Steph Houghton Quotes

Just normalising the idea of women playing football is a massive part of what we need to do.

Women's sports is still in its infancy. The beginning of women's sports in the United States started in 1972, with the passage of Title 9 for girls to finally get athletic scholarships.

But the reason that women's football is still unknown is because it's not on television and not widely publicised for a wide majority of the leagues in the world.

Women's tennis has been around for a very long time - we're talking about the 1800s. But women's soccer hasn't had such a long history, so now they're right at the beginning of really trying to make things equal. We need to continue not only to advocate for women but to have men advocating for women.

When I was in the indies, the guys would be like, 'Ugh, a women's match. I'm not gonna watch that.' And to come back here, at every single Live Event to have a guy come up to you and say, 'That was amazing,' I feel so accomplished.

What is best to hope for and what everyone is working towards is to elevate the quality of women's sport and to bring it to a level where it is seen as something that is very entertaining, something to be admired, to be looked up to, to put it in that level playing field as a product to be sold equal to the men.

I think it's important that we try to showcase what we're about as women footballers.

It's all well and good having a women's Tour de France - which I think we need and I think we should have. But I think we should slowly build it in and not just go 'Bam!' with three weeks over the same course and same length of time as the men's.

It is a time for women's tennis to return to the light, as it were, and be on a par with men's tennis, which is at a very high level.

When it comes to women, there has been a tendency to define women in sports in the context of their relationships - they watch games because their husbands watch. They're interested because their kids play a sport. They buy tickets to a sporting event because it's a way to spend time with family.

Clearly, those of us women who play football wish that there was more coverage.

Gender equality cannot be achieved by cutting programs that allow girls to get the same chance to compete, learn, and play. The United States has had a solid history of commitment to its female athletes and expanding opportunity for women, and it is imperative that we continue on this path.

You know, I think more people should watch women's basketball. It'd do so much for the game.

For women's football in this country, it's important we do play in the best stadiums, and for me, Wembley is the best in this country.

Women's football will always be different from men's football, but that doesn't mean you cannot still appreciate it. OK, so it might be a bit slower than the men's game, but then League Two football is slower than the Champions League, and it doesn't stop people turning out to see their local teams.

There has been a positive change with people being aware about women's cricket of late. It's still far from what it needs to be, but women are slowly getting the right recognition for this game.

It's a dream that we, as women footballers, get to play in the same stadium as the men.

I'm proud to say that, leading by example, I've tried from day one to help recalibrate views of women in the world of football.

At Arsenal, we train for about two hours a day and are treated just the same as the men. It makes a big difference, and it gives young girls something to aim for.

Just having the support from the male players is important as the women's game moves forward.

I've proved I'm in love with the women's game, and I think the quality is unbelievable.

I think maybe it's too bad that our society isn't further along and this is such a big deal. I think it's time...that people realize that women in this country can do any job they want to do.

It is the woman who controls the whole house...it's her job, that's what she's supposed to do...We have to change this idea that women are not only supposed to work in the house...but she also has the ability to go outside and do business, to be a doctor, to be a teacher, to be an engineer, she should be allowed to have any job she likes. She should be treated equally, as men are.

There is no door at which the hand of woman has knocked for admission into a new field of toil but there have been found on the other side the hands of strong and generous men eager to turn it for her, almost before she knocks.

Since the beginning of time, women have had to fight for what they deserve. I'm proud to be a part of a wave of strong women on TV!