There is probably a Richter scale out there which measures the exuberance of sporting celebrations: quite pleased, really happy, absolutely delirious. If there is, it may well have to be recalibrated after the England women’s team put on a performance of such unfettered joy in Trafalgar Square that it was like beating Germany all over again.
The official celebrations, which were hosted by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London — folks, it’s his square, apparently — got off to in an inauspicious start when Khan came on stage to welcome the 7,000 supporters who had queued for hours to get into the fan zone, only to be booed by a section of the crowd. It was like he was Boris Johnson or something.
One girl in the crowd said, “Oh no, I feel sorry for him now,” and indeed it was hard to know what exactly he had done wrong. One got the impression that his chief crime was that he was not Beth Mead or Alessia Russo.
About 7,000 fans descended on Trafalgar Square for the celebrations
HARRIET LANDER/GETTY IMAGES
But after a few well-meaning platitudes about women’s football, he soon had them back on side: this crowd was there to celebrate, not to denigrate.
Then, when Alex Scott came on stage and the Lionesses made their long-awaited appearance, an inadequate PA system meant that the 7,000 who had waited for hours in the hot sun could hardly hear what was happening on stage.
It was fine, perhaps, for television viewers at home, but not so good for all those people who had come out especially to see the Lionesses in person. “Turn it up!” roared the crowd. There is nothing quite like a bolshy crowd chant to spice things up.
They could not see much, either: the sea of waving flags meant that most people were scarcely aware of who exactly was on stage.
The Lionesses lift the Euros trophy in front of a sea of England flags
GUY BELL/ALAMY
But perhaps none of it mattered. It was all about being there and sharing the moment.
On stage, Leah Williamson confirmed what many people have suspected for a while: that when it comes to having a good time, England’s women could probably give the men a run for their money.
“We’ve partied more than we’ve actually played football in the last 24 hours,” she said.
When she was asked the inevitable question about what they had done, she appeared as if she was still struggling to process the significance of it all. “I don’t actually know what we’ve just done,” she said. Turning to her team-mates, she said: “What have we done, girls?”
England’s captain Williamson, left, and manager Wiegman speak on stage
EAMONN MCCORMACK/GETTY IMAGES
England’s two goalscorers had their moment in the spotlight, too: Ella Toone, who scored the first goal in the game yesterday, said that she just couldn’t stop dancing. “My feet just keep going,” she said.
Then came the announcement that Rachel Daly was going to sing on stage. “Could she even sing?” people wondered. We’ve all heard male footballers sing before and it’s not a pleasant memory.
Daly answered that question in style, leading the England squad in a blistering version of the Tina Turner song River Deep, Mountain High.
Whatever it is that the Lionesses have been running on over the past 24 hours, it is pretty high-octane stuff judging by that performance.
Led by Daly — a supercharged cross between Tina Turner, Mick Jagger and the Duracell Bunny — they sang with such exuberance that they looked as if they could go through another 90 minutes with Germany and still have energy to spare.
Daly sings the Tina Turner song River Deep, Mountain High
EAMONN MCCORMACK/GETTY IMAGES
It was fun, it was riotous: one might go so far as to say that it was even better than yet another rendition of Sweet Caroline.
Such was the enthusiasm for the event that fans started queuing at 8.30am in the morning. Among the first were Sue McFadden, 60, and her teenage daughter Jess from Coventry.
“We were at Wembley last night and then stopped over,” Sue, 60, a teacher, said. “It was amazing. It was tense. It was exhausting. It was nail-biting. I’ve not danced as much in a long time.”
Rapturous fans, young and old, flooded to celebrate with the Lionesses
TIMES PHOTGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
They bought their tickets more than a year ago, when they first went on sale. Why? “Because we were convinced we were going to win!”
Jess, 17, who plays for a football club in Solihull, said: “It was mad to see that many people at a women’s game. I’ve been to [WSL] games where they have played on the men’s training pitch and had a crowd of 3,000.”
The gates to the fan zone were not meant to open until 11am. But by 10am there was well over 1,000 people queuing up — families, young women, groups of girls sitting on the road and playing cards to pass the time. When the crowd started to spill over into Pall Mall, the police told organisers: you have to open the gates now early.
From left: Daly, Millie Bright and Ellie Roebuck lift the Euros trophy
GETTY IMAGES
For all the crowds, and the heat, the whole event was a profoundly benign occasion, with young women in England tops rubbing shoulders with old-school football fans. Little girls — and not so little — sat on their dads’ shoulders.
At the end of it all, as the crowd made their way home, one grizzled newspaper reporter said: “The last time I was here it was for Euro ‘96, and by this stage there were glasses flying around.”
And if Leah Williamson is still wondering what they have done, she might like to think about two things. One is the male Arsenal supporter who was proudly wearing a Williamson shirt: we’re all fans now.
