"13 years and it's the first time anybody's ever said, but how does this impact you?": The women's experiences of being partners of elite male footballers in England

Abstract

Background: A group that also goes through the trials and tribulations of the elite male footballer's career is his partner and family. Despite garnering much attention from popular culture media outlets since the 2000s, the first-hand experience of partners of elite footballers in England has not been captured in research literature. This study aims to explore the experiences of the second person in the two-person elite football career, as well as understand the support offered to help these women navigate this turbulent lifestyle. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used to explore the lived experiences of 10 female partners of male elite footballers in the top two leagues of English football. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of male elite footballers. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA). Findings: Analysis of the data generated three key themes: (i) There's no "I" in "team": How the partner experiences key elements of the elite footballer's career, (ii) Things going from bad to worse: Struggling with elite football's inevitable difficulties, and (iii) "This is the first time in 13 years anybody has actually asked me": Partners considering support. Conclusions: Some of the themes are supported by the integration of psychological perspectives and feminist theories which highlight a more nuanced experience for partners of elite footballers in English football despite what the media has typically presented. Potential implications and recommendations for mental health practitioners are included, such as acknowledging personal biases when working with this population. Suggestions for English football leagues and individual clubs discuss incorporating a holistic biopsychosocial model of well-being into their philosophies of care that include partners and families of the footballers. Recommendations for future research include encouragement to continue interviewing the population of interest directly when researching in this area, among others. The findings are supported by existing literature from other countries and sporting affiliations.

Date of Award	11 Nov 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Andre Etchebarne (Supervisor) & Terry Hanley (Supervisor)