Will Female Managers Be Treated Differently

Hi,

I have played FM and the earlier CM games for many years and also read and been a member of the forums for a long time too but have not really posted much but just wanted to ask something ...so here goes

I am really pleased that the choice to be a female manager has been included in FM2009, its something I have wondered about for several years. I know there are lots of arguments for and against this as in ''realism'' and ''will it ever really happen'' and ''why is this included when only a small number of females play'' etc etc. I am not posting this thread to start discussions about any of these things but to ask something that could / will affect how a game turns out.

My question is ...... if you choose to play as a female manager ( be it as a real female or a guy wanting to be a female manager ... and please no silly comments lol ) will this affect the gameplay in any way other than being referred to as ''she''. What I mean is, will it be harder to get a job being a ''woman'' or will players / staff act differently towards you than if you were a male manager. Or will it be exactly the same with it just being a ''cosmetic'' addition.

Well ... thats what I wanted to ask...so ... if anyone knows or has anything to add then i look forward to reading the replies

tbh i very much doubt it'll go beyond the different wording of stuff. i'd be very surprised if they are treated differently in-game, and im sure it would cause a hell of a stink on here if they were!

I cannot possibly imagine that the AI would treat a female manager differently than a male. From what SI has said, it's really the language used ("she/her") that is the difference.

i would think that the media would treat you differently in the game. but i dont think the it will affect team matters as such.

I doubt that you'd get either better or worse treatment by the players, other managers, etc, because it would simply be unfair. However, I did notice (it may be a bit of a one-off just to give female players something to joke about) in the early released screenshots that a female manager created by SI in a press conference was given the question (something like) "What do you think about the claims that football is a man's sport?", so there may be a few nods like that in the media.

i think it would be unrealistic if there wasn't lots of stuff about it. If there was a premier league manager who was female then there would be press about it all the time.

I assume there will be lots and would be suprised if it is just the one screenshot worth of female manager stuff in a press conference.

Yes, they're going to actively promote sexism.

Yes, they're going to actively promote sexism.

Indeed. I remember one of the Press Conference screenshots asking something along the lines of "What do you say to the critics who say a woman wont be able to cope with management at this level"

The only difference will be in a change of pronoun. I doubt SI will be making any political statements.

Well, you'll probably have to wash the kit every week and make the teas at half time, but I doubt whether the chairman will give you his credit card and say you can go and spend what you want on whoever you want.

I wonder if technically any player wanting to start as female but "Ex International Footballer" will be as an ex England ladies player or as a Post Op Transexual Male Ex England player?

Apologies for that, couldnt resist!

Seroiusly though its a feature the vast majority will never use, but if one female player uses it and it didnt take so long to program that the game suffered in production then I wholeheartedly support the new feature.

I really doubt it, is Dr Cowie at Spurs treated differently in the game atm? Not that i'm aware of, the only affect this will have is recognising that a user has set their gender to female and changing the text to read appropriately.

I wonder if female managers will have the option of letting the assistant manager handle training as they have stomach cramps

imho, there is no way SI would introduce this, without there being something hidden away....

there is BOUND to be some additional commentary, media questions or whatever, regarding the 'female' gender - possibly some maternity leave option as well, instead of the 'go on holiday'.

i'd say you'd have to be in the game a long time, to get to see the gems they've tucked away - i'm tempted to load the demo as a 'female' manager, just to see what comments come up initially!

I wonder if female managers will have the option of letting the assistant manager handle training as they have stomach cramps

i'm tempted to load the demo as a 'female' manager

Me too, but that's simply because there is a woman deep down inside me screaming to get out.

Thanks for all your replies / comments. I guess we will all have to wait and see. From what I can gather / guess / wonder there is maybe 3 alternatives

1. Everything, except the ''he to she'' text and maybe a few media type questions, being exactly the same for both male or female genders, therefore having no influence on the game as a whole

2. Several things being different depending on your starting gender, in which case it will be a whole new challenge and something that alot of people might want to try as a seperate save.

3. Don't ever try starting as a female manager, in which case you will never know and your game will be exactly the same as all previous versions.

Who cares whether it is realistic to have a female manager. It is no more realistic to have a 15 year old manager, or a welder from Skegness, or me, or anyone else on this forum.

The game won't treat a woman any differently - the girls would just end up going into the game as a male anyway, so that they got equal treatment. That would render the whole function meaningless. Why would SI make the game more appealing to women then subject them to sexism.

