Territory marked: Looking back at an incredible year for women’s football

From heartbreak to heroes, FA Cups to landmark caps and everything in between - a look back at the strides the women’s game has made.

Heading into last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, women’s football in England was sitting on a great foundation.  The Women’s Super League (WSL) had been sustainably growing since its inception in 2010, average attendances were steadily rising and a number of key clubs were shifting their programmes full-time.  At grassroots, the FA’s investment in women’s football was starting to pay off as it became the number one team sport.  Off the pitch too, a ground-breaking multi-million pound deal for the Women’s FA Cup naming rights was announced with SSE, while women’s football got the feel-good factor as EA Sport’s welcomed women’s national teams to FIFA for the first time.  But arguably, it was still a sport that existed largely outside of mainstream media and the public’s attention.  Until 12 months ago.

At last summer's World Cup, following a dramatic escape from the group stages, England’s Lionesses began to roar, convincingly beating host’s Canada in the quarter-final.  Although England’s semi-final against Japan saw injury-time heartbreak for the team, it left a play-off match against the Germans for the European bragging rights. These were secured as Fara Williams converted an extra-time spot-kick, winning the Lionesses an unprecedented bronze medal that would cement their place in history and in the hearts of a nation.

Despite the after-hours kick-off times, the BBC reported that 12.6 million viewers had tuned into their tournament coverage. The Lionesses exploits had been plastered across the front and backs of newspapers, and girls and boys alike were discussing the kicks, flicks and wonder strikes of the women’s national team. The squad soon found themselves with invitations to Wimbledon and an appointment with the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Street - everyone wanted to show their support for the team and congratulate their accomplishments.  This wasn’t just a game changer; it would prove to be life-changing for the Lionesses and marked the start of a huge surge in interest and excitement for the women’s game.

Reaping the effects of the World Cup were top-flight WSL fixtures. Compared to matches prior to the tournament, attendance was up by an average of 47% on the previous round, with teams regularly having over 1,000 fans watching.  The newfound profile of the players was highlighted after matches, as growing groups of fans old and new would wait patiently to share a selfie or brief exchange with their idols.  Furthermore, for the first time in history, 30,000 screaming fans welcomed the 2015 SSE Women's FA Cup Final to the home of football - Wembley Stadium, with a further 1.99 million viewers tuning in at home.  The event and its success signified a change in perception and attitude for women’s football and, with an ever-growing fan base, this was the perfect opportunity to place club teams on the map and into the media spotlight. 

Bristol City WFC vs. Manchester City Women (2015)

Recognition and award nights became the norm over the following months, with the Lionesses taking home BT Sport’s Action Woman of the Year award for 2015. Yet perhaps the most significant of all occurred in November last year. Following her “absolute belter” of a goal at the World Cup, Lucy Bronze made it onto the 12-person shortlist for BBC’s prestigious Sports Personality of the Year award, alongside the likes of Andy Murray and Jessica Ennis-Hill. This was the first time a female footballer had been nominated in the award’s 62-year history.  Despite Bronze seeing her nomination as more of a “representation of how the team had performed” in Canada, this well-earned individual recognition was a welcome statement for the women’s game – they were now competing alongside some of the national treasures of British sport.

The start of 2016 picked up exactly where the successes of 2015 had left off. Following her SPOTY nomination, Bronze was announced as the latest ambassador for Sainsbury’s Active Kids campaign, one of many of the Lionesses who found themselves with new commercial backing. With Captain Steph Houghton also featuring in a new female-focused Virgin Media advert, it appears that big brands are now realising the potential of the game’s personalities to reach new audiences.  At the same time, the media presence of women’s footballers has also continued to rise, the latest example being Eni Aluko joining ITV’s Euro 2016 punditry team.  With over 100 international caps to her name, Aluko is a shining example of an experienced player expanding their profile off the pitch.

On the pitch too, the girls have continued to achieve great things.  In March, Fara Williams became the first-ever English footballer - male or female to reach 150 caps, during the invitational She Believes Cup in the USA.  Later that month, the England team achieved their highest-ever FIFA’s World Ranking, climbing to fourth.  And the girls are not showing any signs of slowing down - a series of authoritative victories has secured them qualification to the Euro 2017 with two games remaining.  With over 30 players already involved in the campaign, including promising debutants such as Rachel Daly and Danielle Carter, the campaign has also highlighted the bright future ahead for the Lionesses.