“I have been following her for quite a long time now,” Rory Anastasiou, 25, said. “In 2019 I went to all England’s games in the World Cup, and I try to attend as many Arsenal women’s matches as I can.”
Lucy Bronze, left, poses with Jill Scott, who did not go to bed last night
LYNNE CAMERON/GETTY IMAGES
The other was the presence of countless young girls in the crowd who are, potentially, just embarking on their football careers. Thanks to the Lionesses, that is slowly getting easier.
They are girls like Holly McLoughlin, 12, from Ruislip Manor, who is about to start as a goalkeeper with QPR Under-15.
“It’s great that women’s football is now getting the recognition that it deserves,” she said. Did she one day want to be up on that stage as a Lioness herself? A light came on in her eyes. “Yes, definitely,” she said.
1 hour ago
4.40pm
Where you can see Lionesses stars next, how to watch WSL . . . and when is World Cup?
Football finally came home at Wembley on Sunday but England’s jubilant Lionesses will be hoping their Euro 2022 success does more than just etch a new name on the trophy (Tom Allnutt writes).
More than 17 million people tuned in for England’s 2-1 extra-time victory against Germany, making it the most-watched women’s football match in UK television history, while the 87,192 fans inside the stadium represented the biggest attendance ever recorded in either the men’s or women’s Euros.
But what next for the women’s game in England? How can the Euro-euphoria be harnessed and felt long after the celebrations die down and tributes fade? Here is a guide for those looking to get involved.
England pose in front of 7,000 cheering fans in Trafalgar Square
LYNNE CAMERON/GETTY IMAGES
1 hour ago
4.08pm
Nation’s new heroine revels in her ‘Bobby Zamora moment’
“When Chloe Kelly prodded home the extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final against Germany, pulled off her strip and swirled it into the air, it was a truly iconic moment to crown this blissful summer for women’s football in England.
“Throughout the tournament, Kelly had to be content with her role as one of England’s many super-subs. But the 24-year-old, born and raised in Ealing, west London, scored the most important goal in the history of women’s football in this country. How must that feel?”
● Read Gregor Robertson’s full profile on England’s match-winner here
● England’s Euro 2022 celebrations — in pictures
Kelly dances for fans on stage in Trafalgar Square
LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES
3 hours ago
2.30pm
Supercharged Daly serenades fans
The celebrations on stage in Trafalgar Square got off to an inglorious start when an inadequate PA system meant that the 7,000 who had waited for hours in the hot sun could hardly hear what was happening on stage (Valentine Low writes).
It was fine, perhaps, for television viewers at home: not so good for all those people who had come out especially to see the Lionesses in person.
But then came the announcement that Rachel Daly was going to sing on stage. “Could she even sing?” people wondered.
Daly answered that question in style, leading the England squad in a blistering version of River Deep, Mountain High.
Daly leads the celebrations by singing to the crowd
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Whatever it is that the Lionesses have been running on over the past 24 hours, it is pretty high-octane stuff judging by that performance.
Led by Daly — a supercharged cross between Tina Turner, Mick Jagger and the Duracell bunny — they sang with such exuberance that they looked as if they could go through another 90 minutes with Germany and still have energy to spare.
3 hours ago
2.24pm
Where were you for the final?
Viewers from across the world tuned in to witness the historic England win against Germany and an attendance record was set for the number of people watching a Euro game at Wembley, in women’s or men’s football. Whether you made it to the stadium, watched with friends and family, at home or abroad, we’d like to know where you were for the final. Let us know where you watched the game and how you celebrated.
Email with your photos and stories to readers@thetimes.co.uk with “Euros” in the subject line.
England’s match-winner Kelly poses with fans at full-time
NEIL HALL/EPA
6 hours ago
11.16am
Fans flood into Trafalgar Square
The gates to the fan zone, which had a capacity of 7,000, were not meant to open until 11am. But by 10am there were well over 1,000 people queuing up — families, young women, groups of girls sitting on the road and playing cards to pass the time. When the crowd started to spill over into Pall Mall, the police told organisers: you have to open the gates now (Valentine Low writes).
Among the first in the queue for the celebration in Trafalgar Square were Sue McFadden and her daughter Jess from Coventry.
“We were at Wembley last night and then stopped over,” Sue, 60, who had been queuing since 8.30, said. “It was amazing. It was tense. It was exhausting. It was nail-biting. I’ve not danced as much in a long time.”
They bought their tickets more than a year ago, when they first went on sale. Why? “Because we were convinced we were going to win!”
England fans celebrate after a record audience of 17.42 million watched the final on BBC1 last night
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Jess, 17, who plays for a club in Solihull, said: “It was mad to see that many people at a women’s game. I’ve been to [WSL] games where they have played on the men’s training pitch and had a crowd of 3,000.”
7 hours ago
10.15am
TV figures revealed
England women’s historic Euro 2022 triumph was watched by a record audience of nearly 17.5 million on BBC1 (Jake Kanter writes)
The peak viewing figure was the highest recorded for a women’s football match in the UK. It was also the most-watched television moment of the year to date.
