‘The atmosphere at Wembley was electric’
THREE Guernsey football fans were among those cheering at Wembley Stadium on Sunday as Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal gave England’s Lionesses victory in the Women’s Euro 2022 Final.
Anna Gauvain, sister Katie Watson, who captained Guernsey women's Muratti team in May, and daughter Mollie Watson, 13, who goes to La Mare de Carteret High School, bought tickets for the final in July last year without knowing who would be playing.
‘Our excitement kept growing as England kept getting through the rounds,’ said Mrs Gauvain.
The crowd of more than 87,000 people was a record attendance for any European Championship match, whether men or women.
Mrs Gauvain said it had been the experience of a lifetime for them.
‘It was non-stop from start to finish with singing throughout, and it was a close game too,’ she said.
‘I felt shattered as we were leaving the stadium.’
The women had been to Premier League games before but never a final or a match like this one.
England supporters made Wembley a sea of red and white, according to Mrs Gauvain.
‘There were a few Germans there but there was no segregation of fans and the atmosphere was electric,’ she said.
‘Some German fans were sitting next to us and there were people there from other countries too,’
Another plus for the women was that both England goals were scored at the end they were sitting.
As they were approaching the stadium before the game they saw men wearing England shirts with the names of the women players on their backs.
On Saturday, the women went to Trafalgar Square where there was a big screen and various Euro 2022 activities going on. After the match a friend of Mrs Gauvain messaged her to say the Lionesses would be parading the trophy there on Monday morning.
‘There were about 7,000 people there and we were near the front of the queue,’ she said.
‘We could choose our spot and it wasn’t long until the singing started again.’
