Faye Minton
On 31 July 2022, the Lionesses made history when they won England’s first major football trophy since the men’s World Cup in 1966 – and the celebrations haven’t shown any signs of stopping yet.
Led by manager Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson, England were able to beat Germany 2-1 in the European Championship final. 87, 192 spectators piled into London’s Wembley Stadium, making it the most-attended Euros final in either the men’s or women’s sport. 17.4 million viewers tuned in at home.
The women have repeatedly made headlines in the aftermath of the game which saw England finally bringing it home.
“a huge move for feminism”
The Lionesses’ excitement and genuineness in post-match interviews was praised as refreshing. Their joy was contagious as they grabbed one another, cheering, dancing, and singing. A clip of Chloe Kelly went immediately viral: during an on-camera interview with the BBC after the game, she dropped the microphone and ran away instantly to join her team in singing their anthem, ‘Sweet Caroline’.
This was after removing her shirt and swirling it above her head in an exuberant celebration after scoring the match’s winning goal in the 110th minute.
The now-iconic sports bra shot was quickly branded a huge move for feminism, for challenging ideas that women should hide their bodies, and working to combat the idea that women’s bodies are inappropriate and inherently sexual. Kelly, 24, chatted to The Daily Mail about the decision, claiming “I didn’t realise how big taking my top off would become and what it would do for women.” She insists she was just caught up in the moment, and embracing the emotion.
Their relatability definitely didn’t end there. The girls’ after-party reportedly lasted well into the night, with much of the team having to hide sore heads behind large sunglasses at the Trafalgar Square celebration the next day. The appearance was attended by around 7,000 fans who flocked to London for the chance to join the festivities. The event was hosted by ex-England star Alex Scott and featured music, replays of game highlights, and a Q&A with the players.
“pave the way for future generations”
Never before have female footballers received such attention in the UK. Millions nationwide have praised the team for transforming the public’s view of women’s sport, and for showing sceptics that women can participate in sport and succeed. Discussions have opened, calling for more opportunities for young girls to play football and pave the way for the future generations of Lionesses.
The squad have contributed to this, using their platform to further campaign for change. The teammates joined forces to share an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss on social media, in the run-up to the Conservative party leadership election which will determine our next Prime Minister. It urged the winner to ensure all girls had the chance to play football in school. The letter noted that “currently only 63% of girls can play football in PE lessons. The reality is that we are inspiring young girls to play football, only for many to end up going to school and not being able to play.”
I spoke to some women who watched the match and asked how it affected them to see the Lionesses make England the 2022 European champions. Nobody expressed anything other than gushing support.
“they can do it just as well as – if not better than – the boys.”
“It’s so emotional to watch such amazing women, who have had to work so hard just to have their incredible talent recognised,” one said.
Another shared that she felt “so happy to finally see a turning point in women’s sport because of what this team has achieved.” She added, “These women will have inspired a whole generation of little girls to take up sports and show they can do it just as well as – if not better than – the boys.”
The Women’s FA (WFA) was established in 1969 and fought to make women’s football respected on a wide scale. It wasn’t until 1983 that the WFA became affiliated with the FA, and in 1993 the FA founded the Women’s Football Committee.
This means the England men’s football team haven’t brought home a major trophy for the entire duration of recognised national women’s football.
With the Lionesses bringing women’s sport to the forefront of public attention, gripping us, and making us root for it like never before, we can only hope that the future is bright for the game. The Lionesses have proven the competitivity and ability of female players. Their nail-biting performance proved they could put on a show just as exciting as the men.
Let’s see how the sport grows over time, and try to maintain its current momentum.
Featured image courtesy of Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Faye Minton
Faye is a former Empoword Editor in Chief and an MA International Journalism student at Swansea University.