The high of 17.42 million viewers came during the five-minute period in which the final whistle blew and England clinched a 2-1 victory over Germany. BBC1’s coverage of the game, including extra time, was watched by an average audience of 11 million, according to data from Barb, the TV ratings body.
This figure was 66 per cent of the total number of people watching television at the time, but does not include those watching in pubs and on big screens, meaning the actual audience is likely to be much higher.
The BBC said the game registered 5.9 million streams across iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, as audiences watched Chloe Kelly’s extra-time winner online. The Lionesses’ triumph beat the previous record TV audience for a women’s football match, set only five days earlier when 9.3 million people watched England beat Sweden 4-0 in the semi-final.
Rachel Daly, centre, leads celebrations in the dressing room at Wembley as players crowd around the Euro 2022 trophy
GETTY IMAGES
It was also the highest-rated TV event of 2022, topping the Platinum Party at the Palace, the jubilee concert, which peaked with 13.4 million viewers on BBC1 in June.
The massive audience could be transformative for the popularity of women’s football, with the BBC and Sky set to share television rights to the Women’s Super League next season.
Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, said: “We are incredibly proud to have championed women’s football and are thrilled we were able to bring such a special sporting moment to the public. This was the most-watched women’s football game on UK television of all-time and the most-watched programme in 2022 so far - and deservedly so. Everyone at the BBC is delighted at the win and being able to share that with the public.”
The men’s Euro 2020 final last year was watched by 31 million viewers, as England were beaten by Italy on penalties. The game was among the most-watched events in British broadcasting history, beating the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics.
Lionesses celebrate late into night
After the final whistle there was dancing and singing in the changing rooms, the buses and throughout the night, as the team celebrated after their history victory (Emma Yeomans and Ben Ellery write).
The England Women’s team arrive back at their team hotel last night with more celebrations planned today
JEREMY SELWYN/SELWYNPICS
After arriving back at the players’ hotel there were joyous scenes as they danced in the oval garden by the front entrance. Holding beers and wearing their medals, the Lionesses showed off their moves as they passed around the trophy in the grounds of the Lensbury Resort hotel, in Teddington, southwest London.
The celebrations continued inside the hotel and the players will be nursing sore heads this morning after going until 4am. Inside the hotel the team celebrated in a recreation room that had been fitted with bean bags and other home comforts.
The England team celebrated until 4am last night
SELWYNPICS
Ella Toone, who scored England’s first goal, posted footage from the England team bus of the players dancing with the caption “so it continues”. Toone posted another video of herself singing and dancing with her medal on the bus, adding: “I’m not ignoring anyone, I’m just having a ball”.
Captain Leah Williamson summed it up on social media simply: “Pinch me”. In a video posted to her Instagram story, the team danced in the changing rooms, singing along to River Deep, Mountain High by Tina Turner.
Lotte Wubben-Moy later posted a picture of the trophy resting in an ice bucket alongside cans of Heineken. Chloe Kelly described the victory as “What dreams are made of”,
8 hours ago
9.50am
Mead leads England goalscorers
England forward Beth Mead finished the tournament as the top scorer with six goals. That was the same number as Alexandra Popp, the Germany forward who was injured in the warm-up last night, but Mead also finished with four assists, the most in the tournament, meaning she took the trophy.
The Arsenal star, who scored a hat-trick in the 8-0 win over Norway as well as goals against Austria, Northern Ireland and Sweden, was also named Euro 2022 best player.
Mead, left, poses with her Dutch Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema and the Euros trophy
“I ran straight over to mum — she’s the one dancing with a flag normally,” Mead said. “I found my mum and dad and brother, got quite emotional with them. These are the moments [you have to cherish]. They worked so hard to get you here today, and this moment with them is incredible.
“I’m just Beth Mead. It doesn’t sound right. I play football, something that I love doing. For me, it’s a dream come true.”
England’s next top scorer was Alessia Russo, who finished the tournament with four goals despite not starting a game. The Manchester United forward scored a goal every 66 minutes she was on the field, including this spectacular back-heel against Sweden in the 4-0 semi-final win.
England were also the highest-scoring team in the tournament with 22 goals to Germany’s 14 in second place. Fran Kirby, Ella Toone, Ellen White and Georgia Stanway (two each) all scored multiple goals while Kelly’s dramatic extra-time winner was her first goal of the tournament.
8 hours ago
9.45am
All the best analysis
• Owen Slot: England women crowned Euro 2022 champions after tense 2-1 victory over Germany
• Henry Winter: How Sarina Wiegman’s gutsy heroes conquered Germany’s mentality monsters
• ‘The new Wembley fraud’ — how the German press reacted
• Chloe Kelly celebration was a nod to her hero Brandi Chastain
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2022-08-01 13:30:00Z
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