Victoria Pendleton

I fucking wish. I doubt I'm alone.

"You Are Not Alone"

Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone

'Lone, 'lone
Why, 'lone

Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

You are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone...

"You Are Not Alone"

Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone

'Lone, 'lone
Why, 'lone

Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

You are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone...

Is that what you sing to your teddy? :P

I feel rather sad about this (especially the gold medallist who's now building the velodrome for 2012), and also kind of outraged on their behalf, as I am on behalf of the women I know who play / have played on the England football and rugby teams, and never made enough money out of it to give up their day jobs. Ridiculous when you think how much male footballers are paid.

It's not going to change in a hurry--most people have very superficial perceptions of gender roles and stereotype people. Put very crudely, men are supposed to be strong, but not beautiful, and women are supposed to be beautiful, but not strong. So you get very highly-paid male athletes, because they conform to the stereotype of being strong, and less highly-paid male models--and vice versa for women.

If people looked beyond their perception of gender more, they'd realise that it's a pretty superficial thing, and there are competitive women who make great athletes, and completely un-athletic men, all of whom have a lot to contribute to society.

But, as I said, it's not going to change very quickly, this. :(

It's not going to change in a hurry--most people have very superficial perceptions of gender roles and stereotype people. Put very crudely, men are supposed to be strong, but not beautiful, and women are supposed to be beautiful, but not strong. So you get very highly-paid male athletes, because they conform to the stereotype of being strong, and less highly-paid male models--and vice versa for women.

If people looked beyond their perception of gender more, they'd realise that it's a pretty superficial thing, and there are competitive women who make great athletes, and completely un-athletic men, all of whom have a lot to contribute to society.

But, as I said, it's not going to change very quickly, this. :(

And people say we no longer live in a sexist society.

thumps table impotently

no, not sort of, definately!

Can I have your bikes then?

And people say we no longer live in a sexist society.

thumps table impotently

Don't worry your pretty little head about that. Smile pussycat, I'll speak to the guys and sort it out!

ducks

I feel rather sad about this (especially the gold medallist who's now building the velodrome for 2012), and also kind of outraged on their behalf, as I am on behalf of the women I know who play / have played on the England football and rugby teams, and never made enough money out of it to give up their day jobs. Ridiculous when you think how much male footballers are paid.

That's only because people want to watch men playing football and not women.

That's only because people want to watch men playing football and not women.

True. Though I have heard one or two reports that women's football is now like men's football used to be before the egos and the money got involved - women don't get sucked into the fame and fortune; they play football because they genuinely love the game. Apparently some of them are a lot more skilled and innovative than the men.

But of course, no one knows, because no one will ever bother to watch them. Unfortunately, female footballers and rugby players aren't as pretty-pretty as ...oh, I don't know. Tennis players and gymnasts. And cyclists.

And, bizarrely, about 90% of female pro footballers are lesbians. No one has yet come up with a satisfactory theory as to why. (Though I reckon you lot will probably have a go... Hee hee.)

And, bizarrely, about 90% of female pro footballers are lesbians. No one has yet come up with a satisfactory theory as to why. (Though I reckon you lot will probably have a go... Hee hee.)

The obvious theories are, er, obvious. So obvious that they don't need enumerating here. A 'satisfactory' theory, on the other hand, would, by definition, have to satisfy somebody, and for every person satisfied by any one theory, there will be ten more dissatisfied by same, rendering the theory unsatisfactory. It simply isn't a phenomenon susceptible to a universal explanation

True. Though I have heard one or two reports that women's football is now like men's football used to be before the egos and the money got involved - women don't get sucked into the fame and fortune; they play football because they genuinely love the game. **Apparently some of them are a lot more skilled and innovative than the men.
**
But of course, no one knows, because no one will ever bother to watch them. Unfortunately, female footballers and rugby players aren't as pretty-pretty as ...oh, I don't know. Tennis players and gymnasts. And cyclists.

And, bizarrely, about 90% of female pro footballers are lesbians. No one has yet come up with a satisfactory theory as to why. (Though I reckon you lot will probably have a go... Hee hee.)

I have to disagree there, skill is skill. Men's football doesn't discriminate against women, that is to say, there is no rule that says a woman can't play in the mens game it's just that it's not often they find a woman strong enough to compete.

It does happen though, an italian team signed a woman a while ago (february??) and perugia in 2003 (see below). Some dickheads slated it as a gimmick but she was good enough to play and they let her.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200311100009

I think they have a few women golfers to in the mens tournaments and do very well.

I think they have a few women golfers to in the mens tournaments and do very** badly**.

Fixed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Wie#Poor_performance_in_men.27s_events

I have to disagree there, skill is skill. Men's football doesn't discriminate against women, that is to say, there is no rule that says a woman can't play in the mens game it's just that it's not often they find a woman strong enough to compete.

It does happen though, an italian team signed a woman a while ago (february??) and perugia in 2003 (see below). Some dickheads slated it as a gimmick but she was good enough to play and they let her.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200311100009

I think they have a few women golfers to in the mens tournaments and do very well.

