Gabby Logan: Good afternoon, on what could well be a historic day. The facts are simple. England’s women have never won a major tournament. Germany, by contrast have been in eight European Championships and won each and every time.
England vs Germany
It’s a rivalry that has always been a part of watching England play football. Every defeat a disaster, every victory a cause for a national holiday. It’s a fixture that evokes so many memories of England’s trials and tribulations when it comes to performing on the national stage (of which there are plenty). Since the glorious summer of 1966, it’s been nothing but pain. The comeback in the Nou Camp. Gazza’s tears. Southgate’s penalty. Lampard’s crossbar. It also has the quirk of being completely one-sided. German fans spend more time getting excited with games against the Dutch than against us, understandable, considering that in the past we’ve been nothing more than an ant to them, ready to be squashed on their march to yet another title.
That same inferiority also applies to the Women. Whilst the rivalry may not be as strong, the statistics are no less bleak. The DFB-Frauenteam are the titans of European football. Unbeatable. Unstoppable. 2 World Cups, 8 European titles, and an air of intimidating authority to go with that. The Lionesses had already suffered the might of German Football the hard way. Having snuck into the Euro 2009 Final via the back door, they were promptly booted back out of it with a comprehensive 6-2 mauling. Yet England are no-longer the semi-professional outfit, the plucky underdogs possessed with hope in the face of countries much further ahead of their development curve.
Since that Final, much has changed. Investment, improvement, a professional league, changes of managers, changes of style, changes in mentality, all stacking on top of one another, brick by brick, to drag the Lionesses into the 21st Century, to be able to compete at the highest level. The final represented the chance to prove just how far they had come since harrowing night in Helsinki. A chance to change the narrative, to overturn years of heartbreak, and most importantly, win something that has eluded England since 1966. A trophy.
Gabby Logan: Well, it has been a spectacular tournament for so many reasons, but not often you get two players in the running for the golden boot in the final.
Mead vs Popp
As if a fixture of this significance didn’t need any more dimensions added to it. Both had provided their sides with the firepower required to navigate themselves to the ultimate endgame. For England, it was the third tournament in a row where they had a rider in this race, after Jodie Taylor in 2017 and Ellen White in 2019. Now it was Beth Mead’s turn to compete for the prize of top scorer. The Olympic outcast who was shunned by Riise, Mead’s stratospheric rise looked to be showing no signs of stopping. Winning the golden boot would be the ultimate reward for a player in the form of her life.
For Germany, Alexandra Popp was having a fairy-tale of a Euros. Having missed previous competitions through injury, the talismanic striker and captain was making up for lost time by scoring in every single game, including a crucial brace against France in the Semi Final. Popp looked unstoppable, her aerial presence creating havoc for even the most experienced of defenders. To win the golden boot would be the perfect ending for the 31-year old’s campaign. Yet all of that hype, narrative, extra edge, was wiped out 5 minutes before kick-off.
The golden boot race is going down to the last day 🔥
🏴 Beth Mead vs. Alex Popp 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/pHHXLFz4AW
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) July 29, 2022
Gabby Logan: News is just reaching us that Alex Popp, who scored six goals in this tournament, is out of the starting line-up
In scenes echoing Ronaldo’s mysterious absence from the 1998 World Cup Final Team Sheets, Germany’s star had been ruled out of the last minute through injury. It was a devastating loss, the implications of which hampered Germany for much of the first half. On top of being a brilliant striker, Popp was also the instigator of the devasting press which had brought so much joy for Germany throughout the Euros. Manuela Zinsberger will still be having nightmares about the way Popp snuck in to charge down her clearance and deflect it into the Austrian net.
After coming on as a sub in the opening game against Denmark, she started every single game, playing the entire 90 minutes in the last three match, becoming the keystone in Germany’s frontline. For a player who has had a poor injury record, heading towards the later years of their career, the over-exposure became a ticking timebomb that ultimately detonated at the worst possible moment for Germany. Popp was out. Mead won the golden boot by default. But the bigger issue was how the team set up in her absence.