I'd like to see news stories like "2 players have been fined for attempting to roast Englands first female manager at the clubs xmas party"

Plenty of players with form

Thanks for all your replies / comments. I guess we will all have to wait and see. From what I can gather / guess / wonder there is maybe 3 alternatives

1. Everything, except the ''he to she'' text and maybe a few media type questions, being exactly the same for both male or female genders, therefore having no influence on the game as a whole

2. Several things being different depending on your starting gender, in which case it will be a whole new challenge and something that alot of people might want to try as a seperate save.

3. Don't ever try starting as a female manager, in which case you will never know and your game will be exactly the same as all previous versions.

gameplay will be EXACTLY the same, it is just additional bits and bobs you would get - the odd bit of commentary/media stuff, and maybe one or two hidden "easter eggs" - if you happen to start as a 'female' manager, i'd have thought!

Who cares whether it is realistic to have a female manager. It is no more realistic to have a 15 year old manager, or a welder from Skegness, or me, or anyone else on this forum.

It's perfectly realistic for the game to have me as a manager though, because I know better than most of the Premiership managers and i'm great I won the CL on FM so I must be good.

intentionally coding sexism into the game ftl

I'm 99.9999% certain that there will be no difference apart from wording.

Female managers should equal the female leagues imo

In one of the screenshots of a female manager, I'm sure I saw someone ask them in a press conference if they feel that they are in a "Man's Game" and you had the ability to say yes or no etc.

Now they've added the ability to be a female manager I fear there may be a backlash from the hermaphrodite community as they are not catered for also.

Now they've added the ability to be a female manager I fear there may be a backlash from the hermaphrodite community as they are not catered for also.

Easy, just use "it" as a way to describe them

In one of the screenshots of a female manager, I'm sure I saw someone ask them in a press conference if they feel that they are in a "Man's Game" and you had the ability to say yes or no etc.

Actually, you could be right. I seem to recall that now you mention it.

doubt it!

should be treated the same- but theres only one way to find out!

So there's no chance of Mike Newell spouting off to the media and repeating his "It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems" verbal diatribe... I bet he was sleeping in the spare room the night after he gave that interview...

Breaking News:

Wenger Doubts (Female Manager X)'s chances of winning the league, but offers her out for dinner

Breaking News:

Wenger Doubts (Female Manager X)'s chances of winning the league, but offers her out for dinner

I thought he only liked 16 year old boys ?

So there's no chance of Mike Newell spouting off to the media and repeating his "It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems" verbal diatribe... I bet he was sleeping in the spare room the night after he gave that interview...

But so much truth spoken.

i think that female manager interaction will only go as far as the press conference at the begining asking what its like to be in a mans game. and the news saying she/her instead of he/him.

i'm definately toying with the idea of using the demo as a trial 'female manager' game, as the gameplay will no doubt be exactly the same!

in fact my manager(ess) will be named "Babs Calhoun", unless I can think of something better.

or possibly "Heidi Salami".

So there's no chance of Mike Newell spouting off to the media and repeating his "It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems" verbal diatribe... I bet he was sleeping in the spare room the night after he gave that interview...

nah i'm pretty sure he's gay. It's the only explanation!

you might have a few player reaction differences, i.e. "John Smith - unsure that a female manager is the right way forward for the team" etc, something a bit minor, but still indicative of possibility

News FM:

"Mrs Lee, the chairman of the club has made some public comments about the performance of the team not being as good as it was expected. He has set up a meeting for you and him at his office tomorrow night. It is up to you to concvince him that he should keep you on the job."

News FM:

"Mrs Lee, the chairman of the club has made some public comments about the performance of the team not being as good as it was expected. He has set up a meeting for you and him at his office tomorrow night. It is up to you to concvince him that he should keep you on the job."

a quite appropriate turn of phrase!

Seriously... you think a multinational corportation like Sega, or SI for that matter, would give the "okay" to include langauge in their game that could even be confused for sexism, innuendo, or the like? I predict this new feature is really, really limited.

I thought he only liked 16 year old boys ?

You should be very careful about what you post on an Internet forum.

From what I have read about the female manager option the only difference is a few media options and you have a several new positions to motivate players during half time team talks.

What like they can offer bj's to the players if they win

Somethin like that, I meant options not positions of course!

I just hope if i start as a male manager that i wont see 2-years into game where "Jane Doe" is being appointed as new Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U or whatever manager. That would suck so bad....