A quick guide to Sunderland who compete in the Women's Championship. Sunderland Website https://safc.com/safc-women Manager Melanie Copeland - ENG Captain Keira Ramshaw Squad Sunderland Sunderland 1/1 Number Player Position Nationality 1 Allison Cowling GK USA 2 Neve Herron MF ENG 4 Faye Mullen DF ENG 5 Grace McCatty DF ENG 6 Louise Griffiths DF ENG 7 Keira Ramshaw FW ENG 8 Emily Scarr FW ENG 9 Nicki Gears FW ENG 10 Danielle Brown FW ENG 11 Jessica Brown MF ENG 13 Claudia Moan GK ENG 14 Emma Kelly MF ENG 15 Emily Hutchinson MF ENG 16 Grace Ede MF ENG 17 Abbey Joice MF ENG 18 Libbi McInnes MF ENG 19 Megan Beer DF ENG 20 Tyler Dodds FW ENG 21 Holly Manders MF ENG 24 Abby Holmes DF ENG 25 Katy Watson FW ENG 27 Brianna Westrup DF SCO Ground Eppleton Colliery Football Ground, Welfare Rd, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring DH5 9NA

Current Netherlands head coach Sarina Weigman has been named as Phil Neville's replacement. Sarina Wiegman Announced as Neville's Replacement Back Current Netherlands head coach Sarina Weigman has been named as Phil Neville's replacement. The FA Friday, 11 September 2020 By Charlotte Stacey The FA have announced that the Netherlands Head Coach Sarina Wiegman will has been appointed as the new England manager. Wiegman has signed a four-year deal and will succeed Phil Neville as his contract expires, taking charge of the Lionesses from September 2021. The former midfielder has a remarkable career both on and off the field. Wiegman not only captained the national side, but also became the first Dutch player to become a centurion, ending her international career with 104 caps. After two successful management terms with Dutch sides Ter Leede and ADO Den Haag, Wiegman was appointed as the assistant coach of the Netherlands national team. She was then promoted to Head Coach on a permanent basis in 2017. Under the helm of Wiegman, the Dutch national side won the UEFA Euro’s in 2017 as the host nation, and were runners up in FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. Wiegman was also named Best FIFA Women’s coach in 2017. Wiegman will remain with the ‘Oranje Lionesses’ and is focussed on leading them through their Olympic campaign next year, commenting, “the ride with the ‘Oranje Lionesses’ has been amazing so far, but we haven’t reached our final destination yet. There are two more goals: qualifying for the UEFA Women's EURO in 2022 and challenging at the Olympics next summer. That would be a fitting completion for me of everything we've strived to achieve in women’s football in my home country.” On her appointment as the head of the English side, Wiegman added, “It’s a world class team and a world class situation I am in. We are very happy that I can be part of that, and that I can bring my experience and knowledge to the team.” The FA’s director of women’s football, Sue Campbell, commented, “Sarina was our number one choice. She's the perfect cultural fit for us, which is crucially important in building a winning team. Her technical expertise, leadership skills and winning mentality is hugely impressive. “I am confident that together with our incredible support staff and ambitious, talented playing squad she can help us achieve the international success we are striving for. "Sarina will also be a great ambassador for the The FA and the women’s game in England, sharing our desire to inspire the next generation of English players, coaches, administrators and supporters.” The Lionesses have had a successful run in major tournaments over the few years, reaching consecutive semi-finals at the World Cup, as well as the semi-finals of the 2017 Euro’s, being knocked out, ironically, by the Netherlands. Yet they have never quite managed to deliver the final product. But with Wiegman at the helm, this just might start to change. Wiegman’s first major tournament with England will be the UEFA Euro’s 2022 which will be hosted on home turf.