Gabby Logan: We understand she’s aggravated an injury, and it is Lea Schüller who has taken her place in the starting line-up.
The first half
The noticeable part of the first half was the complete absence of Germany’s pressing game. Schüller’s introduction saw Germany revert to almost the exact XI which had destroyed Denmark so comprehensively at Brentford. Yet the intense pressing that characterised that performance was absent. Germany opted to move the point of conflict back, sitting deeper, hoping to nullify England rather than force the error high up the pitch. It was a curious choice, considering how slowly England have often started games at tournaments until they’re able to find the first goal.
Indeed, Sweden had already showcased the benefits of hitting England hard and first early on in the Semi Final and were it not for some wayward finishing and some good work from Earps, it could have been them lining up against Germany instead. The tactic allowed England to play into the game, and generate the first chance of the game just three minutes in.
Robyn Cowen: Kirby, making clever run…IT’S ELLEN WHITE! An early chance. Can’t get it past Merle Frohms.
White vs Russo. The endless debate for fans on Twitter and in pubs, and pundits on TV and radio shows. There is no doubt that Russo has had the stronger tournament, but she has done so from the bench, benefitting from taking on a defence run ragged through Ellen White’s pressing. White being a prolific striker for England is a relatively new development, finding her form under the tutelage of Phil Neville.
Under Wiegman, it looks as though she has regressed back to the White who would struggle to impact major tournaments. With new managers comes new roles for the team, and in the case of White, she has become the battering ram for Russo to come off the bench and to march through and score. It’s a strategy that has worked to tremendous effect at the Euros, but it comes with a major gamble. With White firing a blank in all but the Norway game, England had effectively reduced their high potential scoring window to the last 30 minute of every game, at which point, it risked being too late to affect the game.
As the Arsenal men found out to their detriment last season, having a striker who cannot score goals start every game does not end well in the end, not matter what justification you can have for picking them. England had good openings against Germany in the first half through White yet failed to take advantage of either of them. A back post header straight at Frohms. A Mead cut back that she ballooned over the bar on the stretch. England were playing well; they were creating chances whilst keeping the back door shut. But they could not profit.
There was no doubting that White’s off the ball work was good, but the lack of threat undermined her position in her team. England need someone who could press and score, to have the ruthless edge that White lacked. At the other end, Germany’s sole positive moment was a spot of penalty box pinball on the England goal-line from a corner, defused when Earps claimed the ball from the melee. A VAR check for handball drew a blank, much to the consternation of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who believed Leah had handled the ball in the chaos.
The half time whistle paused a fractious, physical contest, with little to separate the two sides.
Robyn Cowen: Change at half-time by Germany, a change in attack. Jule Brand coming off. Waßmuth of Wolfsburg coming on.
The second half
The half time switch worked a treat for Germany. The high intensity ‘Gegenpressing’ was back, and England could not cope. Clearances were being picked off with ease and recycled into fresh assaults on the England backline. Bronze and Daly were getting their pockets picked as England could not use their width to escape. They were indebted to Earps’ proactivity off the line to confidently claim crosses and gather penetrative passes as the Germans looked to righten the screw on Williamson and Bright.
For Mary Earps, this game was the culmination of a major U-turn in fortunes. 3 years ago, she played at Wembley in front of a record crowd against Germany in a 2-1 defeat, and then was dropped from the squad altogether. Falling behind the likes of Bardsley, Telford and Roebuck, she began to question whether her chance would come again. But circumstances change, and thanks to retirements and injuries, Earps became Wiegman’s number 1. Throughout the game, and indeed the tournament, she was near flawless, aerially competent, great distribution, and made crucial saves against Spain and Sweden en route to the final. This was her hour, and woe betide anyone who would take it from her.
