A very important event! The Women's England Football Team are through to the semi-finals of the European Football Championship!

I watched England's quarter final match against Spain. It was such a great, exciting match! Spain were such a difficult team to play. But England fought and fought, and finally won the match 2 - 1. The skill level was so great, and the two goals that England scored were so great, particularly the second goal. This second goal was like a Roy of the Rovers goal, or a Brazilian type goal. It was shot from quite a long way away from the Spanish goal, and it curved majestically in the air, and into the other end of the goal. The Spanish goalkeeper flew frantically into the air, but couldn't save it. Wow, what a goal! So now, the England Women's Football Team are into the semi-finals, and the dream continues!

Events like this are so important, socially, for women's rights and for women's equality. What was really poignant and moving about this televised match, was when the TV cameras turned to the crowd in the stadium. There were loads of little girls cheering ecstatically, and with big smiles on their faces. There were also some little girls watching quietly, but still fully absorbed by the match. All these little girls in the crowd, and all the little girls at home, watching on TV, will probably have been thinking: "Those are women playing football, and they're in a big football tournament, and the crowd are cheering and applauding them. I am a girl. I can also play football, and I may be able to play for the Women's England Football Team, in the future."

These types of events are so great for boosting the confidence of girls and women.

Come on, you Lionesses!

Paul Hickey,

Parchment Street,

Winchester

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