@Klausie, Quincy
Arsenal are different because I have an emotional connection. I will watch and care at whatever level they play at. To a much lesser extent, I enjoyed occasionally watching Leyton Orient, my local team until I moved to Surrey. Even then that was mostly predicated on being at the game and getting into the atmosphere. And I think that's true of the people you're talking about that scoff at women's football but lap up their crap local team: There's an emotional connection that makes the standard irrelevant.
And that leads me on to an interesting discussion my partner had with a friend of mine recently. He says he wouldn't watch a second of women's football because it's crap and not football. This is a guy that bangs on about the magic of the FA Cup, plays for the reserves of a woeful weekend team, can't personally kick a ball himself, but goes down to watch them play even when he doesn't get in their squad--which is often. He'd gladly watch any standard of football televised as long as it is English.
My partner says he's just sexist and can't bare women playing football, encroaching, as a man, on his domain. He says it's just preference and not sexist at all. He argues he doesn't like Italian football because of the lack of atmosphere and slower speed or La Liga "because of the cheating." And that is exactly the same case as not liking women's football.
I obviously think he's full of shit, and is clearly not okay with women playing or being part of football. If you watch rubbish football for the football then something else is driving you when you refuse to even engage with women's football.
Regarding youth football, again, Arsenal anchor my interest there and do generally with football. I watch because I want to see something special, to see a genuine talent emerge. It's exciting and fun to watch them develop. I'm always hoping they'll end up in Arsenal's first team though. I'm very much viewing through that lens. And the only change in any youth football I've watched is shortening the game to 80 minutes. I'm pretty sure at Arsenal even under 16 is full size pitch and goals.
On the money side: Why should Arsenal football club take money that is generated by the mens' team and invest that into the womens' team? Why is incumbent on them to do so?
When the club invest in youth sides it is with a view to imrpoving the first team. So it's money generated by the men's team spent to hopefully benefit the men's team.
Would you make the same argument if Arsenal started a basketball team, for example?
