Roaring success of the amazing Lionesses

IWAS going to write this week about the start of the Commonwealth Games, but the Euros have taken over that. I still feel goosebumps when I look back at the performances of The Lionesses.

Over the years I have done lots of interviews about women playing football.

For some of the time I have been on the other side of someone telling me that women don’t play the same as men, or that the game isn’t as good. Those people still exist but this is another push forward in terms of equality.

More than nine million people watched on TV last night with

another two million watching via streaming.

What I loved most was the way it was being reported.

It was the first item on the evening news, and the way the players were being talked about – about their style of play and not what they wore or what their hair was like, which has happened so much in the past.

And could any sports fan not love Alessia Russo’s back heel, which was called ‘audacious’ more than once (and many, many times by me).

I have watched it back so many times and it still makes me smile.

It is moments like this that will inspire women and girls to think that football is the sport for them.

What happens next has the chance to change physical activity and sport for a lot of people. Being ready and equipped to take on the number of people who will turn up.

The summer months are not that difficult to keep people engaged. The winter however is a different story and this is when those boys and girls who are enthused at the moment will start to drift off.

What I hope is that if they don’t want to play football then they will find other sports that they can go to.

Someone told me once that they used to think that women’s football was not that great (I have heard that a lot before) but now they are thinking differently.

There was part of me that was pleased that they had seen the sport for what it was, ie great sport, and were able to express a different view.

To be honest, over the years I have watched lots of men’s sport that hasn’t been that great and it isn’t always dramatic and amazing.

Sport is sometimes wonderful and sometimes a bit dull. That is what makes it sport.

So looking forward to the weekend there is lots going on with the Commonwealth Games, but I am sending all my good wishes to the England team and they play brilliantly.

But what would be nice is if football really did come home.