So what’s next on this incredible journey?  With fresh investment at all levels of the pyramid to drive greater participation and grow the talent pool, increasing media exposure and a growing and passionate fan base, the next 12 months of this journey will surely continue to amaze.  Following the Lionesses’ World Cup bronze medal, FIFA ranking, and early qualification, a top three finish at Euro 2017 is now almost expected from Mark Sampson's side.  Pressure perhaps, but whatever the next year throws at these players, the barriers they have broken and the success already achieved prove they are a force to be reckoned with.

Co-written with Ashley Brown, founder of Soccerella

Victoria Pendleton: The saddle switch

From three time Olympic medallist to novice jockey, the road from bike track to horse-back for Victoria Pendleton has not been as simple as a switch of saddle. On Friday, Pendleton rode in the amateur jockey race of the season - Cheltenham's Foxhunter Chase, less than a year after she first mounted a horse.  Her story has been full of debate and controversy and this week the media has fixated on the Cheltenham race festival. Questions over whether she should be competing due to 'health and safety' reasons, to questions about her celebrity status over-shadowing the meeting have captured the eyes of the horse-racing world and beyond. Yet on Friday at 4:10pm the question that everyone was waiting for an answer to was "can she do it?".

Pendleton is no novice to racing, it is just what she is racing on that differs. Cycling since a young age, Pendleton rose to sporting fame in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics where she won Olympic sprint gold. Come London 2012 Olympics, Pendleton was the one to beat on the track and was given the nickname 'Queen Victoria' due to her victorious efforts at the Lee Valley Velopark. She came away with Olympic silver and gold medals, always knowing this would be where she retired from her cycling career. Her enjoyment had plummeted and she spoke afterwards about cleansing herself of everything related to her cycling career. She was determined to look forwards, not back. So when Betfair approached her asking if she wanted to become a licensed amateur jockey, it was an offer she was never going to turn down.

Very few people have the drive and determination to become a successful Olympian. Early morning training, travel to and from competition and a lifestyle that centres around being physically and psychologically fit. Yet with this mindset and athleticism, Pendleton was an example of the perfect person to take on the gruelling training and courage needed to be a jockey. The ultimate goal 12 months ago was for Pendleton to race at Cheltenham. Some regarded this as highly ambitious and very unlikely from someone so new to the sport. Yet in the lead up to the Cheltenham festival, as Pendleton started to become more prominent in races it was clear this original aim would be achieved. 

As the Cheltenham festival approached, headlines were unsurprisingly focused on Pendleton. Much of the media, public, people both in and outside of the horse racing world believed that she wasn't ready to take on the challenge. Jump jockeys can take over 10 years to reach where Pendleton had in one, an unbelievable achievement that some thought was only possible due to her celebrity status. That said, Pendleton had proved herself a worthy rider, winning her first race a month before at Wincanton with the favourite that day; Pacha du Polder. A good race to finish on ahead of Cheltenham.

Cheltenham, for most people, was not a case of whether Pendleton on Pacha du Polder could win, more a case of seeing how well she rode and where she could finish in this large field of more experienced riders. As Pendleton took to the ring, the swarms of paparazzi gathered around her. I, as I'm sure many others did, found myself anxiously wondering if this was all going to go horribly wrong. According to Channel 4 there were 90 extra TV crews there that day. Yes, it was Gold Cup day, the race of the meeting, however the lenses were all pointing towards one woman. There was a buzz of excitement on the Friday leading up to her race. Bookies took this opportunity to tap into the Pendleton market. Not only could punters bet on Pacha du Polder at a starting price of 16/1, many offered odds for whether she would even complete the course and where exactly in the field she would position. AP McCoy had no doubt she would finish the race, winning on the other hand was a whole other story. 

