Sports

Steph Houghton spoke from the heart – why have people been so quick to judge or condemn?

Published

3 weeks ago

November 9, 2024

Steph Houghton spoke from the heart – why have people been so quick to judge or condemn?

It feels like we’ve seen more of Steph Houghton since she’s retired. Not literally — although maybe her burgeoning media career means she is more visible to rival fans who would only glimpse her twice a season — but in a deeper, more human sense.

Houghton’s interactions with the media were always cordial and insightful, but you got the sense there was more under the surface.

In recent months, Houghton has emerged from her shell to become a more candid, forthright voice. Consequently, it’s easier to glimpse the leader who not only represented Manchester City and England with distinction but transformed the women’s game along the way.

Even more so in her memoir, Leading From The Back: My Journey to the Top of Women’s Football, out this week. In it, Houghton lays bare her role as off-field leader, chiefly in her negotiations with the Football Association over contracts and bonuses.

Houghton’s England teams had it better than their predecessors but did not have the luxury, for instance, of direct or business class flights home from the World Cup in Canada in 2015, where they won bronze. They played in the Women’s Super League (WSL) four days later. The most moving chapters are on Houghton’s husband, the former footballer Stephen Darby, and his 2018 motor neurone disease diagnosis, of plans derailed and a player forced to choose between family and football.

There is doubtless a vulnerability and discomfort in drawing back the curtain, if a catharsis, too. As Houghton put it to Ian Wright on Crossways, their shared podcast, she wanted the book to be raw and real. “Sometimes people just see us as footballers, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes,” she said.

This brings us to Houghton’s interview with the Guardian about the end of her England career — and, moreover, the backlash. Those who felt Houghton had spoken out of turn, and came across as entitled or bitter, were quick to let her know. (I wonder how many are newer fans of the women’s game and, unfamiliar with her career, have only ever seen Houghton in this light.)

Houghton had received a similar response to a Daily Mail interview before the 2023 World Cup. She detailed the pressure she had put on herself and how hard it had been to justify that dedication when Darby had fallen at home and been rushed to hospital while she was on the bench for a game at Aston Villa.

Houghton’s response on Friday’s podcast was to hope that people would read her feelings in their full context, in her book. Only then will they truly understand her side of the story.

I have read it. I don’t think she came across as entitled or bitter. Rather, as Houghton told of the demise of her England career, all that came through was sadness. Houghton played her final game for England against the Republic of Ireland in a behind-closed-doors match at St George’s Park. Compare that to Jill Scott and Ellen White’s final bows for England: winning the European Championship against Germany at Wembley.

Houghton was thrilled for them but inevitably wished she was among them. She did, at least, get a send-off at Wembley last month, leading the team out one final time, against Germany, in what might have felt like a facsimile of the Euros final — the alternate universe where Houghton has one last run of sold-out games.

Steph Houghton with the England team before their game against Germany at Wembley last month (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Houghton details the rehab programme for a torn Achilles that she undertook with England’s blessing — she recorded 10-hour days visiting a physio in Crewe — and says all parties had understood all along that she wouldn’t play for her club before the Euros in 2022. England checked in every six weeks. She made the provisional squad of 30 for the tournament. In the end, manager Sarina Wiegman’s view was that Houghton had not played enough games; the player’s view was that they knew this would be the case.

Houghton recalls her tears when she takes the phone call from Wiegman in which she learns she will no longer be England captain. “I was upset that I’d found out over the phone,” she writes. “For me, that’s a face-to-face conversation.”

I don’t disagree. Houghton never had anything against her successor Leah Williamson but was heartbroken that “the best thing (she) ever had a chance to do” was ending after eight years.

World Cup rejection hits her less hard but is still painful. She felt she had done all Wiegman asked: playing regularly for her club, winning against Chelsea and Arsenal. Wiegman offers a tactical assessment and adds that she doesn’t feel she can take anyone out of the squad for Houghton. Houghton feels like Wiegman has moved the goalposts. Wiegman delivers this news at St George’s Park, where Houghton, allegedly unbeknownst to Wiegman, had been working with Nike. There, Houghton is told she will probably never play for England while Wiegman is in charge.

