Lionesses give pride back to English football

Andy Munro puts his hand up and admits he was wrong.

I’m of a certain age when, for many years, women’s football didn’t seem quite right – the fairer, gentler sex and all that. Maybe my attitude was influenced by managing a women’s office five-a-side team in the seventies. On the one hand, the back players wouldn’t stop having a congenial chat about men, shopping and make up (not necessarily in that order) while the opposition attack went on the rampage. The alternative strategy of offside was, of course, a complete mystery.

On the other hand, it might have been an incident when during a men’s five-a-side, we ‘let’ a woman play and she literally waltzed past me in a way that would normally have brought swift retribution but somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do what comes naturally to most defenders.

It seems that I now have to take back all my prejudices as the England Ladies (that almost sounds as patronising as ‘wimmin’) did us proud. They showed a depth of talent and, most of all brilliant, spirit and teamwork which put their male equivalents well and truly in the shade. In many ways, they were unlucky to lose to Japan (the Brazil of the female game) and it would be brilliant if they can beat Germany tonight to clinch thirrd place. Preferably on penalties to show the England Boyz (well, they hardly play like men on the big occasions) how it should be done.

As a Blues fan, I’m delighted to see the likes of Karen Carney doing so well, not least because, I used to live opposite her Ddd in Sparkhill, many years ago. She’s a class act on and off the field, the latter amply demonstrated by her slick radio interviews which puts many of the current crop of Premier League players to shame.

RIP Rehman and Co…here come the girls!