Robyn Cowen: Here is Rauch, first time ball in…MAGULL! What a chance. Big, big chance.
Lina Magull’s touch and strike was not on par with Beth Mead’s spectacular effort against Sweden, flashing wide, but it was a warning shot across the bows. Germany had seized the initiative; they were the ones running the show now. Fran Kirby, so influential in attack against Sweden, had been marked out of the game by Oberdorf. England’s control on the game was slipping away. It was time, therefore, for Wiegman to start playing her aces.
Robyn Cowen: Fran Kirby coming off, Ella Toone on. Ellen White is being withdrawn for Alessia Russo. Four goals, all from the bench, at this tournament.
The same attacking subs had been made by Sarina once again, albeit in unique circumstances. In the past, they had been used to help improve the scoreline to secure a game from a winning position or salvage a game that they were losing. For the first time, they were being used to give the team a launch pad in a game. The starting attack had failed to make any inroads. It would be up to the new arrivals to make the difference once again. The substitutions had altered England’s attack strategy. Instead of offensive passing from the front and sprints off the last defender, England now had an aerial focal point and a runner from deep. A new dimension for the German defence to consider, and one that they failed to adapt to.
Vicki Sparks: Here is Georgia Stanway, intercepting on the edge of the penalty area, now Keira Walsh, 60 minutes played, 0-0 in the second half.
Keira Walsh had suffered a torrid World Cup in 2019. Out-muscled and out-fought in the midfield battles, she struggled to implement her playing style, resulting in wayward passes and defensive errors. She was a player manager Phil Neville and pundits swore by, having seen her shine at Manchester City. Yet on the biggest stage, she failed to showcase those talents, her crowning moment a brilliant switch of play in the Semi Final to Mead, who set up Ellen White’s equaliser. Such was the fallout and the criticism towards her after England’s exit, that she considered her role in the sport altogether. Thankfully, for herself, Man City, and England, she persevered.
The issue was that Walsh needed to fight for the right to play her game at the centre of the park, to use her metronomic, accurate passing to keeping the Lioness engine ticking over and dictate the attacks at the base of the midfield. Teams quickly realised that to nullify Walsh was to nullify England itself. Whilst most opposing teams in the WSL opt for a low block against Man City, which gives Walsh time on the ball to play her game, such a luxury would not be afforded to her here. Against Spain, Bonmatti was tasked with taking Walsh out of the game, which stopped England for about 75 minutes. Only once Jorge Vilda lost his nerve with the substitutions, Walsh came back into the game, and with her return, England were able to fight back and save the game.
Against Germany, she was at her best, outfoxing the German midfield, twisting out of danger, passing the ball on before losing it to the press, and crucially helping progress England further up the pitch. Walsh would win go on to win Player of the Match for her performance, and it was capped off on 60 minutes, when she pulled a rabbit out of her magical passing hat. With Germany pressing high on England, they left themselves short at the back. England won the ball on the edge of the box, gave it to Walsh, who looked up, saw the opportunity, and pinged a glorious pass that bisected Hendrich and Hegering in two.
Vicki Sparks: …and the ball is through to Ella Toone, Ella Toone in on goal…
When Manchester United came to Meadow Park last season, they left thinking of what could have been. They had taken an early lead, they had a player advantage, yet blew it late on to finish with a 1-1 draw. Arsenal had lucked out massively, as at 1-0, Ella Toone had a gilt-edged chance to clinch the game. Galton’s pass behind Arsenal’s high line gave Toone a clear run at goal. With just Zinsberger between her and a priceless 2-0 lead, she fluffed her lines under pressure, placing the shot wide. 5 months later, and she found herself in the same position once again.
The ball from Walsh was perfect, Toone’s run was timed to perfection, her touch brought the ball under her spell in an instant. It all came down to composure. The same pressure she had crumbled under before was not only back but multiplied to the power of 100. In the stands, people rose to their seats. At home, fans stood up from their sofas. In pubs across the land, the drinking and cheering froze. This was England’s best chance of the game, potentially their only chance of the game. Was Toone up to the task? Was she ready to take her chance?