England draw 1-1 in their first testing game of the Arnold Clark Cup Arnold Clark Cup: England v Canada Back England draw 1-1 in their first testing game of the Arnold Clark Cup Girls on the Ball Thursday, 17 February 2022 By Charlotte Stacey In their first match in the inaugural year of the Arnold Clark Cup the Lionesses took on Olympic gold medallists Canada. England boss Sarina Wiegman lined up an experimental starting eleven, opting for youngster Alessia Russo to lead the line over England’s all time top scorer Ellen White. Russo has enjoyed a stellar season with Manchester United, netting 5 goals and earning 2 assists in the Women’s Super League so far. In comparison, White has scored 2 goals and produced 3 assists in what has been a reserved season for the Manchester City striker. Mary Earps maintained her spot in goal despite the return of Ellie Roebuck who has been out of action with an injury for the majority of the season. Arsenal’s Leah Williamson resumed captain duties in the absence of Steph Houghton. Williamson also took up a different role to the one played at club level, operating in the double pivot alongside Keira Walsh as opposed to her usual centre-half role. Chelsea’s Jessie Fleming wore the armband for Canada as usual skipper Christine Sinclair takes some time away from the pitch after the passing of a family member. PSG’s Ashley Lawrence played in her usual left back role as Reading’s Deanne Rose and Real Madrid’s Jordan Huitema fronted the 4-4-2 diamond. England started the first half as they ended it - with control. The Lionesses kicked off brightly opening up space in behind their fullbacks and causing a lot of problems down the left flank. It was the home side who opened the scoring after 22 minutes as Millie Bright hit a wonder volley following an England corner. Fran Kirby played a short corner to Alex Greenwood who promptly sent in a cross. Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan cleared the ball as far as Bright who made no mistake in firing her rocket into the back of the net. The next chance came ten minutes later when Lauren Hemp, who had been as elusive as ever, took a driven run down the left towards the touchline before cutting the ball back to Russo. Russo’s shot was blocked by Kadiesha Buchanan but fell to Ella Toone whose effort was also blocked. England rounded off the half with one final chance that was built up in possession around the area. Eventually the ball made its way to Russo near the six-yard box who passed back to an approaching Rachel Daly. Daly fed in Williamson who surged forward, beating out Vanessa Gilles, before releasing the ball back to Hemp who did not connect well enough and sent it wide. Although England were certainly in the driving seat as the half time whistle blew, they would come to rue the clear-cut chances they missed as Bev Priestman tweaked her Canada side for the second forty-five. Canada equalised in the 54th minute with a stunning left footed strike from Janine Beckie. Lawrence intercepted a pass from Daly and ran the ball a fair length of the pitch. Kirby managed to divert Lawrence’s subsequent pass that was picked up by Huitema who cleverly flicked it on to Beckie. Beckie took a couple of touches and nudged the ball into a more central position before unleashing her quality strike, a strike which Mary Earps had no chance of stopping. It appeared there was a distinct shift in momentum in the second half with Canada reaping the successes England had found in the first. The Lionesses were forced narrower and so were having difficulty not only in stretching the field to create attacking play, but in maintaining any sort of purposeful possession. Canada began pressing from the front, closing down lanes to halt England’s attempts to play out from the back, exactly as England had done to them in the first half. Priestman’s substitutions were also tactically privy and allowed the visitors to utilise their greatest threats. The addition of Quinn in the midfield meant that Fleming could drift into her preferred central area and spray through balls that caught England short on several occasions. Had it not been for resolute defending from Millie Bright, Fleming’s passes could have seen Canada clinch the win. Yet England were not without their chances in the second half. Sarina Wiegman made a quadruple change with just under half an hour to go in an attempt to reinject some decorum. Lucy Bronze made immediate impact in reasserting some dominance along the right wing going toe-to-toe with Lawrence and often coming out on top to play in Nikita Parris. Similarly, the re-shift in formation after the introduction of Parris and Beth Mead saw the now single pivoted Walsh with a more playable chess board open up before her. This meant she had a greater number of options to pick from when launching her trademark visionary passes. It was one of these passes that led to a penalty shout from England late in the game when Parris was tussled down receiving Walsh’s ball. The official was in a good position to see the incident and no penalty was given. A one-all draw in a game of two halves was a fair result for the Lionesses who will no doubt be glad to finally have been challenged. England: Earps (GK), Daly (64’), Stokes, Walsh, Greenwood (64’), Bright (22’), Kirby, Williamson (C) (64’), Toone (45’), Hemp (64’), Russo (75’) Substitutes: White (75’), Bronze (64’), Hampton (GK), Stanway (45’), Carter (64’), Mead (64’), Parris (64’), Nobbs, Charles, Scott, Roebuck (GK), Zelem Goals: Bright 22’ Canada: Sheridan (GK), Buchanan, Fleming (C), Rose (79’), Grosso (58’), Riviere (65’), Huitema (58’), Lawrence, Scott, Beckie, Gilles Substitutes: Chapman, Zadorsky, Quinn (58’), Carle, Prince (58’), Boychuk, D’angelo, Alidou, Lacasse (65’), Yekka, Pickett (79’) Goals: Beckie 54’ Yellow Cards: Lawrence 47’ Buchanan 85’