The 23 riders set off on the 3 mile 2 furlong race. Pendleton rode tentatively at the back of the field for the majority of the race, out of trouble but certainly not out of mind of the punters and paparazzi. As horses started to fall and pull up around her, Pendleton soon found herself tracking the favourite, a tactical move that may well have been pre-decided. With one fence left to jump there was an overwhelming sense of relief that she was still in the race and what's more, in a position she may look back on as 'I could have won that'.

Pendleton finished a remarkable 5th out of a field of 23 horses with some of the best amateur jockeys in the world riding them. She looked like she couldn't believe she had done it and been that close to placing. That in itself was an almighty win for Pendleton. In her interviews after she explained it as one of the "greatest achievements of her life", saying  to everyone how much she enjoys racing and how there isn't a better feeling than riding a horse. Her cycling career seem a lifetime ago, a past she has openly boxed away, despite her outstanding successes. However, with the limited time she is likely to have left as a jump jockey and her drive to want to succeed, as long as she stays in once piece this could be tremendous tale of guts, luck and determination. She is certainly not one to write off for the future.

Pendleton has silenced some of the critics for sure, whether she is accepted into the racing world as any other amateur jockey around would be is yet to be seen. However, you can be sure that Pendleton more than anyone else would like the tabloids to be turned onto her racing achievements, rather than questions over why she is there and whether she should be racing.

Opinions differ, controversy will remain, however there is no debate that what Pendleton has achieved in this last year is a phenomenal display of sporting excellence, and this certainly should be celebrated.

Oscar Pistorius: The fallen hero

The making of a sporting hero takes talent, years of hard work, dedication and sporting excellence. However, the 'unmaking' of a hero can take just one mistake, one wrong decision or moment of madness. Oscar Pistorius is perhaps one of the best examples of this. A tragic story of one man who broke the boundaries of disability sport yet has left the world of sport and athletics stunned through a tragic act of insanity.

The Blade Runner: three-time Paralympic Gold medallist and three-time world record breaker, who, in July 2012 became the first amputee to compete in an Olympic event at the London Games. For five years he'd fought the courts to race alongside these athletes and finally won his case. As he stood on the start line of the 400m semi-final next to able-bodied Olympians, for Pistorius the race was won. He had silenced the critics and displayed the athleticism and ability to match those of the runners around him. It didn’t matter where he was finally placed, he had made it to the top of para-sport and was now competing with the best able-bodied athletes in the world. This was a stepping stone not just for Pistorius but for Paralympians and disabled men and women around the world.  

Born without fibulae, at 11-months old, Pistorius had both legs amputated below the knee -  leaving him with little chance of ever walking. So to think that he would go on to make a career from being one of the most successful athletes in the world was astonishing. No one can deny that he has unbelievable talent and his drive and desire to push the boundaries of sport and bring disability sport into the spotlight on a world stage is extraordinary. He is a global phenomenon for all athletes, never pitying himself or seeing his disability as a barrier. London 2012 was the peak of his career to date. 

Then on Valentine’s day 2013, Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the toilet door of his home. At just 30 years old she had a life ahead of her and was set to be one of South Africa’s most successful models. Come July 2014 and Oscar Pistorius was on trial for murder, which lasted a gruelling 49 days. Reeva's mother sat emotionless throughout, numb to the realisation that her daughter was killed by the man who sitting before her. And Pistorius; broken. As he gave his account of the events that night, the court room and world who were watching, witnessed his fall from grace. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison for culpable homicide, yet put under house arrest after just 12 months. An outcome that sparked debate over the South African justice system and one that Reeva’s parents believed was not enough. He served his original one-year sentence and thoughts soon turned to the prospect that he could be competing at Rio 2016 Olympics - somewhat ridiculous when he’d been behind bars just 18 months before. 

Oscar Pistorius hasn't always been free from dispute. When you're at the top of your game, being pushed by other athletes helps spur you on and motivate you to train that bit harder. Yet when he was beaten by Alan Oliveira over 200m at the London 2012 Paralympics, Pistorius suggested Oliveira had cheated. “We aren’t racing a fair race” he protested. Suggesting that Oliveria’s carbon fibre blades were longer than his and longer than the IPC calculated length for someone of that size. This outburst was one of the first times Pistorius had let his guard down in front of the world’s media, and despite apologising for the timing of his complaint, he stood by his statement that there was an issue on the matter. For the general public, this was a sign of what many close to him already knew – Pistorius had a volatile nature, an uncompromising temper, a counter to his apparent kind and giving personality.