Vicki Sparks: …ELLA TOONE WITH THE CHIP, ELLA TOONE WITH THE OPENER IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL!
𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 about this 🤌🤌
🔥🅰️ @keira_walsh
🍟⚽ @ellatoone99The opening goal in the final at Wembley was something else 🤤#WEURO2022 | @Lionesses pic.twitter.com/5FUyIfrDhG
— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) August 2, 2022
The ball seemed to take an edge to sail over the head of Frohms. A nation held its breath as it slowly began to dip, flying under the crossbar and nestling into the back of the net. And then everything went mad. England had the lead, thanks to a glorious scoop over the keeper by Toone. Now they were just 30 minutes away from their first ever piece of major silverware. The fans, anxious for most of the second half, found their voice once more with roars of jubilation. Renditions of ‘Three Lions’ started circulating around Wembley. All England had to do now was hold out for just 30 more minutes. But Germany were far from done.
Robyn Cowen: A good run from Magull…OFF THE POST! And Earps gathers.
Germany only know how to win European Finals. And they weren’t going to surrender this contest without a real fight. Sensing a weakness in Daly at fullback, they focused their attacks down the right flank. Magull’s run darted into the space between Willamson and Daly, only for her strike at the near post to cannon back off the upright. With Earps on the deck, Schüller had the whole of the England goal to aim at, but contrived to miscue her volley badly, straight into Earps’ grateful grasp. Sarina played her next ace, bringing off the stricken Mead for Kelly. It was the end of a magnificent tournament for Beth Mead, departing with not only the golden boot, but as player of the tournament as well. However, the Euro 2022 Final was not her story. That honour would belong to somebody else.
Robyn Cowen: An exquisite first touch from Lohmann, fired into her, second and third were not bad either…
England were clinging on, falling into the Spanish trap of sitting deeper and deeper, seeing the finish line in sight. There were just 12 minutes between now and eternal glory. Bright and Williamson were heading, blocking and volleying everything that was sent into their box. But Germany were relentless. Hendrich led a charge down the right wing. Kelly’s attempt to stop her was poor, she simply breezed past her outstretched leg. England had missed the chance to halt the attack at its source and would pay the price for it. Hendrich’s pass bypassed the midfield and straight into Lohmann’s feet, who exposed the space left behind from Daly’s attempt to support Kelly in an earlier break. Waßmuth’s run took Williamson away from her, and Daly’s attempt to retrieve the situation was in vain.
Robyn Cowen: …Can she work the opening? Here’s Waßmuth…
Having cut inside on Daly’s desperate retreat, Lohmann reversed the pass to Waßmuth. Williamson tried to stop her, but England’s defensive shape was wrong. Williamson’s move had left the back door open for Magull to run unchallenged into the box.
Robyn Cowen: …along the face of goal, AND IN! Equaliser for Germany! And no surprise, it is Lina Magull who strikes.
Magull met Waßmuth’s cross at the near post and smashed it past Earps. It was an equaliser warranted on the balance of play. Germany had snatched it from England, and now it was anyone’s game with just 10 minutes to go. Sarina played her next substitution cards, bringing on Greenwood and Jill Scott for Daly and Stanway. The move arrived helped stifle Germany’s attempts to target England’s left channel, now that they had a dedicated left footed defender operating there, as opposed to a repurposed forward. But better yet, it brought experience and greater physicality to the centre of the park. Jill Scott was the only remnant of the England side that were blown away by Germany in 2009. This wasn’t just a chance for her to finally win an international trophy, it was a chance to right that past wrong. And her introduction halted Germany in their tracks, wrestling back control of the midfield.
Robyn Cowen: Full-Time of the 90 minutes. We go to extra-time here at Wembley.