“I also found myself wondering if this would have been a face-to-face conversation if I hadn’t already been at St George’s,” Houghton concludes. “The problem was more that I think she’d intended to have this conversation over the phone, and she knew she was going to tell me I wasn’t in her plans at all. I thought that called for a face-to-face conversation given the career I’d had.”

Suffice to say it is, as Houghton promised, a little more complex than some responses would have you believe.

This column isn’t about whether you would have taken Houghton to either of those tournaments or about Wiegman’s alleged handling of it all. It is about the reaction to Houghton’s pain, and the expectation we have of female footballers to expose all their vulnerabilities when the audience is not prepared to meet them with empathy.

Why does everyone find it so hard to acknowledge that Houghton was in pain — and understandably so? Her last notable act for England at a major tournament was missing a penalty against the U.S. in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. All of it — from the injury to missing out on the Lionesses’ first major trophy — will have triggered complex emotions in a player whose 121 caps were won in such a critical period for women’s football. That is before you examine how Houghton’s personal circumstances make the stakes, in that area of her life, so much higher.

Of late, women’s football has seemed to steep itself in the idea that the sport moves forward when we hear of players’ pain in full. No varnish, no euphemisms: tell us of every horror of your rehabilitation from your anterior cruciate ligament injury, so that we can understand and make change. Tell us of your mental health struggles and your relationships — in which fans are invested — to inspire those watching. Tell us, Houghton, of what really happened with England, because after all this time, we want to know.

Many players, from the WSL’s record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema to the two-time FIFA Best women’s goalkeeper Mary Earps, have been met with understanding for expressing their vulnerabilities. Why not Houghton here?

Is it personal? The criticism of Houghton always seems to have a different kind of fire behind it — is it that her replacement was the hugely popular Williamson, so among a newer, younger, more chronically online fanbase, it is convenient to cast Houghton as a villain? On some level do we still expect sportswomen to be compliant, grateful, and magnanimous when it comes to team selection and tactics? Or simply that the minute those feelings become complex or unpalatable — too much light and shade to fit in a tweet — people don’t want to hear them? That people can’t separate a divisive subject like team selection from the human at the centre of it all?

EPISODE 7 💃 @crosswayspod
My guy helping with some context @IanWright0 ❤️ https://t.co/ttcIxyiIKU
— Steph Houghton MBE (@stephhoughton2) November 8, 2024

I don’t know, but many women’s football fans approached Houghton’s comments — and the end of her England career — with a lack of respect and understanding. Sportspeople, in particular, have devoted their lives to pushing themselves to lengths most of us would rather not, but surely most of us would have felt the same in Houghton’s position. Add in the extraordinary choices she had to make and I’m not sure how many of us would have even had it in us to keep chasing major tournaments.

We should, as a minimum, allow Houghton to give voice to her experience without being so quick to judge, dismiss or condemn.

Sport is a fundamentally human thing. You don’t have to agree with Houghton, but she’s allowed to say all this: allowed to say that it hurt and allowed to say that she wishes it all could have been different. At least let her speak. Given the ending, and the scale of her contribution, she deserves that.

(Top photo: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

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Sports

Holiday gift guide 2024: What to get the sports fan who already has everything

Published

2 hours ago

December 1, 2024

Press Room

Holiday gift guide 2024: What to get the sports fan who already has everything

Shopping for sports fans can be harder than one might think. Chances are the fan in your life already has a variety of hats, jerseys and who knows what else to rep their favorite teams and players. But there’s a massive array of sports related items out there that the person on your list may not even know about. So to help you find that perfect gift, we’ve enlisted help from around The Athletic’s newsroom to put together a list of ideas and recommendations to consider. Happy holidays!

—Brooks Peck and David Betancourt, The Athletic’s memorabilia and collectibles editors

(Updated 11/28 with additional items.)

Starting small

Riddell mini football helmets

Riddell has an extensive selection of mini helmets of both NFL and NCAA teams (the University of Colorado section alone is pretty impressive). There are current looks, alternative styles (such as the Washington Commanders’ Hail Mary Black helmets) and throwbacks (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ creamsicle helmets are always a good look).

