Football

A touching new film about the Netherlands manager is likely to increase affection for one of the game's eccentrics.

But then Van Gaal was depicted as a hilarious eccentric throughout his time at United, with talk of mutiny as the players felt the drills and the briefing documents were, you know, a bit of a drag. He watches some gorillas in the wild, staring at them hard, and you half expect him to lean in and start telling them how to eat sugar cane better. “Then to go in and constantly do it the way you wanted, I really enjoyed that.” Had Van Gaal achieved nothing else from there his name was already set in lights. We had a small boardroom there and it was always fun with the old Manchester legends. It is a great football film that never really feels like a football film: deeply touching, revelatory in parts, and also very funny because Van Gaal is funny. Parts of the English press had portrayed Rooney as a kind of remedial man-beast, confused by Van Gaal’s instruction. “I came in as manager and everything was disappointing. By the time the decisive game against Norway comes around he will be in a wheelchair, a legacy (absurdly) of falling off his bike trying to keep up with the players. As all roads lead to the ruins of Rome, this brings us to his time at Manchester United. “Manchester was my most difficult period,” he says. Van Gaal had 25 radiation-therapy sessions before he took the Netherlands job in August 2021. Louis van Gaal is doing drills with the national team shortly after his latest unveiling as Netherlands manager.

Staffordshire Police has appointed its first ever football hate crime officer to improve fans' experiences at games.

"I also will seek to work with our clubs, the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and the courts to ensure that those convicted of such offences receive sufficient penalties." "This gives me fantastic opportunity to engage with a huge array of players and clubs alike while working with the fans of all these fantastic teams. Pc Lymer said: "I am over the moon to be the first officer appointed to this new role.

The BBC's face of Euro 2022 says Sunday's football final at Wembley could be the moment the women's game takes off in England.

And that does point towards a lack of diversity in the women’s game in England.” So that has been another shift in the alchemy of the success of the tournament.” “And those Lionesses who have worked so hard, and those who have blazed the trail before them as well, the pioneers of the sport. Many women in football have not had the opportunity to grow their careers until recently, she said, meaning they have had to get up to speed very fast. “Because Sweden had never conceded more than two goals in a European championship going back to 1984, when they first won it.” So, if you’re looking at it as a graph, it’s only going upwards and it feels like, as they say in business speak, it could be a hockey stick moment.”

PC Rich Lymer, from Staffordshire Police, will monitor crimes at games and also online.

"The key focus of my role will be around engagement and education to try and change the views of a small minority who tarnish the beautiful game by acts of hate crime," PC Lymer said. A police force has appointed a dedicated football hate crime officer ahead of the new season. His appointment comes a year after neighbouring West Midlands Police recruited the UK's first dedicated officer to tackling hate crime around football.

Cullis was a pupil at Cambridge Road School in Ellesmere Port, where a plaque was unveiled in his honour last year. After beginning his career at Ellesmere Port ...

"When he left Wolverhampton, I think his heart was broken and he thought the whole world had come down on top of him. Cullis' memory lives on at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where a stand has been named in his honour. His impressive career saw him earn plaudits from some of the game's biggest names, including legendary LFC boss, Bill Shankly. In his 1976 autobiography, Shankly paid tribute to Cullis, saying: "While Stan was volatile and outrageous in what he said, he never swore. Despite failing to claim any silverware during his playing days at Molineux, Cullis presided over the most successful era in the club's history as manager. After beginning his career at Ellesmere Port Wednesday, Cullis joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1934 and first captained the side when he was just 19 years old. As a centre-half, his physical dominance and excellent ball control guided Wolves to the upper echelons of English football.

It's impossible to overstate just how significant tomorrow's final will be, says Bryony Rowan, a PhD student and Huddersfield Town supporter.

It’s hard to describe just how good it feels to be swept up in a summer of football frenzy with women at the heart of our national pride. It could be the watershed moment female fans and players have waited for, as the UK is finally forced to wake up en masse to the fact that football is for women too. I’m hopeful that their dedication will set us on an unstoppable path for change that will make everyone see that the women’s game is just as worthy as the men’s in its own right – and worth shouting about from the rooftops. At school, even though I was mad about the game, I never bothered chatting football with the boys; I knew I’d be disrespected despite my encyclopedic knowledge. I’ve been to hundreds of matches, and attended 40 of the 92 English league grounds. My dad was managing a local club, and I was brought along for good luck.