Then on 3rd December 2015, the original conviction was overturned. Pistorius now found guilty of murder. 

Once confined by his disability, then defined as the breakthrough star of Paralympic sport, how Pistorius is now defined is yet to be decided. It's difficult to know what to say and think about a man that's provided so much to the sport of athletics and acted as such as positive role model to hundreds of less able people around the world. What he has done for Paralympic sport is phenomenal - he was the poster boy of athletics. He has bridged the gap between Olympic and Paralympic sport and given hope and belief to hundreds of disabled athletes around the world. Understandably, questions concerning whether he should still be seen as a role model are controversial. When you hear the name Oscar Pistorius it is hard not to think first of the tragic events of 2013. Yet look beyond that and thoughts and opinions become much less clear.

Oscar Pistorius; athlete, celebrity, inspiration and yet murderer - the most bitter of endings for someone who was changing the world of para-sport and perceptions of disability. His contribution to athletics can't and shouldn't be forgotten. In my eyes, he will remain a sporting great. Unlike those who are found guilty of drug doping; sporting frauds, Pistorius’ actions and decisions in his life outside of his sport were his downfall, unrelated to being an outstanding athlete. Yet he has taken a life, a life of someone so young with their future ahead of them. And with that, he has also taken his own life, his talent and sporting greatness away from himself – the ultimate price for someone who’s dedicated their life to a career in sport and inspiring others.

Niamh McKevitt: from both sides of the ball

I was given the opportunity by Soccerella* to interview Niamh McKevitt - a 16 year old girl who's just published her first book Playing with the boys. She details her incredible and often amusing journey growing up as the sole girl playing in a boys league...here's what we discussed.

Ask Niamh (pronounced “Nieve”) how she ended up with the boys, and she will tell you it was never a choice between boys or girls, but rather the desire “to be playing at the highest standard I could”, and make the next “step up” in the game.  While this has recently led her to shift her attentions to the highest ranks of the women’s game, joining Huddersfield Town in the FA WPL North (a feeder league to WSL2), she spent the first part of her football career competing in the top division of her local boys junior league.  Here, despite some initial apprehension from her new teammates, she quickly found herself accepted as her talent at left-back became apparent: “the boys wanted you in the team, regardless of whether you were a boy or girl”.

As she developed, Niamh did occasionally experience girl’s football, especially as she approached the FA’s cut-off ages for mixed teams.  Happily for Niamh, these were continually reviewed and shifted throughout her career and, as of the current season, mixed teams are allowed until the age of 18.  Given her experience in both environments, Niamh is well-placed to highlight some of the differences between the relative styles of boys and girls football.  One of the clearest contrasts was in training – while girls treated training as a chance to develop, “for the boys, it may as well have been the FA Cup Final”, such was their competitive nature.  On the flip side, Niamh highlights the greater emphasis on technique and tactics in the girl’s game, praising the high level of coaching (typically with coaches near UEFA B standard) that she had at spells with Derby County and Sheffield United. 

In her eyes, both sides could learn from one another.  She agrees with the assessment of Faye White, her role model and ex-England captain, who once said “you can tell which girls have played mixed football, as there is more desire” – having seen her own role transform from being one of the quieter members on the pitch in the boy’s game to being “one of the mouthiest girls on the team”; to both teammates and referees alike!  Yet, by her own admission, at full-back she is a stopper, and doesn’t see herself playing with the finesse shown by some of her peers in the women’s game.  Ultimately, Niamh thinks that both approaches carry their virtues and (in case the FA is reading!) argues greater integration between boys and girls at younger ages could encourage this balanced development.

Changing perceptions

When asked about the current state of women’s football, Niamh is confident that perceptions of the game are heading in the right direction, especially following this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.  For her, “people want to support a team that’s doing well and they want to support England – and if they want to get both of these things, then that’s the England Women’s team”.

