GIRLS all over Jersey are pulling on their football boots today with added determination following the Lionesses’ historic Euro 2022 win.
Ripples from the women’s final at Wembley Stadium – when England beat Germany 2-1 in front of a record crowd to end the country’s 56-year wait for a major trophy – can already be felt throughout the Island, prompting Les Landes Primary School head teacher Vicki Charlesworth to tweet: ‘Our girls have a dream; today the # Lionesses and those who came before them have paved the way.’
She said: ‘This is a win for every girl who’s been told they can’t play football and for every girl who has overcome a barrier. It’s a further step towards equality in sport.’
Mrs Charlesworth added that her school had encouraged girls to play football for as long as she could remember: ‘We believe in equality and inclusion. Our pupils play in a mixed team and anyone who wants to play is encouraged to join our teams in Years 4, 5 and 6. The parents are also very supportive of girls and boys playing football together – it’s just football.’
Watching the victory made a perfect birthday present for one of her pupils, Phoebe Sabiston (10), who is training hard and hopes to play for England herself one day.
‘I’ve always wanted to play football and I want to win,’ said Phoebe, who practises at home with her brother in their garden, plays for her mixed school football team and now trains with Jersey Wanderers FC Girls: ‘I think girls can be more competitive than boys.’
Phoebe, who watched the game on her birthday at home with her family, said she had been kicking a ball around since she was two years old.
‘It made me feel so happy. I was hoping they would win. I jumped up and down at the end when they did,’ she said.
Her favourite position is goalie – and even breaking her arm once did not deter her enthusiasm for the game. She said she did not feel frightened at all when the ball hurtles towards her: ‘I find it quite fun. When your team is relying on you to save the goal I like to work hard and win with my team. I’ve always watched football and hope one day I can play for the Island team or even for England.’
Another keen footballer with an ambition to play for her country one day is Sasiya Slater (12).
Sasiya, who also plays for the Wanderers, was lucky enough to have a ringside seat with her mum to watch the action live in Wembley Stadium on Sunday: ‘I was with my mum in the second tier. It was very exciting as the atmosphere ramped up along the streets on the way to the ground. It was very intense.’
Sasiya plays football six times a week for a variety of teams, including St Lawrence, and said she started kicking a ball as soon as she could walk: ‘Football is football, it doesn’t matter what gender you are. You get lots of adrenalin playing football, it’s really fun.’
Fellow Wanderers teammate Fearne Pallot (12) said she had kicked a ball for as long as she could remember and seeing her cousin play in the Island team and then in the Commonwealth Games inspired her to aim high: ‘My goal is to play for England. I would love to do what I saw happen last night. It would be a dream for me.’
