Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cup for honours
Lionesses in line for New Year gongs
EXCLUSIVE BY
ENGLAND’S history-making Lionesses are set to pick up even more medals – in the New Year’s Honours list.
The Euros champs are tipped to sweep up CBEs, OBEs and MBEs, while Dutch boss Sarina Wiegman is in line for an honorary damehood awarded to people from outside the Commonwealth.
A Whitehall source said: “The process is well under way. It’s a no-brainer really. No one can have an objection to honours for the team and it’s going to happen.”
Wiegman’s Wembley heroes beat Germany 2-1 after extra time last month to become the first England team to win a major tournament since the 1966 World
Cup. More than 20 million viewers celebrated as Ella
Toone and Chloe
Kelly scored the goals that lifted the trophy.
It is understood Kelly, 24, captain Leah
Williamson, 25, and golden boot winner
Beth Mead, 27, could get CBEs or
OBEs, with the rest of the team expected to get MBEs. Veteran midfielder Jill Scott already has an MBE for her service to women’s football
but could have her honour upgraded. Meanwhile PM hopefuls Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have both committed to hosting a reception for the Lionesses at No10 whoever wins. It comes after fans’ fury that the Lionesses were not honoured with a visit to Downing Street and a bank holiday was snubbed. Ms Truss has promised to ensure the team are “recognised for their historic victory in a suitable way” if she gets the job. Earlier this month a spokesman for Boris Johnson said he definitely supports them in getting “the recognition they rightly deserve”. He said there was a process to be followed, “but clearly the public want to see the Lionesses receive recognition”. England legend Ian Wright said: “This team deserves every accolade, that can be bestowed upon them.” Labour has also called on the Government to ensure the squad gets the recognition they deserve in the New Years’ Honours. All our players in the 1966 World Cup Final team were awarded the MBE, while Jack Charlton, Bobby Moore and Gordon Banks were also made OBEs and boss Alf Ramsey was knighted.