The recent tournament brought unprecedented success and attention to an English team, who, going into the tournament, were somewhat of an underdog. And, after a heart-breaking semi-final, the Lionnesses even overcame the curse of the Germans, with Fara Williams scoring from the spot in extra time to earn England the bronze medal.  From heartbreak to triumph; the women’s team made history and put women in football right where it should be – in the spotlight.  The team returned home as heroes and role models to both girls and boys around the country and Niamh saw the shifts in perceptions first-hand.  Firstly, she was bemused by the boys at school now asking her all about the players (not least Lucy Bronze after her stunning goal vs. Norway), but admits that she’d been trying for years to get them interested beforehand!  She also sees that “young girls are [being] inspired, they see it’s something women can do and that it is a women’s sport”.  In the media as well, it appears that the sport, so often male-dominated, is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves, a stepping stone in the right direction for our national sport.   

What’s still needed?

However, Niamh still believes that more can be done to maintain and build on the new interest levels of women’s football.  She thinks that newspapers and other media channels continue to underestimate the potential interest in the game: “they think there is no want for content, but there is pent up desire, just no outlet for it”.  As for the Women’s Super League, she believes more can still be done to improve the accessibility of the product – firstly, with advertising the current matches and then with adapting the schedule to become more consistent, with fewer weekends off and reducing the mid-season break.  But she recognises its potential, noting that “what will determine how much the sport grows is the WSL and the European leagues, how well they are publicised and our future successes at World Cups.”

Niamh also thinks the success will be driven to an extent by the league’s ability to generate world-class, superstar players – those such as Alex Morgan today, and Mia Hamm for past generations.  She recognises the success that FIFA has made with this on the men’s side and sees it as a channel to grow the women’s game globally, both commercially and to encourage fresh participation.  So, who are Niamh’s big three Lionnesses?  After some reflection, she decides on Jill Scott, Fara Williams and Casey Stoney today, but also recognises the impact that Kelly Smith and Faye White had on her career, admitting that she idolised the pair since Primary School, where she used to write biographies of them.

What does the future hold… and a trip down memory lane

In 2012, Niamh hypothesised that she would “never play professionally in front of 50,000 people” – but is she now reconsidering this?  While admitting the future is bright for the sport, and particularly the WSL, Niamh says she hasn’t yet given much thought to a possible career in football.  For now, her attentions are set on developing her game with Huddersfield Town, earning a scholarship to play college soccer in the US and, let’s not forget, celebrating the publishing of her first book at the tender age of 16!

As we conclude, we asked Niamh for a few of her best memories with the boys.  Firstly, she told us about scoring a rare goal to complete a hard-fought 3-3 comeback in the cup quarter-final – and the resulting awkward moment as the boys considered a massive hug before resorting to a more conservative high-five (although we suggested the bowling ball celebration may have been a better compromise…).  And then there are great moments that you can only get by being a girl in a boy’s game.  In a tale from tour, Niamh chuckles as she recounts her colourfully-worded suggestion to a poor lad, having just dived in front of her that he might want to get up...  “I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was right in front of all the watching teams… let’s just say, he won’t be diving again any time soon!”

*Soccerella is a store dedicated to women's football in the UK. Niamh's book is available online here: http://soccerel.la/

These girls can - British women with the backing of a nation

There hasn't been a better time to write about women in sport and the change in attitude that is stemming from their feats on the field. In this past week, women have shown exactly what sport should be about; passion, courage and determination. From the pristine lawns of Wimbledon to the astro turfs of Canada, British women have been displaying sporting greatness and proving they can battle it out on a World stage. With increasing media coverage of female sports we have been able to witness this greatness, and with this comes a change in the thoughts, opinions and attitudes of the general population – a change for the better.

From Heather Watson; the British number one tennis player nearly knocking the World number 1; Serena Williams, out of Wimbledon, to the English Women's football team, reaching the semi-finals of the football world cup for the first time in FIFA history, the Brits are leading the way and with the backing of a whole Nation.

