Suffolk’s only all-girls football club say Lionesses are inspiring positive change
The Lionesses will face Italy in the semi-finals this evening.
“We just want to be like them”: Suffolk’s only all-girls football club backing the Lionesses in semi-final against Italy this evening.
Young footballers at Stour Wanderers, the only girls-only football club in Suffolk, are throwing their support behind the Lionesses, as England face Italy in the semi-finals of the Women’s Euros tomorrow.
The squad, which includes girls of all ages, has been gathering throughout the tournament to watch the games together, turning each one into a community celebration of sport, food, and friendship.
Chairwoman Liz Baalham said the girls are “really excited” for tomorrow’s game:
“School’s over now, so they can stay up a little bit later, and the younger ones, especially, can stay up and watch the game. We’ve been getting together to watch all of the rounds so far.”
The team will once again be heading to their local leisure centre, where one of the players’ parents runs the kitchen.
“He puts on a little meal for them if they want,” Liz explained. “And it also means the younger ones can run around outside and burn off some steam if they lose interest – which does happen sometimes.”
But most of them have stayed glued to the screen.
“The rest of us have all been in there watching it and cheering them on,” she added. “It’s brilliant, really, because girls of all ages can come, their parents come, siblings as well… some of them have brought friends along too. So we’ve had a real mix of different faces.”
Inspiring the next generation
As the tournament’s progressed, the excitement has only grown.
“They’re all turning up with flags to wave, and a couple of them have had face paint. A win does help – but honestly, just the buzz of being together, it’s a really nice evening.”
Liz says the games have sparked conversations at training too:
“I’m sure they’ll all be chatting about it, who they’ve enjoyed watching and who they want to be like, which is really important.”
Tomorrow’s match isn’t just about who gets to the final, it’s about making lasting memories for the next generation.
“When you get together and create a bit of ceremony out of it,” Liz said, “it creates such a good, long-lasting memory that hopefully they’ll carry forward with them. It’s about continuing to have positive associations with football.”
Positive changes for young girls
As head of Suffolk’s only girls-only football club, Liz is passionate about growing the game for young women, and says she’s seen a shift in how women’s football is being perceived.
“I just think there are so many positive takeaways from it. The advertising this time has felt more positive, too. It’s not been like, ‘Come on, girls, we can do this too’ – it’s just, we can do this. The tone’s changed.”
But the journey hasn’t been without challenges.
“We had comments early on, when we were getting started, like ‘girls can’t play football’. I’ve had to grow a bit of a thicker skin. But we focus on what we’re building – a safe, empowering space for girls who love the game.”
She added: “It still bothers me that it’s ‘football’ and then ‘women’s football’. It should just be football. We want to be like them – like the best, no matter the gender.”
Looking ahead to the match, Liz has her fingers crossed for a strong performance from the Lionesses:
“I’d like to say two-nil. I’d like it to be one quick, decisive goal, like Sweden had against us, and then we can just control the game a bit. That would be fantastic. Lots of entertaining football and just… yeah, see us get through would be amazing.”