Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Rob Collins emailed. “Hey Mike.” Hi Rob. “An amazing result that rewarded everyone who believed. As a thank you, I’d love to see the Lionesses do an open bus parade in every city that hosted a match.” Good idea. Sheffield, Brighton, Southampton and Manchester are at a standstill. Opportunities abound and, writes Jonathan Liew, the future is bright: England won. In the end, maybe that was all that mattered…But of course it had to mean more than that. And as captain Leah Williamson hoisted the trophy high on her armband in front of a record crowd and a television audience likely to be the highest ever for a women’s football match in Britain, it felt both the end of one journey and the beginning of another . The first, an incessant struggle for resources and respect, for parity and platform, is finally over. The second is a journey without maps, without a guide and without an end. More here: So how to take advantage of this incredible moment? Guardian football contributors Suzanne Wrack, Faye Carruthers, Louise Taylor, Sophie Downey and Jen Offord were asked for their thoughts. From launching a World Cup bid to a bold marketing plan, here are: Sunday’s final attracted a record 87,192 fans to Wembley – the highest attendance of any European Championship final, men’s or women’s – to cap a tournament that broke records for attendance. Interest in the women’s game has never been higher and there seems to have been a shift in perception over the last couple of weeks. As Carrie Dunn writes: For the first time, much of the coverage this summer was about technique and tactics, not just the players and their personal lives. Both men and women break down the games and the mainstream media discuss the results – something that has also happened in workplaces across the country. It’s a day-to-day water conversation, as you’d expect from any major men’s tournament. Read Carrie’s full article here: The Queen said England’s victory was “a significant achievement”, before adding that the England team “set an example that will be an inspiration to girls and women today and for generations to come”. Meanwhile, English football royalty Sarina Wiegman had six clear words after her team’s victory. “Above all, we changed society,” said the Dutch coach. “I think what we’ve done is really incredible. I am so proud of the team. I think I need a few days to realize what we did.” More from Wiegman and her players here: We can expect more such scenes today. England fans react as Lionesses make history to win Euro 2022 – video But of all the celebrations they’ve already seen, this is probably the best – the moment the England players burst into Wiegman’s unsuspecting press post-match, singing and dancing to Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions anthem. Simply glorious. ‘It’s coming home’: England press conference moment after Euro 2022 win – video Updated at 06.50 BST Public celebrations can continue on Monday with a day-long event planned in Trafalgar Square where fans will be able to take part in a Q and A session with the winning players and their manager, reports my colleague Gemma McSherry. Fans will be able to arrive and gain entry on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 11am. and the event will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 12.40pm. England’s ‘history makers’ apparently make both the front and back pages of the UK papers this morning, with plenty of predictable mentions in the headlines of ‘homecoming’, ‘wound years’ and so on. Read it all here: Where to start from? How about the views of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast crew? Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Ceylon Andi Hickman and Jonathan Liew gathered in a Premier Inn room to digest the greatness of what they saw at Wembley – and what the future holds for the women’s game. Listen here:
Preamble
Mike Hutner It’s the sentence many thought they might never read again, but here we are: England have won a major football trophy. It has been 56 years since the country’s last title-winning side beat Germany in extra time at Wembley. This time – against the same old foes, at the same north London ground and again after extra time – it was the women’s team who made history and united the country in celebration. Understandably since the full-time whistle blew, the reaction has been rather delirious. People danced in the Trafalgar Square fountains at full-time, wild celebrations took place in the Manchester fan zone, the players themselves held a press conference and even the Queen joined in, congratulating Sarina Wiegman’s team (slightly less unabashedly). Calls for an extra bank holiday are sure to intensify today. I’ll be here to take you through the wee hours of the morning as the nation wakes up, a large percentage of which is very likely harboring a significant hangover. Please get in touch at [email protected] or on Twitter @mike_hytner with any thoughts on the game, the newly crowned European champions or the future of women’s football.