Paul Rose who coached England women's goalkeeper Mary Earps as a child tells i his belief that ballet dancing gave her flexibility and grace as a goalie.

“I always put it down to her doing ballet. But he says a major part of their success was due to them not conceding many goals because of Mary’s ability. “Mary used to dive as a goalkeeper in a way not many other kids her age did,” he recalls.

England's Lionesses are roaring through the UEFA Women's Euro Tournament, having won all their matches so far. They kicked off the tournament with an easy ...

Therefore, although this year’s Euros has gone a long way in showing the great strides that Women’s Football has made over the years, there is still more to be done to kick misogyny out of football, and that burden lies on us, the fans. Similarly, whilst the French FA was given £23.4m for winning the Men’s World Cup in 2018, the US Soccer Federation was only awarded £3.1m for their win at the Women’s World Cup. The England Women’s team also do not receive the same travel benefits as their male counterparts; in 2019 they were forced to take commercial flights such as Easyjet to travel to their World Cup and other matches. This tournament will undoubtedly have a cultural impact, which will not only inspire a new generation of new players, but also raise a new wave of fans who respect and celebrate Women’s football. Although this may seem inevitable due to the fact that men’s football is undeniably more popular, this demonstrates a clear prioritisation of the men’s game and misses out on a vital opportunity to capitalise on the support for women’s football and inspire another generation of female players. Had England’s Lionesses won the Women’s World Cup in 2019, they would have each received £50,000 apiece, whilst the Men’s team would have each gone home with £217,000 had they won their respective World Cup in 2018. Regardless of their future outcomes, the Lionesses have done an incredible job not only in their performance in the stadiums, but also in changing the perception of the sport more generally. Notably, the Academy Stadium in Manchester, which was utilised for 3 group games, has a capacity of just 4,400 - a move that has been slammed by Icelandic International star Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir as ‘disrespecting women’s football.’ This is a stark contrast to when England last hosted the men’s Euros in 1996, where the smallest venue utilised was Nottingham’s city ground, with a 30,000 capacity. For the Men’s Euros, users could select the first goal scorer, but for the Women’s users can only guess which team will score first. As well as this disregard for the tournament, rampant sexist attitudes and objectification of players were blatant even from the top rungs of the football ladder, with then UEFA President Lennart Johansson stating that ticket companies could make use of “sweaty, lovely looking girls on the ground, with the rainy weather” in order to sell tickets. This came not long after the same FIFA president suggested that the popularity of women’s football could be increased by the players wearing ‘more feminine clothes’ such as tighter shorts to create ‘a more female aesthetic.’ Today’s tournament is indisputably much more well respected, which has been reflected not only by the soaring ticket sales, but also by the increasing media attention, with coverage moving from BBC2 to BBC1. The tournament has been harked as a new age for women’s football, with the first match (England vs Austria) attended by a record breaking 68,781 fans. They kicked off the tournament with an easy 1-0 win against Austria, followed by a stunning 8-0 against Norway and 5-0 win against Northern Ireland. They are now through to the final having beaten favourites, Spain, in a dramatic comeback, before thrashing Sweden at the semi-final stage.

England captain Leah Williamson and head coach Sarina Wiegman preview Sunday's UEFA Women's EUROs Final between the Lionesses and Germany at Wembley ...

We went back to The Lensbury, where we stay, and we did our training sessions again, did recovery there and the things we had to do to get prepared for tomorrow so it has been pretty calm.” We have a very good team too and we don’t fear anyone.” It is going to be exciting. I think it is going to be a very tight game. [We want] everybody who gets onboard to stay with us, because we can’t have a lack of interest post tournament because it defeats the objective that we have achieved throughout the last six weeks.” I think regardless of the end result of the game, there will be a nice moment for reflection. I will still do my job as I have every other time. That is [one of the] main things tomorrow. But I do think it is important for that message to come across as well.” I fight every single day for us as women’s footballers. I think tomorrow will be another moment like that. One more game.

A striker who played in the inaugural women's World Cup in 1971 hails the progress of the sport.

Mrs Emms, whose daughter Gail won an Olympic silver medal in badminton, said: "It's amazing how far the game has come now, it is so professional now. Mrs Emms, of Bedford, said it was "incredible" to see how far women's football had now come since her time with the "Forgotten Lionesses". Jan Emms, 70, played as a striker in the women's football world cup in Mexico in 1971.

