NICE TO SEE YOU (TO SEE YOU, NICE)

FFT mingles with the Lionesses on a trip to watch the Women’s World Cup

The Women’s World Cup could mean only one thing: the England team, Fourfourtwo and Nicola Sturgeon, all gathered together in a Nice hotel.

FFT headed over to France for the early stages of the tournament, and the oldest rivalry in world football.

The Cote d’azur isn’t the usual backdrop for England vs Scotland – the two nations had never previously met at a World Cup, male or female, but it’s a hell of a lot warmer than Glasgow, so we slapped on the factor 50 and made our way to the rooftop pool.

What we hadn’t expected was to be in the same Nice hotel as the Lionesses, offering us a first-hand insight into how England manager Phil Neville structured his team’s time. He has spoken candidly about his aim to create an enjoyable experience for his squad, in a side that hasn’t always been renowned for its harmony.

There was no Fabio Capello-style approach, with the families encouraged to see players mid-tournament. FFT spied midfielder Jill Scott relaxing in an open-air beach bar, while others took part in a pebble-skimming competition on the stony beach.

Among those beating us to the sunloungers around the pool was Toni Duggan, the Barcelona forward who was out of the Scotland clash due to injury. As she went through a water-aerobics routine with a physio, she had to weave between children practising their cannonballs and lumbering football journalists trying to stay afloat.

The match didn’t quite draw in the crowds expected: 13,000 were inside the 35,000-seater stadium. While far higher than average attendances for England’s top club teams, FIFA had been confident it would sell out.

On the pitch, England secured a largely comfortable 2-1 win thanks to Nikita Parris and Ellen White efforts, although Scotland’s Claire Emslie set up a nervy finish.

Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon (below) went to see the showdown, and after watching her country fall to a defeat, she discovered where she’d be staying for the evening – in the England team hotel… Conor Pope