What a night of football in Brighton! England beat Spain 2-1 after extra time in a thrilling match I could have watched for hours. And what a party in the stadium! It’s loud at women’s football matches, the atmosphere is like a mixture of school trip and youth disco.
Five-year-old girls, three Lionesses on their shirts, sitting on their father’s shoulders, waving the St George’s cross flag. A bell-bright children’s choir sang “Football’s coming home”, grandfathers also joined in with Wonderwall. The last time I had been allowed to feel so English was four years ago when I visited my relatives and watched the Royal wedding on the South Pier in Blackpool, throwing a coin into the slot machine.
