Lionesses – Just A Step Too Far – But Hold Your Heads High
A Proud Legacy
I can’t remember when I felt quite so much nervous tension as I did watching the Lionesses on Sunday.
Perhaps it was the expectation that they could just do something special. Something I had only witnessed as a young ten year old, 57 years ago in 1966, when England last filled me with such joy.
But the margins between success and failure at the pinnacle of world sport are so small, and so it was for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.
ME was a mere glove away from saving the winning Spanish goal, LH shot was a mere 10 cm or 4 inches in old money, from giving England the lead. These type of moments are the difference between winning and losing.
In the end though English hearts were broken, by a very good Spanish side, and in some ways I feel slightly better that we didn’t lose to a dramatic penalty shootout, but defeated by a side that on the day was just , but only just better than us.
I say us because the lasses have converted many of us cynical males. Prior to the last World Cup I had not really watched women’s football; it offered nothing to me and was a pale imitation of the male game. But in a mere 4 years the landscape of women’s football has changed dramatically.
Winning the Euro’s was considerable, and now reaching the final of the World Cup is so significant, I am not sure this team will realise at this moment, just how important. The pain of defeat, will be such a bitter pill to swallow.
There is, similarly, no point in comparing men’s and women’s football, Physically the game can never be the same, but as with life we should marvel at our differences and what men and women offer in all sport, not just football.
Women’s football offers something the men’s game can’t provide, a clear bond and togetherness, unsurpassed by us mere men. I have appreciated that the Lionesses play in a spirit where there is little or no gamesmanship. Perhaps that is why we don’t have the word gameswomanship, in our vocabulary.
I did observe that the Spaniards, just started to go down for rather longer than necessary at the merest of touches as the game drew to a close, which is a great shame, but I guess that shows what it means to everyone to win. But generally women’s football is played in such a great spirit, and long may it do so, the men could learn such a lot from them.
The defeat will remain with the players and staff for a lifetime, there will be so many, what if moments, they will consider, both individually and collectively. Was it their best opportunity to win? For many it will be the case, for some they may get another opportunity, but they should hold their heads high in the recognition that they can look back forever at their wonderful achievement.
The pride they should feel should always out way any regret, and that pride will also remain in their, and our hearts forever.
Wonderful and Historic Stuff. Hold your heads high Lionesses, your legacy will become famous.
So the Young Lion’s beat the Spanish at the U21’s Euros, the lionesses just came up short, but we have had a wonderful summer of sport. Football, Cricket, Netball, Athletics, English sport to be proud of.
A summer of Sport to remember??… Not just perhaps….. I think it truly was!
