The last time the England women’s football team played a championship final on home soil was in a mud bath in front of nearly empty stands.
But today, the country’s new-found darlings, the Lionesses, are expected to be watched by 15 million TV viewers.
The difference between a team being introduced to Prince William at Wembley and their predecessors who played that game in 1984 in uncharted territory in south Bedfordshire is also symbolic of the massive changes that have taken place in British society. Women’s football captures the imagination of the public.
In fact, it can be said that the joy the Lionesses have recently brought has matched the reaction to everything the men’s squad has done.
Boris Johnson summed up the feel-good factor yesterday when he praised the team in a post ahead of today’s Euro 2022 final against Germany.
FLYING THE FLAG: Forward Beth Mead, who scored against Sweden yesterday, in England’s camp yesterday
Alessia Russo of England celebrates after scoring her third goal during the UEFA Women’s Euro England 2022 Semi-Final match between England and Sweden/Belgium at Bramall Lane on July 26, 2022 in Sheffield
He said: “Your passion for the game, your tenacity in difficult places and most importantly your amazing talent on the pitch have already provided millions of us with a summer full of fantastic memories.
“In every pride it is the lionesses who hunt relentlessly as a team and take home their prize, and I am sure that will be the case against Germany.
But whatever happens at Wembley, I know that the next morning the fields, playgrounds and parks of this country will be filled with girls and women who know beyond a shadow of a doubt that football isn’t just for boys. it’s really for everyone.’
Tickets for the final were sold out before the tournament started. Some have since been resold for nearly 20 times the original price.
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are expected to join the game with daughter Princess Charlotte, seven – an enthusiastic player who is said to be ‘very good at goal’.
After England’s semi-final victory, Prince William congratulated the team and said: ‘The whole country is so proud of all you have achieved. We believe in you and will be with you all the time!’
When England, never winning the tournament, played that final in 1984, some players’ spouses were unable to join the 2,500 spectators at the Kenilworth Road site in Luton Town because they could not afford the transport. The game only had 35-minute halves instead of 45, and a smaller ball was used than that used by men.
Former England goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain describes tonight’s game as ‘the most romantic final as a football fan you could wish for’.
Football fan Amelia Sowden from Ilkley in the Fanzone on June 26
The Sander-Powell family from Taughton is photographed from the Fanzone
Tess Dolan, 8, has become an internet sensation after she was filmed last night in Sheffield dancing at the England Women’s competition, photographed at her home in West Yorks July 27.
Numerous celebrities and athletes have sent the Lionesses their best wishes. Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton said: “Thank you so much for all the incredible, inspiring work you do. Everything you do is so empowering for young girls, for young people in general. It’s so inspiring.’
The British Beer and Pub Association predicts ten million pints worth £40 million will be drunk today as the country prays for the proverbial ’56 years of hurt’ – the period since Bobby Moore’s England team won the World Cup in 1966.
Despite calls in some quarters for a special one-off holiday if the Lionesses win, the government has ruled out that.
More than 11 million people watched England’s semi-final victory over Sweden on Tuesday. Today at halftime, the National Grid Electricity System Operator expects demand to spike 400 megawatts as viewers turn on kettles for a cup of tea, then another 550 MW full-time — the equivalent of 144,000 light bulbs turned on at the same time.
The game kicks off at 5pm and will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on BBC1, on BBC iPlayer or on the BBC Sport website.