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

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. 

Andy Murray – miserable or misunderstood?

It’s the time of year again when you feel it is both reasonable and necessary to spend 2 weeks watching the TV –Wimbledon is back. The luscious green lawns, the all familiar purple and green surroundings and of course the strawberries, Pimms and cream. Or, if you’re not that optimistic about Wimbledon… a sea of umbrellas on Henman Hill and another year of disappointment for the British.  

Yet in recent years it’s felt like all of this could change,

and I’m not talking about the roof over centre court. Andy Murray, the Scot (so he tells us). Miserable or Misunderstood? We all have our own opinions and as with many sport stars, the media has fuelled many of these opinions.

Is it his open mouth and aggressive face or his monotone post-match interview that has made him, some might say one of the least popular sports stars? Was it his comment about ‘supporting any team that was playing England in the World Cup’ that caused eyebrows to raise and his support to fall? Or is it in fact the media, focussing on his every miss-spoken word and printing photos of him when he has just lost a vital point, or is trailing in an important match?

The recent BBC documentary ‘The Man Behind the Racket’ gave a much needed insight to the man who we believe we know. For once it felt like the media were giving both sides to the story as opposed to one. Just like the summer of 2012, where Murray lost to Federer in a 5 set Wimbledon final, his tears at describing the Dunblane disaster showed how, underneath his steely exterior is an emotional and compassionate human being. What touched me most about this documentary was his friend Ross Hutchins describing how, when Murray found out Ross had Hodgkin's lymphoma, he researched into causes, treatment and emphasised to Ross the other athletes that had both suffered from this disease, but also recovered from it. Surely this isn’t something a supposed arrogant, selfless Andy Murray would do?

In my opinion, Murray is focussed and he knows the public’s and his own expectations. This can, and has come across at times, as aggressive and arrogant, but no one can take away from him that he is one of Britain’s most successful tennis players. After all, if Murray were to win Wimbledon, whether he call himself a Scot or a Brit, I feel the general public would embrace his achievement and perhaps misjudged opinions would change.

Andy Murray plays for a place in Wimbledon’s 2013 final tomorrow. So, which side of him will be shown in the media? And more importantly, which side will you see?