The history of women in sport is somewhat ridiculous. For a period of time in athletics, women were banned from running distances further than 800m as it was seen as detrimental to health, particularly childbirth. Women’s football was banned for 50 years by the FA until the realisation that it was considered unsuitable for a women’s physical frame was based on misconception not fact, and was subsequently re-introduced in the 1970s. One of the most recent changes in sport was the inclusion of women’s boxing at the 2012 Olympics, and aren’t Team GB grateful – Nicola Adams taking the first ever Olympic gold seemed fitting for the host nation. Women in sport are starting to be taken more seriously. There are still discrepancies between the men and women in certain sports, with financial backing perhaps being the most outrageous difference. Yet this is beginning to change, and so it should. For the first time ever, in 2007, Wimbledon introduced equal prize money for men and women – a change in fortune but more so a change in attitude.

Heather Watson ranked world number 59 and the last surviving UK woman in the Wimbledon 2015 draw, was to take on the world number 1 and potentially the best woman player tennis has ever seen – Serena Williams. The pre-match feature included that of a 12 year old Heather Watson interviewed in her Guernsey home, explaining how her role models in the sport included the likes of the player she was about to step on court with. The younger Watson went on to say how she hoped that one day, she would be a role model for other girls; well that she is. A nervy first set from Watson finished 6-2 to Williams; it was time for the crowd to get behind Watson and for Watson to start believing in herself. As errors started to creep into Williams’s game and as Watson’s shaky start began to diminish, comeback started to occur and the belief that Watson could potentially win this second set was more than a likely outcome. Second set: 6-4 to Watson and momentum firmly in her hands. Unbelievably, Watson had two early breaks and was 3-0 up in the third and final set. Yet when you are the best in your sport and you are expected to win, you don’t bow out easily. Williams is not a 20 Grand Slam winner for nothing and as the pendulum swung, she was right back in it at 4-4. The pair were somewhat inseparable at the end of this set and at 5-4 to Watson she needed two points to seal the win of a lifetime. Williams, verbally fighting with all that she had left, broke back and as Hawk-Eye showed that Watson’s ball was out - game, set and match went to the expected pre-match champion. A hard loss to swallow for Watson, but positives to take from it. She’d competed with the best, displayed skill and finesse of the finest and shown mental strength and a performance to be proud of. Her loss here can only catapult her into future sporting greatness and at the age of 23, Watson should be an inspiration to us all. She had the hopes of a nation on her shoulders on the biggest stage in tennis and despite the loss; she’s won the hearts and attention of a nation and shown that if you try hard enough, you can accomplish nearly anything.

Across the pond, another group of women were doing the same. The FIFA Women’s World Cup began in 1991 occurring every four years. England have reached the quarter final stage three times and went into the 2015 tournament as the underdogs of the competition. Once past an impressive group stage, other teams started to notice England, their adaptable line-ups and tactical set-ups that were ensuring the team came out on top. For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, England reached the semi-finals to play Japan – the current World Cup holders. With the tournament being held in Canada, it meant a late night for the English fans, with kick-off at 00:00 BST. The Lionessess wanted a nation behind them, and that is what they got. There was little to distinguish between the two teams and with a penalty at each end during the 90 minutes, every pass, every tackle meant it remained a level playing field. So there I found myself at 1:45am... expecting to stay up into extra-time, until the unthinkable happened. In the 92nd minute, Laura Bassett scored a freak own-goal but there really was no time for the team to come back from that. As the whistle was blown the pitch was a scene of triumph and heartbreak - as sport often is; always made worse when it is England that have had their dreams crushed. They say a photo speaks a thousand words and the pain and cruelty of what had just happened was etched across the face of every English player, most so that of Bassett’s. As her team mates pushed cameras out of the way of her face as she wept into her hands, it was clear to see how close England had come to reaching the World Cup final.