1960. 1990. 1996. In some sense, it was always inevitable that a game of this magnitude, against this calibre of opponent, on this stage, would go all the way. And as the players took on fluids and received their instructions from their managers, I became aware of the reality of what these next 30 minutes would mean. My perspective upon arrival at Wembley earlier that day was that, regardless of the result, England had already won. Attendance records through the roof. Interest never greater. The team celebrated amongst fans; their exploits discussed in casual conversation.
The greater legacy of this tournament was to inspire both the next generation of women to play football, and those in power to provide them with the gateway, the opportunity, the tools needed to be the next Lioness. Regardless of what happened today, that would surely happen. Defeats can inspire positive change just as much as victories. And yet, as the players took to the field for the first 15 minutes, it occurred to me that England had to win today. They would never get a moment like this again. They would never be in this circumstance ever again. They would never have an opportunity like this, in front of a record Wembley attendance, with everyone in the country focussed on them, heading towards the denouement of a fierce contest with Germany still with every chance of victory, and with it, to lift a first ever major trophy. If they were to lose now, it would be titanic opportunity missed. If this fairy-tale was to end as it should, then England had to win. There was no other alternative. It was all or nothing.
Robyn Cowen: Extra Time, here we come. A third final in the European Championships that have gone to extra time.
Extra time
And so, the slow torture of extra-time began. Germany, buoyed by that late equaliser, were having the better of the ball. But the excursions, not just in this game, but across the entire tournament, were starting to take their tolls on the players. The passing was slow and without any intensity. England were deep, looking to spring on the counter through long passes up to Russo. Germany passed and probed, trying to find an opening between the massed ranks in defence, without any success. Both sides were cautious, keen to avoid making that critical mistake which would cost them everything. And as the minutes ticked by, the ominous reality of penalties loomed ever larger. The Lionesses had been involved in two penalty shootouts in their history, including in the first ever Euros Final. They had (in true English fashion) lost both of them.
Vicki Sparks: And that will be the last action of extra-time. It remains England 1, Germany 1.
The first half of extra-time had passed without incident (aside from a humorous tussle between Jill Scott and Waßmuth on the half-time whistle). The equation now was simple. England had 15 minutes to beat Germany or face the roulette of spot kicks. All of their pre-tournament preparation, all of their coaching under Wiegman, all of their ‘big game’ experiences accumulated down the years, all of the sacrifices made, and hardships suffered, just to have the chance to play the game, it had all led up to this very moment. They had already won this final once. Now they had to go out there and win it again.
Robyn Cowen: England need a hero. It could be in extra time. It could be in the penalty shoot-out.
Straight from the off, England seized control. They were braver, bolder, better on the ball. And they were creating the better moments. Kelly almost threaded Russo in behind, only to overhit the pass. Toone’s drive saw Frohm’s make an unorthodox save with her feet. Now it was Germany, not England, who were being forced onto the defensive. The question now was who was going to be that player to step up and seize the moment. Who would be England’s hero?
Robyn Cowen: Kelly buys the corner and gees up the crowd.
England had a set piece. A platform to try and find that oh so crucial goal. And watching on from the stand, I realised, this was it. This was the moment. The whole Euros, the whole summer, was going to come down to this one moment. Kelly waved to the crowd, urging for more noise, and they responded, sensing the opportunity. The horns blared. The fans cheered. Nervous excitement rippled through the stands. Could England pull this off?
Rachel Brown-Finnis: Looks like Lauren Hemp is coming over to whip it in, an inswinger.
Lauren Hemp had been billed as England’s star player going into Euro 2022. Rapid as lightening, great delivery from the wings and an eye for goal, she’d arrived coming off the back of another strong season for Man City. She’d won the Young Player of the Season (again) and scored in the FA Cup Final. But Euro 2022 was a different story.