Recap all the action from the Lionesses glorious 2025 Women's Euros campaign 2025: The Year of the Lioness Back Recap all the action from the Lionesses glorious 2025 Women's Euros campaign Getty Monday, 4 August 2025 By Paul Donegan Even a few days on from Sunday, it is still amazing that the Lionesses went to Switzerland and defended their European title. There were times during the tournament when I thought they wouldn’t but their belief and never give up attitude helped them become champions again. The penalty shoot-out win over Spain in the final in Basel saw them become the first senior England side to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive spot kick which saw her win the Euros for the Lionesses again like three years ago. Sarina Wiegman has now won three European Championships in a row as Head coach after winning in 2017 with the Netherlands then again in 2022 and 2025. The Euros didn’t start well for England with a poor performance and 2-1 defeat against France in the group stage. The next game against the Netherlands was already a must win one which the Lionesses did in style winning 4-0. They knew a win against Wales in the last group match would see them through to the knockout stages and they defeated them 6-1 to progress. Sweden took a 2-0 lead in the quarter-final and it could have been worse for England had Hannah Hampton not made some vital saves. Wiegman brought on Kelly and Michelle Agyemang during the second half and they proved to be the game changers with Kelly assisting a Lucy Bronze goal then Agyemang scored the equaliser to take the match to extra-time. There were no further goals with the Lionesses winning the penalty shootout 3-2. After going behind to a first half goal from Italy in the semi-final, it was the introduction of Kelly and Agyemang that proved to be the turning point again. Just as it looked like Italians were going to reach the final, Agyemang found the net to equalise in the 96 th minute before Kelly scored from the rebound after her penalty had been saved to win the match for England in the 119 th minute. The remaining four minutes and 52 seconds was the only time the Lionesses were ahead during the knockout stages. The Euro 2025 final was a rematch of the World Cup final two years ago against Spain. Spain took the lead in the 25 th minute and looked the better side during the first half. Kelly come on as a substitute again and her cross was headed in by Alessia Russo to equalise for England. There were no further goals during the remainder of the 90 minutes or during extra time with Leah Williamson and Jess Carter being solid in defence. Penalties again and Hampton saved two of Spain’s leaving Kelly to score the winning penalty as the Lionesses won the shootout 3-1. Williamson went up to lift the trophy again after doing the same three years ago at Wembley. The final was watched by about 16 million people on television in the UK. The celebrations got into full swing in Switzerland and England and there were hundreds waiting at Southend Airport when the squad flew back on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday at the Homecoming parade, around 65,000 packed The Mall and in front of Buckingham Palace to welcome the team home. Where I was stood near the start of the parade, it was brilliant to see the crowd was about 10 people deep with lots of flags being waved and people cheering. So how did the Lionesses win the Euros. Wiegman made a big tactical change after the France defeat with James moving into the attacking right side position in place of Mead and Toone coming into the number 10 role. In defence, Alex Greenwood moved to the left side and Carter in the centre with Williamson. These changes seemed to work on the whole. Crucial substitutions were also made during matches that turned out to be game changing with Kelly and Agyemang coming on. The squad was full of winners and players who don’t know how to lose. Six came from Chelsea’s domestically undefeated treble winners in the past season whilst another five played for Arsenal in their UEFA Women’s Champions League win against Barcelona in May. It is maybe unfair from a squad of winners to pick out individuals but I just want to pick a few out. 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang was maybe a but of a surprise choice for the squad for some (me included) but she turned out to be a super sub and won the Young Player of the Tournament award. Chloe Kelly was thinking of giving up football in January before her move to Arsenal and turned out to be an absolute star at the Euros! Lucy Bronze played near enough every minute of the tournament with a fractured tibia. Hannah Hampton made big saves and conceded only three out of eleven penalties which is the best save rate (27%) in Women’s Euros history. It wasn’t all good news with both Hampton & Ella Toone both had deaths in the family before and during the tournament, thoughts with them and their families, whilst Jess Carter received some vile racial abuse on social media. England beat a few European Championship records during the tournament! 11 different players scored goals in Switzerland (Keira Walsh, Lauren James, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, Aggie Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze, Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly). The win over Wales saw a record for the most different scorers in a single Euro game as six players found the net. They completed the biggest comeback in a Euro knockout tie coming back from two down to beat Sweden on penalties. They also had the most wins on penalties in a single Euros tournament. So that is Euro 2025 done and dusted! England will be looking to defend their title again in 2029!

