When will we take women’s football seriously?

Despite the win that England scored last month, the government has refused to give girls equal access to football in school PE lessons. When will we give women the equal chance to bring football home?

Though I call myself a feminist, I was guilty of paying far more attention to the men’s Euros in 2021 than this year’s female tournament, only watching a couple of matches this summer.

It’s not because I don’t care. My sister is a footballer, after all.

So why didn’t I tune in when England edged closer to their first-ever Euros win? And why did none of my friends, family, or colleagues ask whether I had caught the latest match on TV?

Is women’s football just not ‘big’ enough yet — or are we still guilty of giving men a pedestal when it comes to certain sports?

Natalie Strange, a 25-year-old assistant underwriter who plays football for Bowers & Pitsea Ladies Football Club, has been playing the sport since she was seven. ‘I don’t have a specific moment that made me go into it,’ she says.

‘I’ve just always loved playing it.’