"My nerves can't take this," Cherry Darbyshire tells the ECHO in the dying minutes of stoppage time at Jericho Lane.
Liverpool Feds are just moments away from claiming their first point in the third-tier of women's football, after a goal from left-back Abby Pope helped the South Liverpool club restore parity with last season's division champions, Wolves. Its a momentous day in the Feds' history, with each agonising second edging them closer to what, by all accounts, is a fantastic result.
"Go on Darbo!" Cherry bellows as her daughter, Feds' goalkeeper Rachel, punches away a cross which hangs ominously in the 18-yard box. As the final whistle blows, rapturous applause rings out around the ground and Cherry's relief, and unbridled pride, is evident.
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Cherry and husband Tony are here every week "without fail" to watch their daughter step out onto the Jericho Lane turf. Rachel has been playing competitive football since she was 11, and played at youth level for both Liverpool and Manchester City before making the switch to the Feds.
“It's the best club she's ever been at," said Cherry. "She came here last season and it's just been amazing.
"To watch her at the level she’s at now, after having been playing from a little girl, she’s done us so proud. To get to tier three, its incredible for everyone involved in the club.
"The feeling of watching her win two cups last season, it was one in a million. Everyone's been so welcoming since Rachel came in and there’s some cracking players here who all gel. They’re like a family.”
Cherry and Tony are among a crowd of more than 200 people at Jericho Lane, on a day which saw the club take a record amount of money at the turnstiles. And there's been a similar pattern across the country today, where record crowds have turned out to watch teams in the Barclay's Women's Championship and FA Women's National League kick off their 2022/23 campaigns.
It's been less than a month since more than 87,000 people packed out Wembley Stadium to take in England's last-gasp victory over Germany in the UEFA Women's Euro final. It was an historic occasion, as the Lionesses banished 56 years of hurt by clinching England's first major title since 1966, and there's hope the heroics of Sarina Wiegman's team will help to spark a revolution in the women's game.
Liverpool Feds will spend the upcoming season in the Northern Premier Division following a stellar league campaign where they lost only one game, earning promotion from the National League Division One North. This is the tenth year Glyn Holden has been coming to watch the Feds, and he's delighted to see the team tasting success at the highest level they've ever played at.
He said “I work with Chantelle, the captain, and she knew I like non-league football so I thought I’d come here and watch one week. I found I really enjoyed it and soon got to know people around the ground.
"I just got into the habit and kept it going. It’s quite gratifying to see them playing at this level. I enjoy coming to watch them anyway - I’d come and watch them no matter what level they were at but its great to see how well they’ve done the last few years.
"This is one of of the biggest the crowds I’ve ever seen here. I’ve been there at games when there’s only been five or six people.”
Glyn's sentiments were echoed by Marie Wheldon, who's been coming down to cheer on the girls for the last eight years. She said: "It’s amazing to be watching them at this level.
"The girls thoroughly deserve it. They’re so committed and a lot of them have very demanding, stressful jobs outside of the game but they get out here every week to put on a brilliant display for the fans.
"They’re fantastic girls and this is a fantastic club. Eight years ago, it was sometimes just me and my husband and my daughter here, you’d be lucky to get ten people come and watch. But over the years, the club has grown and the first team’s profile has grown massively.
"I think the success of the Lionesses has really really had an impact - you’re seeing more girls wanting to come and get involved and be part of a competitive club. Its just fantastic.”
Ahead of today's fixture, club chairman, Bill Stewart, said there has already been a noticeable increase in people looking to get involved with the club off the back on England's Euro success. And that was evident today at Jericho Lane, where parents hoisted their little girls up to watch the action over the railings and children from the Feds' junior division took to the pitch to showcase their own skills at half time.
Six-year-old Evelyn recently joined the Feds, and mum Daniela decided to make the trip to watch the senior girls in action after the family were swept up England's footballing triumph this summer. Daniela said: “Evelyn has recently started playing for the younger team, so this is the first game she’s been to.
"She’s only six but she’s really sporty and she enjoys playing football. Its nice that it's quite busy here today too.”
As the crowd starts to filter out and the players start their recovery session on the pitch, chairman Bill is bursting with pride. "The turnout today was fantastic," he told the ECHO.
"I love seeing everyone coming down to watch and I think we've taken more today on the turnstiles than we ever have. It's a good result too. Getting a point off the league champions is only going to give the girls confidence going forward."
It's going to be a long season for the Feds, where they'll have to beat teams backed by Premier League and Championship outfits if they want to survive at this level. But today, both on and off the pitch, it felt like a very good start.
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