Amidst a summer of conflict, environmental disasters, economic uncertainty and industrial strife, we experienced one of those moments which unites a nation. Even if you didn’t watch a single match, it was hard not to be swept along by the stadium wave of warmth and support that carried the England women’s national football team to the final of the UEFA Women’s Championship in July.
The 2-1 win made the Lionesses the first England senior football team to win a major championship since 1966 and thousands of football fans’ dreams came true. They breezed through the group stages, demonstrating a talent and skill which confounded the notion that women’s football is inferior to men’s as they coolly demolished Norway 8-0.
In 2015, after the Women’s World Cup, the FA tweeted that the players would, ‘go back to being mothers, partners and daughters.’ This summer felt different. We all questioned the inequity of one professional’s annual salary being less than another’s weekly wage on account of their sex. The correlation between sport, sponsorship and investment which disadvantages women’s and girls’ sport was laid bare. Everyone warmed to the team’s passion and spirit, applauded their positive attitude and genuine pleasure in just playing the game.
Ahead of the final, team captain Leah Williamson commented, ‘I hope this is the start; this is a marker for the future’ and we echo that. ATT’s programmes question orthodoxy, challenge established paradigms and propose strategies to move towards new behaviours and ways of working which put the safety and well-being of workers, equity and fairness firmly at the centre.
The Lionesses epitomised how mutual support, care for one’s ‘team-mates’ and good communication delivers good things. There are lessons and inspiration for us all which we can apply in the workplace and beyond. To paraphrase Bill Shankly, this summer wasn’t just about football, ‘it is much, much more important than that.’
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Adam, Dermot and the ATT team
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