As Beth Mead wowed the crowds with her goals and assists, Hemp faded into her shadow. She was still just 21, one of the youngest players on the team, and with that youth came a rawness to her play. Too often the wrong decision was made. Too often, she struggled to impact the games. Her only goal was a goal-line tap-in against Norway. She suffered an embarrassing miss against Sweden, hitting the crossbar from 3 yards out. But to call her tournament a failure would be well wide of the mark. Whilst her contributions had been less, when they were made, they were crucial to England’s campaign. It was her cross that created the chaos in the build-up to Toone’s equaliser against Spain. And as she placed the ball on the corner quadrant, she was about to create some more chaos in the Germany penalty box.
Robyn Cowen: It is Hemp, and it is deep…
For the first time in the game, Germany failed to make first contact. The ball deflected off Lucy Bronze and fell loose in the six-yard box. Time seemed to stand still. Watching on from the opposite end of the ground, all that was discernible was a sea of limbs and frantic movements. The ball hadn’t gone dead. The ball hadn’t been cleared. Where was it? What was happening?
Vicki Sparks: England almost get something on it, its missed…
The nightmare of Euro 96 looked to be rearing its head once again. The horror of watching Gascoigne miss Shearer’s cross by a nanometre still plays in the minds of England fans everywhere. And as Chloe Kelly span on the loose ball, it evaded her touch, heading straight towards the body of Frohms. The chance had gone. Or had it? Frohms had not claimed it, it had bounced of a combination of her and Hendrich on the line, and now it was coming back towards Kelly. But Kelly was off balance, she had no time to think, only to act. Stretching out with every sinew of muscle in her right leg, she reached out and got a toe to the ball, diverting it back over the line and into the net.
🤯 𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙎! The moment @Chloe_Kelly98 scored the winner at Wembley ⚽️🎉
How did you react ⁉️#WEURO2022 | @Lionesses pic.twitter.com/eUBjPZRxgT
— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) August 1, 2022
Robyn Cowen: IT’S IN! CHLOE KELLY! UNREAL SCENES!
Wembley exploded into back into life. From having begun the mental preparation an upcoming of penalty shootout, suddenly, the crowd found themselves celebrating the idea of winning the game here and now. The fairy-tale was alive and well, not just for England, but for Chloe Kelly. A star for Man City in 2020-21, a ruptured ACL had ended her season, her Olympic hopes and the put her place in the Euro squad in jeopardy. Having recovered in time to make the team, her tournament had up until then been unremarkable, mostly being used as a rotational substitute for Hemp and Mead.
The pair of them had been seen as the main protagonists in this England side, those likely to be the heroes that would win England the Euros. Instead, it was Chloe Kelly, in the right place at the right time to score her first ever England goal, who seized the moment and became England’s hero. Wheeling away, shirt windmilling in her hands, in scenes mirroring that of Brandi Chastain in the 1999 World Cup, she was mobbed by her teammates, creating an image of pure joy that would be forever remembered.
Robyn Cowen: OK, England know what they have to do now. Keep their discipline. Do not let Germany strike back again.
After conceding with just 10 minutes remaining, England had scored with just 10 minutes remaining. 10 minutes now stood between them and sporting immortality. 10 minutes. And what followed in those 10 minutes was one of the most beautiful examples of game management you will ever see. England pinned Germany into their own corner flag, and for the remainder of the game, the ball never left it. Throw in. Corner. Free kick. The cycle was endless. Even when Germany won the ball back, they could only clear into touch, or onto an England head, repeating the cycle all over again. The cheers grew louder and louder, the realisation emanating around the stadium that England were actually going to do this. Sarina made her final play, bringing on Parris for Hemp, to drain the clock even further. Fans counted down the seconds, counted through the additional time. Germany eventually won ball back, but by then it was too late. The last Hail Mary punt was headed clear by Jill Scott and volleyed up field by Toone. And then the final whistle blew.