Other minis: Rawlings MLB mini batting helmets, Franklin NHL mini goalie helmets, PWHL mini sticks, NBA mini retro basketballs

Sports art

Landing Pond by Jacob Trouba

Jacob Trouba’s hockey art

There’s beauty in the physicality of hockey. New York Rangers defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba knows that more than most. Trouba, known for his hard hits, is also an artist. But he doesn’t use a paint brush. Instead, he slathers paint all over himself — in his hockey equipment — and charges toward a canvas. The collision results in paintings that portray power and dynamic movement. A small print of some of Trouba’s works can be purchased directly from his website for $150. Larger, signed prints go for $1,000 apiece. —Alex Iniguez, NHL Senior Editor

GO DEEPER

How Jacob Trouba, one of the NHL’s most vicious open-ice hitters, found his artistic side

Other sports art: John Battalgazi’s circular athletes, The Golden Hexagon: Where basketball meets geography, Literally Balling: Very fancy basketball, Shelton Art Company, Triple Play Design Company’s retro prints and more

Sports books

The Basketball 100

A comprehensive look at the greatest players, past and present, in NBA history. From a surprising choice at No. 100 to a sprint to the finish at the top of the list by LeBron James and Michael Jordan, “The Basketball 100” features 100 full-length profiles of the game’s greats. Written by David Aldridge and John Hollinger with The Athletic’s NBA staff and a foreword by Charles Barkley, “The Basketball 100” is “guaaar-uuunnn-teeeed!” to satisfy the basketball fan in your life this holiday season. —Rob Peterson, NBA Deputy Managing Editor

The Basketball 100

The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.

The story of the greatest plays in NBA history.

Buy

Other sports books from The Athletic and its writers: The Football 100 by Mike Sando, Dan Pompei and The NFL Staff; Undeniable: The Kansas City Chiefs’ remarkable 2023 championship season; Garden Party: Inside the Boston Celtics’ run to the 2023-24 NBA Championship; Caitlin Clark: Raising the Game; Extra Time Beckons, Penalties Loom by Adam Hurrey; Who Owns Football? by Nick Miller; The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams by Craig Custance

Did this with BtB and it was really fun, especially when people told me exactly what to write. If you want to give a signed, personalized copy of The Franchise over the holidays as a gift, DM or email me craig [at] theathletic .com and we’ll make it happen. pic.twitter.com/MC3z99vOEv
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) November 27, 2024

Throwbacks

Homage x Starter jackets

The satin bombers represents ’80s sideline sophistication while the pullovers were the coolest thing on the playground in the ’90s. Nostalgia never goes out of style, right?

Other throwbacks: Ebbets Field Flannels, Mitchell and Ness, Classic Football Shirts

Lionel Messi Inter Miami Archive Jersey

On any given day in any given elementary school there are seemingly dozens of kids wearing the pink and black of Inter Miami with Messi’s name and No. 10 on the back. There is no doubt Messi’s move to MLS has an outsized impact on youth fashion, but the next level look is the minty retro third kit that dropped midway through this season. (The only thing more ubiquitous among kids these days might be Stanley cups, and they have a new Messi “Goat” Collection releasing Dec. 3 — complete with mate mug)

GO DEEPER

Five MLS clubs get retro third kits for the remainder of 2024

San Diego Wave Home Jersey

It was the most popular NWSL jersey in the U.S. this year and it’s a design that will still be talked about for years to come.

Other gifts for kids: Shohei Ohtani T-shirt, Little People NFL sets, Lego Formula 1 sets, Future Fans — teach kids about sports in a creative new way

Gifts for WNBA fans

Wilson x Caitlin Clark basketballs

The WNBA surged in popularity this year, bringing in a slew of new fans who are likely still getting up to speed in the gear department. Wilson has had a hard time keeping Caitlin Clark’s signature basketball collection in stock, but if you can snag one it would make a good gift for anyone looking to emulate the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Other gifts for WNBA fans: Reebok Angel Reese Collection, Kate Martin socks, Playa Society x WNBA

Sports…scents?

