How can England's victory at the European Championships be used to grow the game?

After a number of false dawns in recent years when the Lionesses have made the semi-finals of major tournaments, it is a question the FA has been pondering for a long time.

The lesson of London 2012 - when the staging of a great event provided similar inspiration and record television audiences, but then failed to translate into a meaningful increase in sports participation or activity levels across the country - seems to have been taken into account by the governing body

The plans to capture the enthusiasm generated by this tournament have been in place for a while.

Ambitious targets have been set with an aim of tripling current average WSL attendances.

The celebratory and friendly atmosphere at Euro 2022 matches stood in stark contrast to the disorder that marred the men's Euros final at Wembley last summer.

There seem to be signs of a surge in demand for tickets for the WSL matches next season.

And an Ipsos online poll of 1,000 British adults this summer found 44% of the British public - and 64% of self-identified football fans - say they're more interested in watching women's football in the future.

When the bid was put together five years ago, there was disappointment that more big clubs weren't interested in staging the games. Fans will have to make it simpler to buy tickets.

The FA will be asked to make the women's league schedule more consistent. Private equity investors could be interested in buying the WSL, as talks about the premier league taking over the running of the league continue.

Legacy can be undermined by a lack of facilities at the grassroots.

Half of secondary schools don't give equal access to football. Women's and girls teams have trouble securing places to play.

A review of the domestic women's game has been announced by the government, but others point out that cuts to local authority budgets have meant a reduction in community pitches.

The FA says that by 2024 it wants 75% of schools providing equal access for girls to play the game and 75% of all grassroots clubs offering at least one girls' team, with 1,000 clubs offering a complete accredited pathway for girls.

Half a million extra opportunities for women and girls could be created by the Euros. The importance of this opportunity cannot be overstated at a time when more than half of women in the UK don't exercise.

The director of the Sport for Development Coalition said that this presents an amazing opportunity for the country to unite behind how sport can be used to drive positive social change.

"Not only will these players become role models to a generation of young women and girls, they can help to shine a light on how sport and physical activity is helping to support under-represented individuals and communities, especially in the wake of Covid 19 and in the face of a cost- Increasing diversity in sport and getting more women and girls involved is just the beginning of how sport can help build a fair future.

In 2009, the FA awarded top women players central contracts, gave them a home at St George's Park, and began to offer the Lionesses unprecedented support. A golden chance to change the landscape for women's sport has presented itself after those efforts led to Wembley.

Improving attendances will not be a quick fix.

The FA, clubs, the media, sponsors, and the government are expected to take advantage of this opportunity.

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