"I reported on England women in tournaments and they do so much press and PR, selling the women's game, and the US women's team have been the leaders in the women's game for a long, long time," Northcroft said. "I have campaigned about this since 2016.
"One of the things Phil Neville did when he came in [as England coach] was to insist on business class travel for his team, as there was a big difference between how men's and women's team travel. There are little things to be picked at. The international game can set an example on gender pay.
"I would be amazed in four or five years to come if all nations are not paying men and women the same."
Phil Neville's role earned the praise of the Mail on Sunday's Rob Draper, who believes the example set for the next generation is equally as important.
"It is also really important signalling to daughters and young women in general that if you treat people differently, then that effects self esteem," Draper added.
"It is really important that authorities in football show that there is equality here, there isn't at the moment. At some point there is going to be a drive to be central pot to be distributed equally between the men and the women, and if a country was going to drive that it was going to be America, because the women's team have been a driver where the men's team haven't.
"The women's team have won the world cup, they have the superstars, they are the drivers of football in their country."