SheBelieves Cup 2020: Squad (usual England positions) GK: Ellie Roebuck, Carly Telford, Sandy MacIver DF: Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze, Demi Stokes, Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson, Abbie McManus, Rachel Daly, Millie Bright, Grace Fisk MF: Keira Walsh, Jill Scott, Jordan Nobbs, Lucy Staniforth, FW: Ellen White, Lauren Hemp, Beth England, Toni Duggan, Nikita Parris, Chloe Kelly, Georgia Stanway FA By Charlotte Stacey With the Lionesses first game of the SheBelieves Cup taking place in just over two weeks, the squad announcement could not come quick enough for fans. A fair few changes from last year's World Cup squad, it will remain to be seen as to whether the Lionesses will gel as cohesively as they did in the summer. However, with all of these players performing considerably well at their respective clubs, Phil Neville has certainly picked a mighty line-up. With the recent injury of Beth Mead, as well as the longer term recoveries of Karen Bardsley and Fran Kirby, Neville's squad ultimately had space for less experienced players to have a crack on the main stage. Considering their outstanding seasons so far, it is encouraging to see the likes of Ellie Roebuck, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Beth England in the squad. Noting their current form, it can be argued that all four of these players should be a part of at least one starting eleven. Sandy MacIver and Grace Fisk have received their senior call ups and it may be favourable to have them play a decent amount of minutes. These youthful players, alongside the slightly more practised Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Leah Williamson, are, after all, the makings of the next pride of Lionesses. This could prove to be the perfect opportunity to exercise a future team. FA However, it is always satisfying to see the old faithfuls in the squad. The national side should have a certain amount of stability and reliability at its heart. Sharing a pitch with the experience of players such as Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Lucy Bronze and Ellen White, will give the youngsters the much needed support that they will seek. Blending experience with youth is sure to set the team up nicely. After missing out on the World Cup it is pleasing to have the always valuable Jordan Nobbs back in the middle. The Lionesses must work to utilise her as Arsenal do. However, looking at usual positions for England, having only four 'typical' midfielders looks a little concerning. Nevertheless, this does mean that there is wiggle room for a few formational options, and the opportunity for players to move into perhaps slightly more comfortable positions. We could possibly see the ever versatile Rachel Daly move up field, Williamson positioned closer to the middle, or Hemp dropping back slightly on the wing. Looking at the games themselves, it must be noted that although the USA look to be the biggest threat, they should not be deemed as the only one. Both Spain and Japan will be challenging games. The Lionesses will approach them with the utmost respect, careful to remember that the games won on paper are not always the games won in reality. Neville's conscientious mix of youth and experience looks to set the Lionesses in good stead for not only the SheBelieves Cup, but for future international tournaments. With plenty to look forward to, it is time to avenge that World Cup Semi-Final and bring this trophy home once again. Let's go ladies, WeBelieve in you.

