Millers and Blades aim to stage top European women’s event
SHEFFIELD and Rotherham have been confirmed as hosts by the Football Association in its bid to win the rights to host the UEFA Women’s European Championships 2021.
Bramall Lane, home to Sheffield United, and Rotherham United’s AESSEAL New York Stadium are among nine venues chosen by the governing body.
Inclusion in the list of proposed cities and stadia reflects the growth of the women’s game in the South Yorkshire area, with Sheffield United Women recently granted permission to play in the second tier of the Women’s Super League.
Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure, said: “Sheffield’s presence, along with Rotherham, shows the growing support and involvement in women’s football across South Yorkshire.
“This is great news for the women and girls involved in playing football, and their families and friends, as their footballing heroes and role models could be heading for the city.”
The 16-team tournament was most recently held in the Netherlands in 2017.
The other proposed stadia included in the FA’s 2021 bid are: Amex Stadium (Brighton), Wembley Stadium (London), Brentford Community Stadium (London), Stadium MK (Milton Keynes), Manchester City Academy Stadium (Manchester), Meadow Lane (Nottingham), ABAX Stadium (Peterborough).
The deadline for bids is Friday and England expect to face competition from Austria and Hungary when the decision is made by UEFA’s executive committee on December 3.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “We have invested heavily in the women’s game in recent years and the opportunity to bring the tournament to England would represent a landmark moment for women’s football in this country.” ALFIE MAY hopes extra time on the training ground will help him bring a halt to Doncaster’s earlyseason slump.
May notched his first goal for eight months during Rovers’ League Cup second-round 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
The 25-year-old credits an extra focus on his finishing at the club’s Cantley Park training ground as the reason for bringing an end to his barren run in front of goal.
May, who was still in nonleague circles two years ago, is looking to continue his goalscoring form when Grant McCann’s side go to table-topping Peterborough at the weekend.
“The gaffer’s been very, very good with me doing one-to-one sessions working on my ‘shift’ shooting,” said May.
“It’s helped and I’ve needed that, coming from where I’ve come from.
“I’ve been doing this (professional) now nearly two years, but that little bit of extra help will benefit me.
“Against Blackpool I didn’t think about it – it was just a little shift of the foot and then I hit the shot and it went in.”
May wants his colleagues to also rediscover their scoring form from the season’s early throes.
Rovers hit eight goals in their first three outings but have notched just one in their last four – May against the Tangerines.
“We started off being ruthless and you can go a long way being like that,” added May. “It’ll come back.
“You see how John (Marquis) and Mallik (Wilks) both play. They both have an eye for goal.
“Myself and a few others need to chip in and help those two.
“We’ve got seven to eight strikers at the club and we’re all fighting for three shirts.
“We need to dust ourselves off and go again. It’s four games now without a result, so we’re going there to get three points.”