The England captain, Leah Williamson, believes that whatever the result of Sunday's Euro 2022 final against Germany at Wembley, the tournament will prove ...

“The final is not the end of a journey but the start of one. “I’ve only ever been in this football workplace but, in most workplaces across the world, women still have a few more battles to face to try to overcome. “We’ll make hard choices; everyone has the quality to play.”

The Lionesses success could have a legacy beyond Wembley as only 44% of girls currently have the same access to football in PE.

This tournament may not have captured the hearts of a nation as much as I would like, but it has captured the hearts of a generation. I went to see Germany vs France in the other semi-final and it was a sea of young girls at their first football game. “Whatever happens in the final now, if girls are not allowed to play football in their PE – just like the boys can – what are we doing? But we are one day off England potentially winning their first ever Euros (for both the Mens and Womens teams) and I’ve not seen a single flag flying. And the boys themselves were happy to play with us. If there’s no legacy to this – like with the Olympics – then what are we doing?”

The Lionesses are looking to secure the first major silverware in their history in Sunday's Euro 2022 final.

“I think the season has been pretty good for us and I think the group stage went relatively easy. “I think it has been really calm around the team. I think that works really well. And I think, regardless of the end result of that game, there will be a nice moment for reflection. I want this to be a mark for the future, not looking back on what’s come before.” I want it to be the start.

Open letter to Lionesses wishes them luck and says they have shown beyond doubt that 'football is not just for boys'

“That is all down to you and what you have already achieved,” he added. Of the 27 meetings between Germany and England, Germany have won 21. He said the Lionesses had inspired his own daughter.

As UEFA Women's EURO 2022 reaches its climax, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin hails the fantastic success of a tournament that has taken women's football ...

The scene is set for the last chapter of an unforgettable football story. And one more special ‘thank you’ goes to you, dear fans, for creating such a vibrant atmosphere across the 31 matches. The two finalists have overcome formidable challenges to get to this stage, and they know that a last successful effort will bring them footballing glory and renown in their country and beyond.

Williamson says greater recognition for women's game is only the start of something wider.

“I think the season has been pretty good for us and I think the group stage went relatively easy. “I think it has been really calm around the team. I think that works really well. And I think, regardless of the end result of that game, there will be a nice moment for reflection. I want this to be a mark for the future, not looking back on what’s come before.” I want it to be the start.

Leah Williamson has hailed Carol Thomas, of Aldbrough, as her inspiration.

During the 1970s and 80s, Thomas captained the Lionesses for nine years before the team became officially recognised by the FA in 1992, winning a total of 56 caps in the process. “Now it is about doing our job on the pitch. She said: "We started a journey and we’ve got people with us.

'Lots of women are overcoming barriers to play': Interest in women's football is up by a third in some areas. The Heaton Hawks, a Newcastle football team, ...

Interest in women’s football has skyrocketed since the tournament began. She puts part of the rise in popularity down to the positivity and media attention, and the fact the games are available to watch on television. “It’s quite inspiring because lots of women are overcoming barriers to play…they have overcome fears to joining a team and playing football and I’m glad to be a small part of introducing the football to them.”

England are in a football final - the Lionesses blew Sweden away 4-0 in the Euro 2022 semifinal this week to qualify for a first final in more than 10 ...

Speaking on the differences between girls' and boys' sessions, Keith said: "Girls tend to listen more than boys. "Our girls' team is under-13 - they're going into their second season now. Basic sessions, getting girls involved in football. There's been a lot more talk about it. But England have come a long way since that bruising defeat - and the country has come along with them. He first got involved more than 20 years ago, and his children, boys and girls, have played for the club.

Last year, as I handed out Lioness player cards to my year eight PE class, I watched as they read the names and positions of the women few of them had ever ...

I am filled with excitement for the future of the women’s game – the boys in school have been coming to talk to me about female players. I am still playing aged 33 and have to face the embarrassment of playing much younger, faster girls who I’ve coached since they arrived at the school aged 11. There’s still a long way to go to give every girl the chance to have a kick around, to be able to find a local team, and see where the game takes her. Interest started to peak from other girls – and I can just feel that this tournament – this team – is going to influence even more. It came in the form of an ad campaign in which one of my girls stood next to Tottenham and England captain Harry Kane for a Tottenham kit launch. But there’s only so much we can do – what we’ve been waiting for is a national shift in the way we see female footballers.