Hege Riise names her 18 strong Olympic squad that will head to Japan this summer. Team GB News Team GB Squad Announced Hege Riise names her 18 strong Olympic squad that will head to Japan this summer. Girls on the Ball 27 May 2021 By Charlotte Stacey Hege Riise has named her squad that will head to Tokyo to represent Team GB in the upcoming Olympics. The Norwegian has announced her eighteen player roster made up of players from the home nations. As expected, the Lionesses form the majority of the squad with fifteen of the chosen players hailing from England. Arsenal captain Kim Little and Manchester City midfielder Caroline Weir feature as the only two Scotland internationals, and Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle is the only Welsh player to have been called upon. Manchester City’s Ellie Roebuck, and OL Reign’s Karen Bardsley, have been selected as the two goalkeepers to go forward. Roebuck has played another impressive with City, keeping a total of thirteen clean sheets across all competitions. After over a year out due to injury, Bardsley joined NWSL side Reign on loan until the end of July in a bid to gather more game time. Bardsley played her first international fixture in over six hundred days in the Lionesses most recent friendly against Canada in April. Riise has opted for a familiar defensive structure selecting candidates solely from her acquainted English stock. Fullbacks Lucy Bronze and Demi Stokes have made the cut, as well as fellow City teammate and Lionesses skipper Steph Houghton. Houghton has recently recovered from an Achilles injury, yet with her wealth of expertise and calm leadership, the veteran was expected to named. Arsenal’s progressive defender Leah Williamson and Chelsea’s steadfast Millie Bright take the number of centre backs selected to three. Houston Dash captain Rachel Daly has also been given the nod and is predicted to take on a defensive role despite becoming Houston’s all time top goal scorer this week. Riise’s midfield options include Wales captain Sophie Ingle and City staple Keira Walsh, both of whom show great capability in anchoring the middle third. Everton’s Jill Scott offers vast international experience as well as an energetic spirit. Navigational wizard Kim Little and left footed wonder Caroline Weir finish off a well-rounded midfield. Upfront, City striker Ellen White leads line and will likely be flanked by teammate Lauren Hemp on the wing. Chelsea’s record goal scorer and player of the season Fran Kirby has rightly made the squad. The forward has played a remarkable season and will be looking to emulate this success in Tokyo. Manchester City’s Georgia Stanway will bring some much-needed grit; however, the youngster will likely find herself used all over the pitch due to her notable versatility. Ever present England forward Nikita Parris has also been selected to add an aggressive attacking spark to the mix. Team GB have been drawn in Group E and will face hosts Japan, Chile and Canada. Their campaign will kick off against Chile on 21st July, they will then play Japan on 24th July and finish the group stage against Canada on 27th July. Full squad: Karen, Bardsley, Ellie Roebuck, Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Rachel Daly, Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes, Leah Williamson, Sophie Ingle, Kim Little, Jill Scott, Keira Walsh, Caroline Weir, Lauren Hemp, Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris, Georgia Stanway, Ellen White Reserves: Sandy MacIver, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Niamh Charles, Ella Toone

Everything you need to know about the WSL. Women's Super League History The Women's Super League (WSL) is the highest tier of women's football in England. The League, run by the Football Association (FA) and sponsored by Barclays, currently consists of twelve professional teams. Brief History The FA WSL was first introduced in 2011 to replace the FA Women's Premier League National Division as the highest division of women's football. Initially, the league was played across the summer months. Of the sixteen teams that applied, eight teams were selected to take part in the WSL's inaugural season: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Bristol Academy, Chelsea, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton, Lincoln Ladies and Liverpool. In 2014, a second division, the FA WSL 2, was introduced featuring ten teams. Doncaster Rover Belles were relegated to the WSL 2 and Manchester City were awarded a place in the top division, the then named, WSL 1. In 2016 a team from the then FA Women's Premier League earned promotion into the WSL 2, connecting the WSL to the the leagues lower down in the football pyramid. It was also announced in 2016 that the WSL would become a winter league as per tradition with English football. Prior to the 2018-2019 season, the WSL 1 became fully professional and was renamed as the FA Women's Super League. Teams had to re-apply to participate, form youth academies and offer players a minimum of 16 hour a week contracts. At this time, Sunderland were demoted to the third tier of the pyramid. Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United were moved into the WSL. The WSL 2 was renamed as the FA Women's Championship at this time. Ben Greatorex Ben Greatorex The league was then extended further before the 2019-2020 season with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur gaining promotion from the Championship, taking the the total number of teams to twelve. The FA also launched the FA Player enabling access to live WSL games for free to audiences worldwide. Sky Sports and the BBC confirmed a landmark deal with the FA to broadcast the WSL in 2021. Both the Women's Super League and Women's Championship were 're-branded' in 2022 to the Barclays Women's Super League and Women's Championship, dropping the FA status. As of 2022 both leagues still consist of 12 teams and are run by the FA. Ben Greatorex

