W Euro 2022: Historic rise of women’s football in the UK, packed stadiums and TV ratings through the roof!
England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 opener against Austria saw nearly 70,000 people fill Old Trafford – a record for the Women’s European Championships – while over 4 million tuned in to watch the Lionesses’ 1-0 win.
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W Euro 2022 glory for Lionesses would be major boost for English game
Sir Geoff Hurst believes Euro’s success for England this summer will have a massive impact on the development of the women’s game in the country.
He says a successful Euros campaign will bring about lasting improvement for the women’s game.
“It’s fantastic to represent your country in a major tournament,” he told the PA news agency.
“Just those things, playing in a major tournament, in your own country, the chance of playing at Wembley – it is just absolutely fantastic and a huge opportunity and I’m sure the players are going to be terribly excited to be part of that.
“If they can dream that far, it’d be absolutely amazing to have a final at Wembley again and, importantly, I think the tournament itself will attract more young women, young girls to the game, which we’ve seen a gradual improvement over the years.
“It’ll have an unbelievably significant influence on even more young girls wanting to play the game. It’s just absolutely sensational.
“It doesn’t matter how far England go in terms of bringing eyes to the game, but if they won it, that could change the landscape of women’s football in this country for generations to come.”
Coverage of women’s football has been fantastic
Hurst mentions the importance of success trickling down the football pyramid to help those at grassroots levels.
“As much as we would like to see England do well, grassroots football is the important world,” he added.
“Getting them in now and over a period of time would be a major move forwards.
“The coverage of women’s football has been fantastic. I think when games are seen on TV and you see the women’s footballers talking or doing an advert on TV and seeing them becoming well known in their own right and young girls watching that, it’s a such a major influence on them wanting to play the game and get involved in the game.”
The women’s game is certainly having a moment, capturing the attention of football fans and the wider public in a way that hadn’t been seen before.
The Lionesses have been dominating the back pages and playing to primetime TV audiences and packed stadiums. As the women’s players are starting to become household names and England edges closer to lighting the trophy, now is the time for the review into the women’s domestic fame that the government announced in April.
The independent fan‑led review last year was an excellent piece of work that, with the government accepting its recommendations in full, can lead to real, positive change.
A review of the women’s domestic game can also lead to positive change. It presents a chance to address a range of issues that are crucial to women’s football – protecting and empowering those who play it and helping shape the future of women’s football in the UK.
W Euro 2022 – Packed stadiums and TV ratings through the roof
England’s Euro 2022 semi-final win attracted a peak audience of 9.3 million viewers on BBC One, making it among the most-watched TV broadcasts of the year.
And the figures do not include the many who will have watched using online streams or in public spaces such as pubs or fan zones.
Internation women’s football is now a consistent rating winner, leaving other sports envious of the enormous interest it is attracting.
“Euro 2022 has attracted millions of British viewers – even for matches that have not involved England or Northern Ireland – suggesting there is an enormous appetite for free-to-air live sport in the UK,” reports the Guardian.