So the Lionesses have unfortunately exited the World Cup, but your support doesn’t have to end there. The nation has really got behind the women’s game with record viewing figures on the BBC. I even went to the pub to watch the quarters and men were coming in asking specifically if they were showing the game which made a nice change.
There is still Saturday to watch the team go for a third-place finish once again. But once that game is over there isn’t that long of a wait for the new seasons to start. The majority of the Lionesses play in the FAWSL which kicks off in September, Rachel Daly plays over in the states in the NWSL which is currently ongoing and you can watch games weekly in the league for free at nwslsoccer.com. Then you have Toni Duggan over in Spain with Barcelona, while Lucy Bronze and Nikita Parris teaming up in Lyon, who are looking to add yet more trophies to their cabinet.
The women’s game is family-friendly especially in terms of pricing. You are looking at less than £10 for an adults ticket and only a few pounds for kids. Definitely a great day out. Manchester City, for example, play at the Academy Stadium just over the road from the Etihad and the past few times I have been they have events set up for the kids before the games to add a bit more entertainment.
The are plenty of leagues around to follow too there is the FAWSL, FAWC, FAWNL plus plenty of local leagues all with the cheap entry prices. I know for a fact I am not just going to stick to watching my Manchester City this year but I am also going to support my local teams, Bradford City and Brighouse Town. It gets me out of the house and shows me the game at different levels.
If you can’t make it to a game though you could also watch it on TV, usually the BBC have the rights to the FA Cup and Continental Cup and most of those games are shown either or BBC One or Two/the Red Button or BBC Radio 5 Live. The league and Champions League though are typically shown on BT Sport so if you have a subscription to that you are covered. Sometimes games are also shown on Facebook via the official team’s page or the FA competitions page so you are never short of options.
Teams tend to have official Twitter pages too, so if you are on the go and want to keep up with the latest scores or news that is the place to be. Don’t worry if you support a men’s team either as most of the league games are actually played on Sunday’s (with the exception of a few that get moved for things such as TV games) so there should be minimal clashing in your schedules you can have the best of both worlds.
Not only is there league football but it won’t be long until there are the Euro 2021 qualifiers, a competition which is being held in the UK in 2021! The Olympics are also next year which thanks to England’s progress in the world cup Team GB qualified for. It is definitely going to be action-packed in terms of what to watch.
If you don’t just want to sit and watch but actually want to go out and play the game for yourself or your kids want to play after being inspired then if you are in the UK visit thefa.com for a list of the clubs available that offer football for all ages, genders and ability. If you are struggling to find a team why not even look into starting off your own 5 a side? You might not be the only one in your area trying to find a team.
The Lionesses are back in action in November against Germany at Wembley Stadium and you can find all the info here, along with all the other Lionesses info but in the meantime keep checking back on the Lionesses/England twitter to see if any more fixtures are announced as they seem to be the first place things are announced.
Let’s keep the momentum going! Let’s really get behind the women’s game. Please don’t just leave it another four years. You will be really missing out. The only way is up for the game.
Keep your eye on this blog in the future with info about the leagues been updated and posted along with match reports and hopefully a few more exciting things in the future. You can also find me on my personal blog: www.thenortherngirl.co.uk.