Latest squad announced for February's training camp. February Squad Announced Back Latest squad announced for February's training camp. via The FA Wednesday, 10 February 2021 By Charlotte Stacey Hege Riise has named a 20 strong squad for the Lionesses friendly against Northern Ireland later this month. This will mark the first time the Lionesses have played with Riise at the helm, acting as interim manager, and will also be the team’s first official fixture since the SheBelieves Cup in March 2020. Preparing for her first meeting with the squad and subsequent match, Riise explained her ambition to instil a lost confidence back into the squad, “that’s something we’re trying to work on with this group. We have to believe we can dictate every game and the team has to be connected. We want them to enjoy stepping on to the field for England and not to be anxious.” Confidence is seemingly a catching point with the English side. During Phil Neville’s tenure the Lionesses dropped from 3rd to 6th in the world rankings and Neville saw out his time with a cluster of lacklustre and disjointed performances. The Lionesses never fully recovered from their semi-final defeat in the 2019 World Cup, their road to recovery dampened by stubbornness and defensiveness radiating from Riise’s predecessor. A change of personnel is exactly what the national side need. Riise has opted for a balanced mix of experience and youth in her first selection. A sensible decision in gathering a somewhat familiar group together after a year long fixture hiatus, but the gradual introduction of talented youngsters shows great promise for the future. A smaller squad than generally chosen as of late, notable absentees include Chelsea goalkeeper Carly Telford, Manchester United’s Lucy Staniforth, Lauren James, Katie Zelem and Millie Turner, Everton’s Izzy Christiansen, Lyon forward Nikita Parris, Atletico Madrid’s Toni Duggan, Manchester City defenders Esme Morgan and Demi Stokes, Tottenham’s Abbie McManus and Arsenal winger Beth Mead. Addressing the decision not to include Mead, Riise said, ““the player report wasn’t that great”. Whilst this may seem a direct, it is important to consider that the bluntness of the comment may have been a little lost in translation. The postponement of several Arsenal matches will have not helped Mead’s case. Nevertheless, it should serve as a wake-up call not only to Mead, but to other regular picks that from now on places will be offered on merit, not by name. With that being said, it was perhaps surprising not to see Manchester United’s Leah Galton make the cut. Galton has been instrumental for the Red Devils, being present with both scoring and creating, so much so that she won the WSL’s Player of the Month in December. Similarly, Tottenham defender Ashleigh Neville misses out despite having the most tackles won of any English player in the domestic league so far. However, it must be measured that this is only Riise’s first appointment and that the Lionesses’ evolution is a long-term venture. It is perhaps sensible to bide time, to proceed with a thoughtful caution and avoid a rash revolution. The Lionesses will take on Northern Ireland on Tuesday 23rd February at St. George’s Park. Kick-off commences at 12:30pm (GMT) and the match will be svailable to watch on BBC iPLayer and the BBC Red Button. Full squad: Goalkeepers: Ellie Roebuck, Sandy MacIver, Hannah Hampton Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton, Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood, Rachel Daly, Lotte Wubben-Moy Midfielders: Keira Walsh, Leah Williamson, Jordan Nobbs, Jill Scott, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone Forwards: Fran Kirby, Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp, Ellen White, Bethany England

A quick guide to Durham who compete in the Women's Championship. Durham Website https://durhamwfc.co.uk/ Manager Lee Sanders Captain Sarah Wilson Squad Durham Durham 1/1 Number Player Position Nationality 1 Naoisha McAloon GK IRL 2 Georgia Robert DF ENG 3 Lauren Briggs MF ENG 4 Mollie Lambert MF ENG 5 Sarah Wilson DF ENG 6 Sarah Robson MF NIR 7 Beth Hepple MF ENG 8 Mollie Lambert MF ENG 9 Amy Andrews FW ENG 10 Rio Hardy FW ENG 11 Bridget Galloway FW ENG 12 Lily Crosswaite FW ENG 12 Lily Crosthwaite FW ENG 13 Anna King GK ENG 14 Becky Salicki DF ENG 15 Dee Bradley DF USA 16 Ellie Christon DF ENG 16 Ellie Christon DF ENG 17 Poppy Pritchard DF ENG 18 Grace Ayre DF ENG 19 Ella Wilson DF ENG 20 Saoirse Noonan FW IRL 21 Erin Nicholson MF ENG 22 Eleanor Ronan-Doyle FW IRL 23 Jess Clarke FW ENG 24 Abby Holmes DF ENG 30 Tatiana Saunders GK USA Ground Maiden Castle, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3SE

