FOOTBALL has become a game of two sexes. A Populus opinion poll published in The Times has revealed not only that one in four football supporters is female, but also how differently this growing, and vocal, fanbase sees the game.

Women like Michael Owen but don’t like Eric Cantona; men rate Cantona but think less of Owen.

What can account for such divergent opinions? It seems that female fans do not always keep their eyes on the ball. The better looking the player, the more women want to see of him.

David Beckham is the runaway choice of all fans as the most talented player seen playing for an English club in the past ten years. He is helped by his wild popularity among women. Although 17 per cent of men regard the Real Madrid star as the most talented player, that figure rises to 41 per cent for women. Owen, with his innocent good looks, is the choice of 12 per cent of women, but only 6 per cent of men. Cantona is backed by 11 per cent of men but just 2 per cent of women.

Attitudes differ on other matters, too. Sven-Göran Eriksson’s secret meetings with board members of Manchester United and the owner of Chelsea have not shaken confidence in him among most fans.

Yet while a thumping 83 per cent of men believe he is fit to continue as England manager, women do not idolise the man in the same way.

A more sceptical 74 per cent of them want him to continue. The gap suggests that his dalliance with the television presenter Ulrika Jonsson made women more suspicious of the England boss.

The poll deals a blow to a favourite football taunt. Manchester United fans are often accused of being Southerners who have never been to the North West. Although 22 per cent of the team’s fans are from the South East, 31 per cent are from its home region. There are more Liverpool fans in the South East (24 per cent) than in the club’s home area (21 per cent).

Populus, the official pollster of The Times, identified 1,009 people who described themselves as being football fans. They were contacted randomly last week over three days.

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