Lionesses Give Me a Rawr
Big respect going out to all the lionesses, what a tournament, what drama!
Wow. Smashed it. Up the Lionesses.
I only tuned into the Euros this year at the penalty shootout in the quarter-finals against Sweden. Edge of your seat stuff. A high-drama 3–2 win in a shootout that felt like it would never end. I was getting quite rowdy from my bed lol. Gutted I missed the two England goals that turned the game, both set up by a true England legend: Chloe Kelly.
From then on I was hooked.
The semi-final? A heist. Michelle Agyemang’s 96th-minute equaliser, and then Chloe stepping up to bury the peno in extra time. Ice cold.
And I’m sorry but… when are we getting a statue of her on Wembley Way?
She scored the winning goal in Euro 2022. She drove England to the final in this year’s tournament from the bench. And then Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty in an epic final full of liquid football, especially from the Spanish.
BIG. LEGEND.
👉 Sign the petition: Celebrate the Moment, Honour the Legacy: Chloe Kelly on Wembley Way 👈
As a bloke, I hesitated to kick this off. But feck it. Pretty sure as a nation we can all agree: she deserves this. The Lionesses deserve this.
Hopefully others can spearhead and champion this through the bureaucracy. See this as a starting place and an invitation to participate. To lead even. I am just pointing the direction I think we should be heading in.
Finally, l will say it was wonderful to swing by the Lionesses parade and celebration next to the Queen Victoria Memorial. Well deserved. Lovely to see them soaking it all in.
However, what a shambles it was as well. Disappointingly poorly organised. No one had a clue where they were going, there were no sign posts, even the stewards in the park had no real idea.
Then, when I made it to the right spot, there are these TV vans parked all around the outside so that unless you are in the main arena - which apparently you had to be there from like 7am - you basically can’t see the stage.
I mean really, you gotta ask yourself, would it be like this for the men. If the men ever manage to win a tournament in our lifetimes that is.
I think the answer is no. And as a lady next to me in the crowd pointed out it shines an uncomfortable light on the misogyny and structural inequities that the women have had to battle for years.
This is a shame. We can do better. I am sure next time we will do better.
Because here is the thing. The Lionesses have transformed the womens game in the UK and no doubt around the world. Since their Euro 2022 triumph I have watched them beat the USA at Wembley, watched the Arsenal Womens at the Emirates multiple times and now have a season ticket to watch the Arsenal Women next season. For the first time, every single Women’s Super League games will be played at the Emirates.
The women’s game is generally more pleasant to experience as a fan, the players are skilful and supportive of each other and there is none of the diving shenanigans that has proliferated through the men’s game. Plus tickets are actually affordable.
Get yourself down to a women’s football match.
You won’t regret it.