Sarina Wiegman announces Lionesses squad ahead of World Cup Qualifiers Movement in the Lionesses camp Back Sarina Wiegman announces Lionesses squad ahead of World Cup Qualifiers Girls on the Ball Thursday, 25 August 2022 Josh Bunting Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs has been recalled to the England squad for next months World Cup qualification games with Austria and Luxembourg. The Gunners midfielder missed out on the Euro 2022 victory due to injury. The European champions need a point away to nearest group rivals Austria on Saturday 3 September or, failing that, a victory at home to Luxembourg at a sold-out Stoke City on Tuesday 6 September to confirm their spot in Australia and New Zealand next summer. Nobbs who has 67 senior caps for England is included alongside England captain Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Beth Mead. Chloe Kelly and Fran Kirby will miss out through injury while two other notable absentees are Jill Scott and Ellen White after the experienced duo this week announced their retirement from football. Sarina Wiegman said: “ It only feels like yesterday since we were celebrating at Wembley, but we have to get straight back to business. We have a big target in front of us this month to book our place at the World Cup, and we have to set aside our amazing memories of this summer for the moment. We have lost four players in midfield and forward positions so I am pleased we can turn to experience in Katie Zelem and Jordan Nobbs along with two for the future in Lauren James and Ebony Salmon. “When we can, it is important to give opportunities to our promising younger players in this environment, and for them to experience what is expected in the senior set-up both on and off the pitch. This includes Sandy MacIver who just missed out on Euro 2022.” Wiegman added Nobbs was "really excited" to be a part of the squad again and would be keen to make an impression before next summer's World Cup. "She was very disappointed that she got injured and needed more time for the Euros," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. She worked hard over the summer and has had good preparation with Arsenal. I am very interested to see where she is at the moment and how she is coming back from the injury." The squad will begin their camp at St. George’s Park this Sunday evening (28 August). Alex Greenwood celebrates England's 5-1 win over the Netherlands Photo: Ryan Asman England squad: Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Sandy MacIver, Ellie Roebuck (both Manchester City). Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Alex Greenwood, Demi Stokes (both Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy, Leah Williamson (both Arsenal). Midfielders: Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Manchester City), Katie Zelem (Manchester United). Forwards: Bethany England (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Nikita Parris, Alessia Russo (both Manchester United), Ebony Salmon (Houston Dash).

A clean run through the World Cup Qualifying games sees the Lionesses straight through to next years tournament Lionesses beat Austria 2-0 to qualify for World Cup Back A clean run through the World Cup Qualifying games sees the Lionesses straight through to next years tournament Girls on the Ball Sunday, 4 September 2022 By Paul Donegan England reached the 2023 World Cup finals with a 2-0 win over Austria. In their first match since becoming European champions, England scored a goal in each half with Alessia Russo and Nikita Parris getting on the scoresheet. Austria named the same starting line-up that lost to Germany in the Euro’s quarter-finals. Sarina Wiegman made three changes from the starting eleven that won the Euro’s final with Alex Greenwood, Ella Toone and Russo coming in for Rachel Daly, Fran Kirby (injured) and Ellen White (retired). England took the lead in the 7th minute when Greenwood’s cross was headed back by Lauren Hemp, and via a slight deflection off Toone, it found Russo who finished with a low effort into the corner of the net. Russo had a chance to make it 2-0 two minutes later but sent her header straight into Manuela Zinsberger’s hands. A couple of minutes later, England almost got themselves into some trouble when trying to play out from the back and gave the ball away but Julia Hickelsberger-Fuller shot over. In the 17th minute, Georgia Stanway shot well over from about 25 yards out. Austria came back into it as the first half went on but didn’t really threaten Mary Earps. England were causing some of their own problems again when trying to play the ball out with Austria pressing them. Just before half time, a low dangerous cross from Lucy Bronze was cleared by the Austria defence before Russo could get to the ball. Austria had the first chance of the second half when Hickelsberger-Fuller again pressed Earps whilst England were trying to play out and saw the ball go just wide