I don't think 'not often finding a woman strong enough to compete' is the reason there aren't more women playing on men's premiere league teams. This would imply that the teams are actively recruiting from among men and women, and that they only ever find men who meet their standards.

And the article actually points out that most European nations (including the UK) banned mixed-gender football over two decades ago, so there is a rule that says a woman can't play in the men's game.

(Please note though, I'm not remotely qualified to comment on the relative skill levels of men's and women's football - I'm just repeating things I've heard.)

Actually, I'd love to see what would happen if a top men's football team took on a top women's team. Does anyone know whether this has ever been done?

Actually, I'd love to see what would happen if a top men's football team took on a top women's team. Does anyone know whether this has ever been done?

I'm fairly sure the men's team would win really convincingly.

Actually, I'd love to see what would happen if a top men's football team took on a top women's team. Does anyone know whether this has ever been done?
#

Us women would win if we are allowed to kick them in the nads

why can't men play on women's teams?
it's not fair we are excluded from synchronised swimming and netball.

I have to disagree there, skill is skill. Men's football doesn't discriminate against women, that is to say, there is no rule that says a woman can't play in the mens game it's just that it's not often they find a woman strong enough to compete.

It does happen though, an italian team signed a woman a while ago (february??) and perugia in 2003 (see below). Some dickheads slated it as a gimmick but she was good enough to play and they let her.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200311100009

I think they have a few women golfers to in the mens tournaments and do very well.

I wonder why.

"Over the past 18 months he has been responsible for signing Saadi Gaddafi, son of the sometime philosopher and full-time Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi; sacking a South Korean player for having the temerity to score against the Italian national team; and hiring the disgraced drug-cheat Ben Johnson to teach his players how to sprint"

I don't know about football, but it has been said by people who know (of both genders) that any male tennis player with an ATP rank in the top 1000 (one thousand) could be expected to beat the highest ranked female. I'd expect the ladies to rank a bit higher in football where skill is more of a factor, as opposed to tennis where pure size and power are a bigger factor, but I wouldn't bet on [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_Ladies]Arsenal Ladies[/ame] beating Dagenham & Redbridge, a fourth tier club.

I think it boils down to the fact that most girls don't necessarily play football from a young age. All Male professional footballers have considerable talent and spend most of their lives playing football. I could be wrong but I don't think this is as common with girls.

Actually, I'd love to see what would happen if a top men's football team took on a top women's team. Does anyone know whether this has ever been done?

speaking of that, I really really want to see the Tour De France being completed by both sexes.

speaking of that, I really really want to see the Tour De France being completed by both sexes.

They have the womens tour de france, emma poley won it this year.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Boucle[/ame]

They couldnt get into the mens tour though, there's a big discrepancy in power values.

Stamina wise men and women are equal, infact some physiologists claim womens bodies are better suited to ultra endurance, something to do with fat metabolism + storage apparently.

They have the womens tour de france, emma poley won it this year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Boucle

They couldnt get into the mens tour though, there's a big discrepancy in power values.

Stamina wise men and women are equal, infact some physiologists claim womens bodies are better suited to ultra endurance, something to do with fat metabolism + storage apparently.

Yes, people always cite the Grande Boucle - but how many normal people have heard of that? And it gets zero mainstream media coverage. I didn't even know Emma Pooley had won it! Honestly, a British woman wins the equivalent of the TdF and nobody bothers to report it - a British man comes fourth in le Tour and we're all falling over ourselves. (It was the same back when Nicole Cooke won it.)

And why couldn't women ride the same course as the men, on the same days, perhaps starting an hour later or something? Would that cause any logistical problems? (Genuine question - I haven't really thought this through before.)

Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation - barriers to women's participation

Those guys do good work, my organisation has done some stuff with them. The stuff on that factsheet is all pretty obvious but I think a lot of people forget that there are loads of different barriers at the same time.... it's not just a case of lack of female role models, or lack of media coverage, or the stuff about needing to conform to traditional gender stereotypes... it's EVERYTHING.

The body image thing is pretty major, it stops a ridiculous percentage of teenage girls partaking in sports and a lot of them just don't start again.

The body image thing is pretty major, it stops a ridiculous percentage of teenage girls partaking in sports and a lot of them just don't start again.

You can see that when we go on rides it's usually about one women for every ten men. Once we cycled past a running club on a Saturday run and it was almost 50/50. I guess cycling has the reputation to give you massive legs and running has the reputation to make you slender... I can't verify either but it is a bit sad anyway.

I think that the dedication and success shown by our Olympians should carry a greater reward then just the tag "gold". One day these people will not be able to compete and win and as stated "a paper round and a gold medal" dosen't fill a CV. A healthy retiremen fund is something we really all should work towards (don't count on the government, in 10 years there will be no such thing as a state pension).
I understand the way the world works, I just think its wrong. A bloke gets £100K PER WEEK for kicking a bag of air around yet folks like VP are skint.
I don't see VP as fame hungry, more wanting the just rewards for the kind of effort most of us are not willing or unable to make. And yes I accept that doing what you love for a living must be wonderful; Its just that it doesn't appear to be a living.