Vicki Sparks: NO MORE YEARS OF HURT! NO MORE NEED FOR DREAMING! BECAUSE DREAMS HAVE BECOME REALITY AT WEMBLEY!
Robyn Cowen: HISTORY MAKERS! RECORD BREAKERS! GAME CHANGERS!
England are Champions of Europe
Wembley roared to the heavens in celebration. The long wait was finally, finally over. The seemingly impossible had become a reality. England had won a major trophy. Football had come home. After the mud-bath of 1984 and the bloodbath of 2009, they had at last climbed the summit at the third attempt. In doing so, they had beaten Germany, for so long their superiors, for so long undefeated at these occasions. And as ‘Three Lions’ played out throughout the stadium, as the fans sung in unison to celebrate football coming home, I stood up, scarf waving in the air, the lyrics choking in my throat as tears streamed from my eyes, as the magnitude of what had just been achieved hit home.
This wasn’t just about England winning a trophy again. It wasn’t just about ending that barren run. It was about all those who had come before.
It was about Carol Thomas and Linda Curl, and the entire class of ‘84, who had played in the first Euro Final that nobody knew about.
It was about Gillian Coultard and Marieanne Spacey, who proudly played for their country when no-one came to watch.
It was about Hope Powell, who fought tooth and nail with the FA to give the Lionesses what they needed in order to develop and improve, helping to drag the team to the front of public consciousness, changing them from unknowns to knowns.
It was about Kelly Smith, one of the greatest talents of our age, robbed of glory for being ahead of the curve, playing for England at a time when there was no chance of them winning.
It was about Steph Houghton, a legendary defender and superb Captain for England, so cruelly robbed of the chance to partake in this tournament at the last second due to injury.
It was about the battles the players had fought to get this far. The fight to overturn the ban on Women’s football. The fight for the right to kick a ball on a football pitch. The fight to be paid to play football and become professional, rather than having to pay to play for England.
It was about the sacrifices and hardships the players had gone through to make ends meet, having to take up second jobs just to cover the costs of being a footballer. Alex Scott cleaning the Arsenal Men’s kits whilst playing for the women’s team. Izzy Christiansen having a part time job at a restaurant just to be able to put fuel in the car to drive to Birmingham for training.
It was about the fans who had been there from the start, who always believed this day would come, when England would go from hosting a Euro Final at Ewood Park, to hosting one at Wembley, in front of a sell-out crowd, with England competing in it, and eventually winning it.
And then there was Leah Williamson, who 3 years ago only had a 6-minute cameo at the World Cup, now stepping up to receive from Prince William the Euro Trophy as England Captain. There was not a dry eye in the house, as Leah raised the trophy aloft, as her teammates leapt in the air in celebration, as the pyrotechnics sounded off around them, as glitter rained down on the Wembley turf. The victory playlist blasted out. No England fan was leaving this party, not if they could help it, although unfortunately, the UEFA stewards had other ideas.
As fans made their way out of the stadium, and into the North London Night, all eyes turned to the future. How would the nation react to the success of the Lionesses? How would this triumph affect WSL attendances? Greater Investment? More opportunities for young girls to play at school? Improvements at grassroot levels?
England’s track record in building upon success isn’t great. The men’s team went backwards after their success in 1966. 10 years on from London 2012, people are now questioning the legacy of the Olympics. This is a brave new world for England, the FA and the Lionesses. It is of the utmost importance they do not waste the glorious opportunity that has fallen into their lap. Just as how Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly seized their chance in the game, so too must our country to ensure that from this point onwards, the women’s game goes from strength to strength. As Gabby Logan so eloquently put it in her closing remarks:
Gabby Logan: The Lionesses have brought football home, now it is down to the rest of us to make sure it stays here. You think it’s all over? It’s only just begun. From all of us, goodbye.
Written by Adam Salter.
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Enjoy exclusive photos from the fixture by James Whitehead:
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