of the post. England then created chances of their own with Lucy Bronze seeing her shot saved in the 49th minute, and Toone sent her shot just wide from the edge of the area a minute later. The Lionesses continued to have opportunities with Stanway seeing her shot saved by Zinsberger’s foot, and then she shot wide from 20 yards out in the 55th minute as England went looking for a second. In the 59th minute, Beth Mead flicked the ball past an Austrian defender then sent a cross in that Russo met with her head but the ball finished up in the goalkeepers hands. Austria forced Earps to make a good save in the 60th minute when Laura Feiersinger sent a shot towards goal from about 20 yards that the England keeper pushed over. England did make it 2-0 in the 69th minute when Stanway’s lovely through ball found Parris in the area and she finished into the top corner. Austria had a chance to get back into the game almost straight away when Feiersinger’s cross went right across the goal but no one could get a touch on it. Another nice through ball in the 77th minute, this time from Keira Walsh, found Parris and after a good first touch she shot wide, maybe with the help of a deflection but a goal kick was given. Lauren James came on to make her senior England debut in the 79th minute. Austria had a few attacks in the final 10 minutes but England defended these well. There was a chance for England in the 90th minute but Parris was just unable to get onto James’ pass. The final effort of the match went to Austria but the shot was caught by Earps. England now have a record of 9 out 9 wins, 70 goals scored and none conceded. The Lionesses finish their qualifying campaign on Tuesday at home to Luxembourg whilst Austria, who will be in the play-offs, face North Macedonia. Line ups Austria: Zinsberger, Wienroither, Wenninger (c), Georgieva, Hanshaw, Puntigam, Hickelsberger-Fuller (Naschenweng 69’), Zadrazil, Feiersinger (Hobinger 88’), Dunst (Kolb 88’), Billa (Wienerroither 79’) Unused Substitutes: Kresche, El Sherif, Klein, Degen, Schasching, Schiechtl, Kirchberger, Eder, England: Earps, Bronze (Daly 84’), Bright, Williamson (c) (Carter 79’), Greenwood, Walsh, Stanway, Toone (James 79’), Mead (Parris 62’), Hemp, Russo (England 62’) Unused Substitutes : Roebuck, MacIver, Zelem, Wubben-Moy, Nobbs, Stokes, Salmon Goals: Russo 7’, Parris 69’ Referee – Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)

Thoughts on: Lucy Bronze Thoughts on: Lucy Bronze Bronze Back 13 September 2020 By Charlotte Stacey Gold. Silver. BRONZE. via Getty Images Being the only English player in history to win the Champions League three times, Lucy Bronze’s name is front and centre in this historical time in women’s football. Manchester City and England defender Lucy Bronze has gone from strength to strength over the past year. Her sheer talent and commitment to her cause has caught the attention of many, and has rightfully earned her the number two spot in The Guardian’s “100 best female footballers in the world”. Bronze is a spectacle to behold on a football pitch. Arguably the best right back in the world, Bronze possesses a fortitude and a downright grit that is perhaps not seen enough in the women’s game. Her physical presence alone is enough to worry even the most assured striker, and her pace ostensibly allows her to be in what seems to be two places at once. Bronze’s hankering to attack from the back has a tendency to keep not only her opposition, but her teammates on their toes, leading to the most remarkable pieces of quick gameplay. Her fast paced, and somewhat ‘risky’, play drives her forward, causing her to completely dominate the right side and threaten in dangerous positions. Bronze quite honestly is a machine; an absolute force to be reckoned with, and a player to be challenged at peril. Alex Grimm Yet, where her attack prevails, her defence does not suffer. Bronze has no problem with quite literally throwing herself into position to block a loose ball, or to tackle a counterattack. Her personal obligation to defending her goal, and ultimately her team, is clearly of the utmost importance, and is what sets her apart from others. Bronze is not afraid to push herself towards constant improvement, even in the most extreme of circumstances. Her ‘wonder goal’ in the World Cup showcased her ability to step up quickly when under pressure. The enormity of the moment did not seem to faze Bronze, and it was business as usual for the remaining minutes, serving as a reminder of her utter professionalism on a football pitch. But whilst she may be a ballsy character on the pitch, Bronze remains humble when the whistle blows. Unsurprisingly, Bronze has been nominated for, and won several awards this year, yet her modesty in achieving such feats demonstrates the heart of a true team player. Bronze often shies away from her individual wins, but there is importance in recognising your own successes, and Bronze should relish in celebrating her achievements. Whilst she did not seal the gold at the World Cup, there is plenty for Bronze to look forward to. With the Olympics and Euro’s fast approaching, Lionesses fans need not worry. Quite frankly, gold is good, but Bronze is better.