For the tennis obsessive in your life — or even the friend who can’t stop talking about Challengers — this is a luxury candle that even the pickiest person will fall in love with. Vacation’s Ball Boy candle combines the sweet smells of uncanned tennis balls with sunscreen and cotton sweatbands. And Otherland’s Matchpoint candle takes you straight to Wimbledon with cut grass and cucumber scents. —Jordan Cohen, Executive Director of External Communications

Cool baseball gear

Victus Pencil Bats

The Pencil Bat became a sensation last year when the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryson Stott used it in an MLB game and remains a wildly popular twist on the standard baseball bat (it’s available in a variety of sizes for different levels of play). But if that’s not colorful enough, Victus also has a collection of Crayon Bats too.

ARiA Sliding Mitts

Sliding mitts have become a regular part of baseball equipment at this point, and Absolutely Ridiculous has turned something that was frankly rather silly looking into an item on the cutting edge of baseball creativity. Their imaginative designs are enough to make you want to lean into a fastball just so you can get on base and put one on.

For sports/movie fans

Grays Sports Almanac prop replic

OK, so Back to the Future Part II isn’t exactly a sports movie, but the Grays Sports Almanac is an iconic cinematic sports items. This prop replica is filled with actual scores and stats from 1950-2000 (which, sadly, is now the distant past) and comes with a futuristic receipt and shopping bag, just like the one Marty McFly pulled it out of after making his purchase in 2015. It even has the dust jacket!

Other sports movie gifts: Penfold Golf: James Bond’s ball of choice in Goldfinger, The Sandlot Babe Ruth Replica Autograph Baseball (after Hercules got to it)

Home decor

25-layer StadiumView lighted end table

Available for a variety of college and processional stadiums and arenas, these end tables provide a unique way to bring home a favorite team’s home. The tables cost several hundred dollars, but there are also five-layer wall art and 3D coasters available from the same company (YouTheFan) at lower price points.

Other home decor gifts: Golf pencil display cases, NASCAR car hood wall signs

Pickup by Gameflo

If you like Marvel Snap, you will like this. Basketball strategy and chance, as you look to win matchups against your opponent’s weaknesses.

Philters

Non-alcoholic liquor, which we used for cooking, but I’m sure others can find tons of uses for, even just to enjoy alcohol free mixed drinks.

Zora’s Best

Slow-roasted and freeze-dried dog treats. Barkley goes crazy for them, and they’re super nutritious and healthy.

A Very Kelce Christmas

A Philly Special Christmas

Hugely popular among fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, the New Heights podcast, television commercials, breakfast cereal and a dizzying array of other things, the Kelce brothers are everywhere. Perhaps their most endearing endeavor has been Jason’s series of holiday albums that benefit a variety of Philadelphia charities and includes a surprising mix of notable musicians alongside his former Eagles teammates, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. This year’s edition is the third and supposedly final one they’ll produce and it includes a Jason Kelce and Stevie Nicks duet!

Other Kelce related gifts: McFarlane Toys Super Bowl LVII Kelce brothers figures, Garage Beer Employee of the Month shirtless Jason Kelce chugging T-shirt

eBay insights

The four athletes who were among the 10 most searched on eBay every month so far this year:

So gifts relating to those four should be decent bets.

Other athletes who saw big jumps in searches this year:

“Anthony Edwards card” had a 1,850 percent increase in searches in May compared to the start of that NBA season as he led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.
Paul Skenes searches increased 620 percent in July, when he was named an MLB All-Star Game starter, compared to when he was called up in April. He remains a hot commodity after being named NL Rookie of the Year and with the Pittsburgh Pirates offering a unique bounty for his Topps Debut Patch card.
Searches for Freddie Freeman increased almost 1,500 percent the day after his walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of the World Series for the LA Dodgers on his way to becoming series MVP.

Also, “PSA 10” searches increased 30 percent in October compared to the same time last year, perhaps showing a growing focus for trading card collectors on cards deemed to be in gem-mint condition by the industry largest grading company.

Offbeat sports gifts:

A patron holds a Masters Gnome during the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Interest in The Masters annual garden gnome continues to grow — the only item in the official Masters gift shop to carry a purchase limit. The only place to buy them at their retail price of $50 is on site at the tournament each year, but on eBay the full-size 2024 edition is selling for around $250-$300.