At times like this, social media can be punishing, but within minutes, #proudofBassett was trending on Twitter – it was a costly mistake, but her World Cup performances had been outstanding and that goal wasn’t to over shadow this. The post-match interviews were challenging for every player but the team knew they had one more game to play – the third place play-off. Head coach Mark Sampson said before the game that he wanted England to be the best team in Europe at the end of this World Cup. Easier said than done when standing in their way was a team at the top of the world rankings: Germany. The greatest thing to see was Laura Bassett in the starting XI, throwing her body into tackle after tackle and proving why she'd been one of England's best players of the tournament. She'd put the semi-final heartbreak to the back of her mind and displayed courage of the highest order. As the match went on, there was a feeling that it was going to be one fatigue-ridden mistake that would take either team to victory and as it entered extra-time the realisation of an England vs. Germany penalty shootout was becoming more likely. Then in the 108^th minute, England were awarded a penalty, and as Fara Williams stood up to the spot, the hopes of a team and nation were relying on England’s most capped player. GOAL – inch perfect, bottom corner, England were 1-0 up with just over ten minutes to play; surely this was our time. Full time: England’s first win against Germany in 31 years. A sterling performance, a deserved third place and a 23-strong squad that will return home as heroes.

When England put on their jerseys to play, you can tell they want to win. For themselves, for their team, but most importantly, for their country –and that’s how it should be. The team have become household names, their photos have been strung across every newspaper and their third place win and outstanding tournament should, and will, become a tipping point in English Women’s football. They’ve broken records, inspired a generation and displayed exactly why women deserve a place in sport.

These girls can, will and have given everything in their sports – something that should be admired nationwide. It may be elite sport, but it is the grass roots where sports need to develop and accelerate so that in years to come, performances such as these can repeat themselves. Both of these performances can be a platform for that, women have lead the way and the repercussions can be vast.

Are sports stars selfish?

After listening to an interview by Rebecca Adlington on BBC Radio 4, I was taken aback firstly by how modest and humble she was about her achievements, but more so by how wrong she was that being an elite sportsman or woman was a selfish career choice.

One phrase nearly every elite athlete has used at least once is: "There is no I in team", and this phrase couldn’t be more correct. Behind every great sportsman or woman there is a support team. When young, this may consist of your family and one coach, but the older an athlete gets, the more experienced and elite they become. This 'team' soon grows to a group of people from physios to medics, psychologists to nutritionists. Adlington referred to this as one of the reasons why being an athlete can be seen as selfish. It’s not just the athlete doing something for them, there is a team of people all working and striving towards one goal: to make that athlete the best that they can be.

In the interview Adlington described how when she was much younger her parents acted as this whole support team; from taxi driver to nutritionist; time manager to physio; they became the only way she could manage to continue swimming. She went on to explain how this eventually became too much for her mum who was working full time and trying to care for the whole family, so she ended up quitting her job. At this point, there was inevitable financial stress on the family… but swimming was what Adlington loved, where she excelled - and most parents wouldn’t dream of taking this away from their child. Is this selfish? – Yes, maybe, but it was her parents' choice and they decided to support her in her successes, so really this was selfless of them?

Difficulies within families can arise when there is more than one child, especially if there isn’t a common goal and passion for one sport between them. This was the case with Adlington and with other sports stars such as the diver Tom Daley. However hard parents, family and friends try to make it a level playing field for all their children, when sport is the focus for just one. It is often easier said than done. The balancing act a parent has to make is to ensure all children are equally supported through academia and health is challenging, so again, maybe this can be viewed as selfish. However, if you saw your sibling succeeding and working hard to achieve their goal, perhaps this could have positive influences on the rest of the family?

One of Adlington’s main points was that being an athlete is selfish from the perspective that they aren't doing something for the greater good, perhaps like a career such as a doctor. So this is where I disagree most.

How can someone who acts as a role model, inspires others to take part in physical activity and sport, shows practice, determination and hard work means you can reach lifelong goals and  additionally brings families and nations together, be selfish? I’ve previously written about how the London 2012 Olympics brought people together, put the UK and our outstanding athletes on a world stage – but this is a key message for those humble sports men and women, you are so many people’s role models. Sport stars can have a direct effects on some individuals, perhaps through workshops, coaching and talks. Yet there are wider effect on the masses that can make real differences to a population.

