Hopes are high fortune will rain down on Lionesses
WHEN England and West Germany stepped on to the pitch at Wembley stadium on July 30 1966, it was a warm, overcast day.
The highest the mercury reached in London that afternoon was about 20C (68F) that morning, forecasters had predicted showers.
Not a hugely promising outlook for the most important match of captain Bobby Moore’s footballing career.
Not that it made a difference to the final score (4-2 in extra time), or got in the way of Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick.
When the Lionesses take to the pitch to play Germany tomorrow in the final of the European Championships, they face a similarly overcast day. A good omen, perhaps?
Temperatures will reach 25C in London by late afternoon, with a slight chance of rain for much of the day and clouds forecast for the skies over Wembley.
It’s set to be a wet day in much of the rest of the country, with everywhere from Cardiff to Manchester to Newcastle due to see some showers.
Last summer, when Gareth Southgate’s squad faced Italy in the final, there was a yellow weather warning the night before.
In the end, the day was warm, the match unencumbered by rain.
The result was less sunny (who could forget those heartbreaking penalties).
Given rain is considered lucky on your wedding day, could a smattering of drizzle across the country bring the Lionesses the boost they need to end the 56 years of hurt and bring it home?
Perhaps we should all do Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead a favour and head into the garden tonight for a rain dance.
Don’t be too enthusiastic about it though.
The last thing our Lionesses need is a washout.