Searches for vintage NFL gear spiked after Taylor Swift wore an old Chiefs jacket that was bought on eBay to a game in early November.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Decoy bobblehead giveaway was arguably one of the most coveted (and cutest) sports-related items of the year — the day after the giveaway eBay users searched for “Shohei Ohtani bobblehead” at a rate of more than 1,750 times per hour. There’s even a rare gold variation.

The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.

Follow our sports memorabilia and collectibles coverage for more gift ideas (even if they’re gifts for yourself).

(Top photo: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)

Sports

Aaron Rodgers 'long shot' to return to Jets in 2025: report

Published

2 hours ago

December 1, 2024

Press Room

Aaron Rodgers 'long shot' to return to Jets in 2025: report

The final six games of the New York Jets’ 2024 season could be the last time fans see Aaron Rodgers in the green and white.

Ahead of the Jets’ Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks, the NFL Network reported that it was a “long shot” for Rodgers to return to the team in 2025.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts during the Indianapolis Colts game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Rodgers is in the midst of the worst season of his career. He has 2,442 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. It’s the second time in the last eight years he’s had at least seven interceptions in a single season. He had 12 in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers.

The report noted Rodgers’ $35 million option bonus for the 2025 season if the team decided to bring him back.

The star quarterback’s name had been in the rumor mill during the team’s bye week. He addressed reports he had already decided he wasn’t going to return to the Jets in an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“I don’t even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option,” he said.

He also debunked reports that he wants to play elsewhere next season instead of with the Jets.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after losing to the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

RAVENS STAR ADMITS ‘TALL TASK’ STOPPING SAQUON BARKLEY THIS WEEK, BUT DERRICK HENRY COULD BE THE SOLUTION

“As far as my future goes, I haven’t told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets,” he said. “That’s 100% false. I actually said the opposite. I said that I’m going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season, and if they want me back, what happens with [interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich], what happens with the offensive staff, obviously the GM at the time. They just fired Joe.

“There’s a lot of things out of my control when it comes to that, but I’ve really enjoyed my time in New York. Obviously, we haven’t had the success we all wanted to have. But I’ve made some great friendships on the team. I’ve enjoyed living in Jersey, I’ve enjoyed my time in the city, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the fans. And I came here to win here. So I’m not jumping off ship like, ‘Oh, I definitely want to play and not in New York.’”

Rodgers was off of the injury report going into the game against Seattle. But he acknowledged his age in his appearance on McAfee’s show.

“When you’re 40 going on 41, you’re obviously at the end of your career so, obviously if it’s New York, they have to want me to be here, and then new GM, new staff, all have to want me to be with the Jets. And then body-wise, got to see how I’m feeling, and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind,” he said.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the Cardinals game, Nov. 10, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Rodgers has been battling numerous injuries following his Achilles tear from 2023, including ankle, hamstring and knee injuries this year.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Prep talk: Ball boy for St. John Bosco promises future wins

Published

3 hours ago

December 1, 2024

Press Room

Prep talk: Ball boy for St. John Bosco promises future wins

It was in the tunnel at the Coliseum last year after a loss in the Southern Section Division 1 football final when St. John Bosco’s 11-year-old ball boy, Ryu Sanchez, went up to coach Jason Negro and told him, “When I play for you, we’re never going to lose.”

Fast-forward to Friday night at Veterans Stadium. Sanchez, a year older, was the ball boy again. The Braves lost to Mater Dei in the Division 1 final. He’s still not retreating from his promise. Negro, though, will have to wait until 2027 for his arrival because he’s in sixth grade.

His older brother, Caleb, was St. John Bosco’s quarterback last season and ended up the starter for Columbia, helping the team earn a share of the Ivy League title. Ryu already is closing in on 6 feet tall. He’s another quarterback in the making. …

Rio Hondo Prep won its 16th Southern Section football title by beating Warren in the Division 7 final. What’s amazing is that Rio Hondo has a student body of 140 compared to Warren’s more than 3,500. …

Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon for the CIF state championship football playoffs. There will be 15 state championship games Dec. 13 and 14 after this week’s regional championships. The Open Division final is expected to match Mater Dei against De La Salle on Dec. 14 at Saddleback College.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.