A Beginner’s Guide To The Women’s Euro 2022 From Huddersfield Town Women Players and Fans
Brady Frost, Feature Writer
Twitter: @brady0894
Here’s all you need to know about the Women’s Euros from Town’s female footballers and fans of The Terriers who also follow the women’s game.
Missing the World Cup? Well don’t worry, there’s some tournament football that starts today that you can sink your teeth into. The 2022 UEFA European Women's Football Championship kicks off tonight, with England taking on Austria this evening at a sold-out Old Trafford.
It’s the first time the tournament has been held in the UK since 2005 and with women’s football attendances breaking records, and exposure to the game continuing to grow, there’s never been a better time to follow the Lionesses.
However, what if this is the first time you’ve watched women’s football? We spoke to players from the Huddersfield Town Women squad and Town fans who follow the women’s game to give newcomers their top tips for making the most of the tournament.
Tip One: Immerse yourself
Who doesn’t love getting into a tournament? We saw with the England Men’s team how fun it was to have the football fever sweep the nation as they made their way to the final, and the Lionesses have a great chance of going all the way and inspiring others too.
However, the fun of tournament football doesn’t hinge on whether England are successful or not, after all, we all have plenty of experience in a lack of success watching the men’s team over the years. Instead, just immerse yourself in the games, there are plenty of great teams in this tournament as well as England, like Spain, France, Sweden, The Netherlands, we could go on.
Alice Broome, is a Huddersfield Town fan and a board member of the Huddersfield Town Supporters Association. HTSA has been working with the FSA Women’s Game Network and the Huddersfield Town Women’s team to represent women’s fans and to support the development of the game. She believes a home tournament is the best time to start watching women’s football if you haven’t already.
“It is an honour for England to be hosting the Women’s Euros, allowing us to watch world-class football on our doorsteps,” says Alice. “It also gives us a fantastic opportunity to promote women’s football to girls and women across the country, who are thinking about taking up the sport, as well as promoting women’s football to prospective supporters. The Lionesses deserve our support during the tournament and I encourage everyone to get behind the team.”
Tip Two: Respect The Differences
Men’s and women’s football gets compared all the time and while that’s not always a helpful comparison, it is important to note that there are differences and they should be respected.
What’s Alice’s advice? You should acknowledge the differences between men’s and women’s football and enjoy its subtle changes.
“Women’s football follows the exact same rules as men’s football, however it is a distinct sport that should be followed within its own right, rather than in comparison to the men’s game,” Alice says. “If football fans of the men’s game wish to watch women’s football for the first time during the Euros, I would encourage them to watch with an open mind, rather than with the inclination to compare the women’s and men’s games. Like in other sports, such as tennis, women’s technique and tactics can differ from the men’s game, creating the opportunity to enjoy each of the sports within their own right.”
Tip Three: Find a Favourite
Football is about the players that make you fall in love with the game, who conjure up that moment of magic on the pitch, represent where you’re from, or what you’re about on the grass. It’s no different at this tournament for Georgia Cook, Huddersfield Town fan and presenter of BBC Radio Sheffield’s Euro Heaven, the dedicated show covering the Women’s Euro. “To name one player is so hard but Millie Bright is one that always pops into my head,” says Georgia. “She’s just incredible and a very underrated player and is going to be really important in that defence to help settle things and keep the nerves intact.”
It might not be a player, it could be a team that catches the eye too. While the majority of readers will be backing the Lionesses, there are plenty of teams that could light up this tournament. Spain, which features a majority of the Barcelona players that made it to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, are the bookies’ favourite to win the competition.
Alice points to France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto, a strong contender for the Golden Boot as one to watch while Kate Mallin, Huddersfield Town Women player and one of the captains at the club singles out England’s own skipper, Leah Williamson as a player to keep your eye on.
Tip Four: Go Watch It Live!
You can’t beat going to the games, so if you get the opportunity, you should go. Tickets are starting at just £10 and with games in Rotherham, Sheffield and Manchester, it’s a great chance to see some top-level international football close to home. Kate Mallin thinks if you’re new to women’s football, it’s best to watch the game in person and soak up the atmosphere.
“With England being the hosts, it will raise the profile of the women's game and attract more following and that extra support will encourage the team and motivate the squad. Regardless of the game, go watch it live before you make any judgments and take the opportunity to watch the international level while you can!” she said.
Tip Five: It’s Never Too Late
No matter if you’re a seasoned veteran following the Lionesses or you’d consider yourself a fanatic for the men’s game and have not really watched women’s football, we all know how much the sport can bring people together and the joy it creates. If you’re fairly new to the women’s game, that’s okay, give it a try. And if you enjoy it, why not tell others? For any sport, exposure is key.
Alice agrees that football is for all and raising awareness counts. “Women’s football in the UK was effectively banned by the FA for 50 years and it is still recovering,” she says. “We can speed up the recovery by showing our support for women’s football by attending and watching the Women’s Euros.
“Everyone deserves to enjoy and to play football. Showing your support during the Women’s Euros is a small step towards tackling discrimination within football, and within the wider world of sport.”
Town Women midfielder Kate Mallin thinks like with the Men’s Euros last summer, England’s chances are strong and that helps get the momentum going. “I’d like to think England can go all the way,” Kate says. “I’m really looking forward to watching the games and we’d love it if the momentum builds and more people come along to some Town games next season.”
“It’s not a gender-defining game,” Georgia Cook says. “Men and women, boys and girls can enjoy women’s football just as much as men’s football. It's never too late to get into women's football. This is the time, this is the tournament, it's on home soil, come on!”
Other Useful Information
What group are England in?
England are in Group A alongside Austria, Northern Ireland and Norway. Euro 2022 features 16 countries, with four groups each containing four teams. The top two from each group go through to the knockout stages, which start with the quarter-finals. The winners of Group A will play the runners-up of Group B, whereas the runners-up of Group A will play the winners of Group B. Group B contains Denmark, Germany, Finland and Spain.
Who won the last Women’s Euros?
The Netherlands won the tournament back in 2017. Sarina Wiegman, current England manager, led the team to Euro 2017 glory on home soil, beating Denmark in the final.
Where can I watch the games?
All the matches from the tournament will be available to watch on the BBC, either BBC One, BBC Two or on iPlayer.
Any podcasts about it?
If you like podcasts, I mean *ahem* clearly you do, then there’s a lot of coverage across podcasts. Here are some we recommend.
The Athletic Women’s Football Podcast
The Guardian’s Women’s Football Weekly
Any good accounts to follow?
Where can I get a wallchart?
Ah, that’s the spirit. Why not print one off here.
