Football Manager - Male seeking Female?

I'm quite the social networker and I sometimes visit the SIGames Community Forums for Football Manager discussion. 

Anyway, I found a Football Manager singles thread (link here, you may need to be a member to see it) and found the below hilarious:

The thread continues with men talking about their frustrations of their significant other's lack of understanding with their love for the game (Football Manager, not football itself!) - and it all just reminds me of something I've had to deal with before, which became the following rant:

It 'ruins lives' apparently and is a silly little dot game. All in good humour of course. 

Now though, the game is a little less sexist - You can be a "female manager" now and there are, apparently, girl players of the game. It is too, a little bit more real - still dots but now a 3D view too, so all the more exciting. 

Of course, I would say that having played the game in its many versions since I was 8. It is true that it ruins lives, relationships and has been cited as a reason for a divorce (apparently)

Looking for a female player of this game must be very rare, and I must say I don't think it'll ever happen for those looking for it. 

Otherwise, it's probably best to lead a 'double life'...

History in the making - Female Manager in a man's game

It would appear, yet again that Football Manager has predicted the future.

The 2009 edition of the long running Sports Interactive series includes the ability to play from the start as a female manager, albeit female managers do not "get jobs" in the game, if I remember correctly.

Still, nevertheless, Donna Powell (pictured) has become the first female manager in the English Conference - taking charge of Fisher Athletic for their game tomorrow. (see article)

It is a great advert for football. Notably some of the games best managers arguably have next to none in terms of real football, top level playing experience. Consider Sven-Goran Eriksson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger to name a few.

While foreign imports have seemed to 'take' over the English game - it is quite an achievement, ground-breaking for a woman to be given the man's job. Still there is an aura that you have to have played in order to manage - look at Roy Keane and Gareth Southgate as two notable examples of ex-international players given the jobs on reputation, that as if playing makes them somehow more qualified.

I would like to point out to the games most successful managers that I have already mentioned - playing the game at a high level is not a pre-requisite. It was only recent this season as well that the first "black English" manager was appointed to the Premier League (Paul Ince of Blackburn). Perhaps most journalists out there have forgotten Jean Tigana of Fulham a few years back?

Race and sex should not be used as discrimination factors when it comes to the Beautiful Game that we so love. Gradually the boundaries are being broken down, but there is still an racism and homophobia prevalent in today's game aimed at players by fans. It is just 11 years ago that Justin Fashanu, the game's first openly gay player, committed suicide because his sexual orientation plagued his career, and a sexual allegation in the US led him to beleive he was presumed guilty, not innocent. I believe it was an ex-manager of his (Brian Clough) who said "I'm not having any poofters in my team" - shocking, considering.

Though it is a great advert for football, let's not be fooled. The game of association football has many fallacies and is far from the "gentlemen's game" which is used to be known as. The RESPECT Campaign, the 'Kick Racism out of Football' Campaign are indicative of this.

Let's hope the press covering Donna's adventure as Fisher Athletic manager treat her for her merits, not any differently because of her gender. Something tells me though, it might not be all that straightforward if results do not go her way.