Johnny Nic is back on his diet of Scottish football but not before issuing a message to Joey Barton and those of his ilk: you cannot ruin women’s football.
In this media bullet train, the Euros final already seems yonks ago. But it deserves not to be so easily dismissed.
What do you say about it? Absolutely nerve shredding. I realised that all the years of England failure since 1970 meant I stupidly assumed they would be part of that long history. But no, they had the grit, determination, skill and organisation to win on penalties in what was an absolute generational moment.
Spain played amazing football and dominated the first half, but England shut them out at every turn in a tremendous defensive display and monstered them 3-1 in the shoot-out. Heroes, every woman. It was so emotional. Spain played the best but England had the bottle. Sarina Wiegman is incredible, winning back-to-back Euros and competing in five consecutive finals. Lucy Bronze played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia; the pain must’ve been incredible. The fact that her middle name is Tough seems only appropriate. And what do you say about Chloe Kelly? Her impact has been immeasurable.
The players from each side embraced each other. There was, in victory, a thought for the losers. The attitude throughout has been excellent and very sporting. The whole thing has been the best expression of the beautiful game. Mind you, I can do without the rather sickly term ‘she deserves her flowers’ which has become a bit of a thing to say.
Bizarrely, both BBC and ITV showed it, not sure why. A total of 16.2 million watched – I did so on BBC. But all people working, presenting and commentating on the TV and radio have been engaging in a relaxed, intelligent manner without any evident side to them. Some of the commentaries, with throat-ripping emotional roaring will be replayed for years to come.
Nedum Onuoha has been a steady radio presence but this tournament being on TV will get him more TV work, simply by being able to speak like a normal person and not like a man in a hostage video. Also, the use of the big screen, so embarrassing for all involved to have to dance in front of, has been mercifully limited.
A word too for Steve Crossman’s Monday Night Club on 5 Live celebrating England and the whole tournament. Nedum was on after flying home, talking about what the impact will be.
Interesting that the supporters and in the fan park behaved like normal, level-headed people. No anal fireworks. Not publicly anyway.
Going forward, the team will be big stars and command a lot of attention, especially as the coverage of the WSL ramps up. We have seen the whole of the football landscape altered by this most dramatic of tournaments. It’s been historical and transformational from the days when it was mocked and even outlawed.
If you’d told me when I saw Gregory’s Girl in 1980 that this would be the future, I wouldn’t have believed you. But when the only naysayer is that increasingly isolated, festering, moron-for-money animal, Joey Barton, you know the battle is won. As Jonathan Liew said, ‘the long reactionary tail of cynicism and misogyny has been silenced.’ Comparisons to the men’s game are made but the top flight is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. Why you’d vaunt it, let alone perpetuate it, is foolish in the extreme and as good as an example not to follow as you could find. We shouldn’t associate it in any way with men’s football. It is a pure, wholesome version of the game, so let’s not taint it. Football done right.
It was just damn good fun played in a great spirit. And what more do you want from a sport than that?
Not so much as coming down to earth on Tuesday for Barnet v Newport – who knew there were preliminary Carabao Cup games? – but more like landing on a different planet. My TV had forgotten that I even watch football on Sky. A modestly-attended Hive Stadium, Barnet’s 6,500 capacity ground, was a contrast to the 35,000 we’d been used to in Switzerland and from the start, obviously the skill level took a big step down, but that doesn’t matter at all. The game was played with energy. Barnet were coming off a record National League season with 102 points, looked superior from the start and had nearly 70% possession in the first half but went in two-down to two great strikes. Commentator Cameron Pope flew solo and his conversational low-key style suited the status of the game well.
In a fantastic second half, Barnet battered them, scored two last-minute goals and took it to penalties which Newport won. Great game full of twists and turns. Football’s great innit?
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On Friday, the Scottish Championship was back as was EFL football to general relief. I always watch Scottish football even though it really should be played on a dark, cold and windy night with snow in the air. It’s just not right in the summer. Arbroath v Ayr should take place in the teeth of a gale at one of football’s bleakest locations.
Micheal Stewart has brought the big coat – it is August, after all – and Faddy’s head is freshly shaved. They ate and choked on some Arbroath smokie fish pies at half time alongside mascot Smokie Joe who I think is supposed to be a smoked haddock. The crowd is a bit thin and away we go again. Ayr took the lead after the fourth minute with a great strike. Arbroath are newly-promoted and came back into it but without a cutting edge until the 87th minute when the sub scored. They deserved the draw and it was a resolute performance by Arbroath; they nearly nicked it in injury time.
BBC Scotland’s team are all very familiar with each other and the broadcast benefits from it in that everything is really casual and appreciative of the community aspect of football at this level. I really like that. These are clubs not brands and that might be a guiding principle for the coming season.
