England’s Lionesses have won Euro 2022 after beating Germany 2-1 in extra-time at Wembley. It is England’s first major trophy since the men’s side won the World Cup in 1966. We could not be prouder of them, but what can we do to continue this momentum for the good of the game?
Not only should we celebrate this incredible victory, but we also need to keep this victory alive as we look to push the women’s game forward. We have come a long way from a sport that the Football Association banned women from playing for over 50 years, notably with female match officials, coaches, managers and of course the amazing players themselves (not to mention the invaluable involvement of many behind the scenes). However, we have so much further to go.
In the Final, with the prospect of penalties looming large, we had that familiar “England” sinking feeling. However, when Chloe Kelly poked in the winner in Extra Time, it felt like a new dawn for women’s football and more widely, for England. The number of fans at Wembley was 87,192 – a UEFA Euro tournament record.
Speaking after the game, to the BBC, our match winner Kelly said “it’s amazing…This is what dreams are made of. Wow, this is unbelievable.”
Beth Mead incredibly won the Golden Boot, after finishing the tournament with six goals. This is just 12 months after she was left out of Team GB’s Olympic squad for the Tokyo Games. “I can’t believe it… Sometimes football puts you down but bouncing back is the best way and that is what we have done. I am so, so proud of this team. I love this team and I love this country.”
It is the second successive title for manager Sarina Wiegman, who led the Dutch to victory in the tournament in 2017. Since she took charge in September 2021, England have played 20 times with no defeats, 18 wins, 106 goals scored and only five conceded. Let that sink in…
Men’s team captain, Harry Kane, tweeted “Absolutely unreal scenes at Wembley!! Massive congrats to the amazing Lionesses!!”
They got the job done, they managed to do what the men team have failed to do in 56 years, in front of a captive audience of 17million people across the nation. Many people who had never seen women’s football before watched in awe and we need to use this to encourage more women to take up the sport to help it develop and evolve. This is not the end of it, it is only the beginning, and we need to ensure the Euros win will have a lasting impact.
We can all do more to promote and grow the women’s game, we recognise that at Halliford Colts and are doing all we can do to create a diverse and inclusive environment for our whole community. If you or your daughter are interested in being part of the Halliford Colts Community, for example, joining the Soccer School or one of Our Teams, please contact us today at hallifordcolts@yahoo.com as we’d love to hear from you!