The Lionesses’ inspirational victory paves the way for more opportunities in Women’s sport
The Lionesses’ victory over Spain last month marked the end of an inspirational performance throughout the Women’s Euro 2025 tournament. Now we must build on their success for women and girls across the country.
The final in Switzerland was an historic result for our country, the first time any England team has won a major trophy abroad and the second Women’s Euro Championship win in a row, successfully defending the title they so brilliantly won three years ago.
After their first win in 2022, I wrote in this column that our challenge now was to turn the achievements of the Lionesses into a lasting legacy for women and girls in sport. Three years on it is my privilege to be in a position to help drive that mission forwards as Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport.
Earlier this year came the news of the UK’s bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, a tournament that I am confident would showcase the strength of women’s football across the country and be used to invest in the next generation of footballers.
A new Women’s Sport Taskforce will bring together leaders from across women’s sports and academia to ensure the incredible progress in football is accelerated elsewhere. It will focus on finding solutions to the most pressing challenges facing women and girls in sport, from female athlete health to building a more diverse and dynamic workforce.
In June this Labour Government announced a £400 million investment into grassroots sport facilities. As part of our ambition to improve grassroots sport we are announcing new plans to more than double the priority access to grassroots football pitches for women and girls at government funded facilities across England over 5 years. The flagship pitches that form part of this program will be dedicated to the Lionesses, promoting a lasting legacy of this brilliant team.
Our own Borough has a strong sporting history including in football, one that we have managed to keep alive despite many challenges in recent years.
Ella Toone, who is from Tyldesley, once again played a key role in the Lionesses’ success at this year’s Euros, scoring twice during the competition and starting against Spain in the final.
In the women’s game we already have a strong local offer. I was honoured to visit Cherrybrook FC at Laithwaite park last year to see the amazing progress being made there, with thirteen Women’s teams and over 160 players, the vast majority of whom had never played football before.
Projects like Cherrybrook showcase the immense potential available at the grassroots level. We are a sporting nation with no shortage of ambition and when Government matches that ambition with opportunities that include everyone it enriches our communities and our sports. Building on the Lionesses’ success now will mean many more victories in the future.