‘Not just a flash in the pan’ – England’s legacy

The country’s women’s football revolutionized when England won the European Championship in 2022.

Match attendances increased exponentially, investment increased, and media coverage increased.

But after England triumphed in Switzerland on Sunday to retain their European crown following a dramatic penalty shootout against Spain, England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “We’re not there yet”.

The significance of England’s first major women’s trophy, Euro 2022, will be difficult to overstate. It is the country’s first major women’s trophy.

However, the success of Euro 2025, which is the first major trophy to be won on foreign soil and the first time an English senior team has won a title, may prove crucial in furthering the game’s place in society.

Captain Leah Williamson, speaking before Sunday’s final, said: “You don’t want to be a flash in the pan, a memory, and when we spoke before 2022 we said it was the start of something.

The success of the Lionesses’ game in England is equivalent to the success of the women’s game.

After the Euro 2022 victory, interest in the domestic game piqued with every Women’s Super League club seeing increased attendances the following season. Following the 2023 World Cup, England lost to Spain in the final to a similar effect.

The biggest crowds were attracted to the elite Lionesses’ home stadium, with Arsenal drawing the most and setting a new WSL attendance record of 47, 367 in their first game away from home at Emirates Stadium following Euros.

The Gunners have gone on to break the WSL attendance record another three times, but last season average attendances dropped by 10% compared with the previous campaign.

Attendance increased in the wake of Euro 2022, not just in terms of attendance. Here are some other significant developments:

The players have never shied away from their role in advocating for positive change for women and girls ‘ football.

Lotte Wubben-Moy, England defender, spearheaded an ultimately successful campaign just hours after winning Euro 2022, when the Lionesses’ squad wrote an open letter to the then-government requesting girls’ full access to school football.

Since then, successive governments have taken action, and on Monday, ministers announced plans to double the time that women’s and girls’ football teams are allocated at government-funded sports facilities.

” These girls are constantly using their voice for change, “said former England striker Ellen White.

“Wishing to inspire a country and expanding opportunities for young people and girls.” They are so motivating and want to change. They are perfect role models. “

They have demonstrated that they don’t shy away from speaking out against causes they support. Williamson, who plays for England and wears a rainbow armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights, previously said it was “false to advise players to stick to football and stay away from politics before the men’s World Cup in Qatar.

Before the last Women’s World Cup, former Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps called out Nike for failing to sell England women’s goalkeeper shirts, which led to the sportswear giant making a U-turn.

The Lionesses decided they would no longer knee before games because they didn’t think it was having enough of an impact after defender Jess Carter was the subject of racist abuse during Euro 2025. They stated in a statement that it is obvious that football and football must find a different way to combat racism.

Win or lose, the Lionesses feel a sense of responsibility for women’s football and frequently talk about inspiring the next generation of young boys and girls to play.

Williamson said, “Everything we do is for us and our team, but we also do it for the country and the young girls,” after celebrating with fans in central London.

While the legacy of Euro 2022 is clear, everyone involved in women’s football knows there is still a long way to go.

The WSL Football, which has taken over the WSL and WSL 2 this year, called it “a massive ignition moment.”

“In some ways, I think we’re even more prepared to take advantage of this opportunity now that we have the independent business established,” he said. “It’s our job to take the inspiration and take it as quickly and hard as we can.”

Most WSL clubs are reliant on financial support from a men’s team, although London City Lionesses will become the first team with no affiliation with a men’s club to play in the women’s top flight this season.

Positions for clubs are much more precarious outside of the top flight. Blackburn’s latest example is that they made the decision to leave the second tier, or WSL 2, for this season because they could not meet the league’s financial and operational requirements.

Last summer Reading, who were in the WSL as recently as two years ago, decided to withdraw from the second tier and drop to the fifth because of financial issues.

The WSL is on a “good trajectory,” according to FA CEO Mark Bullingham, and success at Euro 2025 will “turbo-charge” that along with plans for grassroots growth.

We want to get to the point where, he said, “we have a job to do” that we need to have boys and girls playing football as boys and girls do, but before that happens, we must have to do it.”

FA director of women’s football, Sue Day, agreed there was much more to be done for women’s football in England.

She stated on Radio 4’s Today program that “we want more games on the TV, we want more opportunities for fans to get involved, we want more money to be able to pay the players with,” and that she wants more children playing in schools.

“So we must really capture this moment and make it everything that girls want football to be like.”

The England team have already shown in the aftermath of their latest triumph that they will continue to make their voices heard.

Manager Wiegman said at a Downing Street reception on Monday: “We need some more investment. We are not yet there.

” In England we’re up there but England needs to stay the trailblazer, it needs to be the big example – the players first but also the Football Association, the clubs, the government, the country, the fans. Let’s continue to lead the pack.

And the players are already making plans for their next steps.

Midfielder Georgia Stanway said:” The point is now we don’t have to keep winning to create a legacy and create change… but the fact that we win, it opens the doors so much more, gives us so much more opportunity to make change.