The snowball effect that large sporting competitions can have on participation in sport, whether it is the Olympics, World Cup or World Championships is vast. Through increase in participation comes a number or other benefits, such as positive effects on individual physical and mental health and boosts to the economy that are hard to quantify. It may be the effect of just one sports man or woman, a combination of people or a team – however there is an effect and this is critical. One of the greatest effects I’ve experienced through sport and sporting stars is around the time of the Paralympics. Disability sport was at the forefront, standing alone in the media spotlight. I believe during this time there was a change in attitude and approach towards individuals with disabilities, focus was given to what they could achieve even under constraints, not about what they could not achieve. Channel4 termed them Superhumans, and for good reason. The effects on a whole population’s thoughts and feelings were altered, but what about the more personal effects on individuals who may have struggled to come to terms with their disability? The sportsmen and women who defy odds, break barriers and yet still stay smiling are an inspiration to us all, but particularly those with similar struggles. These sorts of effects are priceless.

So to any sports person, whether you are just starting out or at the height of your career. Whether you notice it or not, if the direct benefits aren’t initially obvious, somewhere out there you will be inspiring someone, and so surely, that isn’t a bad thing. You make a difference, and that’s not selfish. 

Lance Armstrong: The cheat and the questions we ask

In January 2013, live on TV, Lance Armstrong; cyclists' greatest became sports most unwanted athlete after admitting to one of the worlds biggest doping scandals. The anger, the upset, the backlash and the media turmoil that followed showed how one man could effect the thoughts, opinions and actions of others. There is no doubt that to hundreds and thousands of people, Armstrong was a role model - not just for what appeared to be his athletic greatness on a bike but his unbelievable recovery from cancer. It is this mix of hope and strength, yet poison and weakness that makes the story and this man so hard to understand. 

Armstrong was classified as winning the Tour de France a record-breaking 7 consecutive times; that was until, after years of speculation and tracking by officials, the US Anti-Doping Agency disqualified him for doping offences leading to a lifetime ban from cycling in 2012. Armstrong, rightly so, was additionally stripped of his race wins. It was decided by the cycling committee that these would not be redistributed to the worthy winner, which in itself, further strips those who performed and competed cleanly in those years of not just a medal, but of a lifetime goal. 

Cycling, in particular the Tour de France has never been short of drug and doping problems. It was this 'common factor' that Armstrong regularly referred to after admitting to his offence as a justification to his actions. Yet some athletes managed it, some managed to perform with their own body, through their own training and with no input from banned substances, so why couldn't he? 

Information about the fact it was not the actions of one man but more a whole team of people under Armstrong's control came out in the media following the revelations. For me, it showed how powerful, clever and manipulative Armstrong had been, but also that there were trained and professional people out there willing to put substances in athletes bodies, break rules and the sportsmanship of sport. Cycling along with other sports across the world have inputted strict and lengthily processes to stop the likes of Armstrong from ruining the race, games and competitive events for everyone else. Yet there is more to it than banning an athlete from their sport. The negative effects these media figures have is hard to quantify - their audiences often span generations, and so, does it teach those who aren't where they want to be in their career through training and hard work that there are other illegal options? Do scandals such as these take away from what sport should really be about?

There will always be conflicting views for both genders, of all ages in every sport for what the main purpose should be about. Is it competition, training and taking-part, or should it be win at all costs? The journey most professional athletes has to take is often filled with periods of triumph, defeat, injury and often questions; those of themselves, coaches and the media. There are often funding issues and sponsorship deals that come alongside competing. So was it these factors that spurred Armstrong on, was it his first tastes of victory that meant he wanted more, or was it his controlling personality that ultimately meant he couldn't stop until he had reached the top? 

If you have seen his interview with Oprah Winfrey where he admits to his lie, I think you will agree there was little compassion and regret in his voice. Two years later, 26th January 2015, Armstrong was interviewed again: "I'd change the man, not the decision to cheat". Take of this what you will. 

And so the question remains; will sport ever be drug free? 

Or is it more the questions that really come with this one: Are the punishments strong enough to deter those who think about cheating or re-offending following their bans? Is there enough evidence to show the physiological and psychological side-effects to an athlete from using drugs and doping in sport? Is there a rigorous enough process to cause athletes to worry about being caught and reconsider their actions? Finally, will there continue to be athletes who choose to live a sporting career on deceit and lies? I would personally answer ''No' to just one of these questions, why...because there is always someone out there who has to be the best. 

My final thought on Armstrong:

He Lived-Strong, Competed-Well, but Lied-Best.