Against the odds, with grit and resilience and sheer hard work, we did something great, inspiring. And we did it for a second time – winning back to back titles in the Women’s Euros.
Well the Lionesses belted an enormous great penalty-shaped hole in that narrative of cynicism on Sunday. Because for 120 heart-stopping minutes, then seemingly a lifetime of penalties, our country came together, united, passionate and proud as we willed England on to victory in the final against Spain.
As former England star Jill Scott said afterwards: “This team never ever gives up.”
And there is nothing which particularly brings England together than enduring the shared trauma of a penalty shoot out.
When Chloe Kelly stepped up to take the final penalty the weight of a nation’s hopes lay upon her. Only nerves of steel could withstand it. Only resilience and grit – those qualities we are told so often are lacking in our younger generation – would do. Kelly was a perfect illustration of what joy those qualities can bring.
Not that anything had been easy getting to that point.
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England had snatched victory from Swedish and Italian jaws of defeat in the quarter and semi-finals, surely they couldn’t do it again?
From there the team dug in and took the game to extra time and the dreaded penalties.
As a nation we have a long history with penalties that far precedes any imported Scandinavian success. But these girls had hearts of Lionesses, nerves of steel and the strength of giants.
All day excitement had been building. Sunday morning’s newspapers featured big images of captain Leah Williamson grasping her England badge in a pose beloved of Sports editors the world over.
Interest in the tournament is unrecognisable to that which it received just a few short years ago. Largely because even a decade ago a women’s Euros was actually unrecognisable in the national calendar. Only a hardcore of women’s football fans might tune in to watch.
The final was screened on both the BBC and ITV with television bosses confident viewing numbers would beat the 14.8 million who tuned in when England lost to Spain in the 2023 World Cup. More than 45 million people were expected to watch the match globally.
Switzerland hosted a fantastic tournament, with 29 of the 31 matches sold out and 657,291 spectators in attendance. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin spoke of “unprecedented global interest” – and there was.
After the match, Kelly said: “I am so proud of this team, so proud to wear this badge, so proud to be English.”
We are too Chloe. Thank you and the team for reminding us of it.
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