Latest news with #EnglandLionesses
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Premier League could follow Lionesses and stop taking the knee before matches
Premier League clubs could follow the England Lionesses in stopping taking the knee next season amid growing division among anti-racism campaigners over the merits of the symbolic gesture. The Premier League is planning to consult with club captains before the start of the campaign and will then take a decision based on the feedback provided in the annual pre-season meeting. Kick It Out released a statement backing England Lionesses' decision to stop taking the knee at the European Championship as a result of the racist abuse directed at Jess Carter, but international anti-discrimination group Fare still regard it as a powerful symbol. The Professional Footballers' Association is also understood to be supporting England's players. Premier League teams have been taking the knee before matches for five years since the Black Lives Matter movement came to global prominence after the murder in the US of George Floyd. The pre-match gesture was introduced after a request from the players and was first seen in England when Aston Villa and Sheffield United met in June 2020 in the first Premier League game back after the cessation of live sport because of the Covid-19 pandemic. England's men's and women's international teams, as well as EFL clubs, followed the Premier League in adopting the practice although most of those sides have since dropped it. Taking the knee was scaled back in the Premier League last season and only took place before the first and last league games of the season, as well as before dedicated No Room For Racism fixtures staged in October and April. While Kick It Out and the PFA appear ambivalent over the value of the gesture Fare insists that it remains a powerful symbol and argues it is particularly important in the Premier League, where more than a third of the players are black. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'The taking of the knee is a powerful anti-racist act and England Lionesses have shown leadership across Europe in taking it for so long,' said Fare's executive director, Piara Power. 'Powerful actions are needed right now to deal with issues that are being played out as we speak.'
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Premier League could follow Lionesses and stop taking the knee before matches
Premier League clubs could follow the England Lionesses in stopping taking the knee next season amid growing division among anti-racism campaigners over the merits of the symbolic gesture. The Premier League is planning to consult with club captains before the start of the campaign and will then take a decision based on the feedback provided in the annual pre-season meeting. Kick It Out released a statement backing England Lionesses' decision to stop taking the knee at the European Championship as a result of the racist abuse directed at Jess Carter, but international anti-discrimination group Fare still regard it as a powerful symbol. The Professional Footballers' Association is also understood to be supporting England's players. Premier League teams have been taking the knee before matches for five years since the Black Lives Matter movement came to global prominence after the murder in the US of George Floyd. The pre-match gesture was introduced after a request from the players and was first seen in England when Aston Villa and Sheffield United met in June 2020 in the first Premier League game back after the cessation of live sport because of the Covid-19 pandemic. England's men's and women's international teams, as well as EFL clubs, followed the Premier League in adopting the practice although most of those sides have since dropped it. Taking the knee was scaled back in the Premier League last season and only took place before the first and last league games of the season, as well as before dedicated No Room For Racism fixtures staged in October and April. While Kick It Out and the PFA appear ambivalent over the value of the gesture Fare insists that it remains a powerful symbol and argues it is particularly important in the Premier League, where more than a third of the players are black. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'The taking of the knee is a powerful anti-racist act and England Lionesses have shown leadership across Europe in taking it for so long,' said Fare's executive director, Piara Power. 'Powerful actions are needed right now to deal with issues that are being played out as we speak.'
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Meet the England Lionesses' beloved pets as they become stars of Women's Euros 2025
The England Lionesses' extra boost of energy comes from spending time with their beloved pups - which is needed now more than ever as they head into the semi-finals of the Women's Euros 2025 Who wouldn't want a loyal (furry) companion running alongside them during their training days? The England Lionesses and their furry best friends have been stealing hearts and becoming the real stars of the Women's Euros 2025. Dogs have become a key part of England's team, and have even appeared on several occasions at the training pitch, with some even crashing photoshoots. With the semi-finals on the way and the Lionesses nearer closer to the trophy, get to know some of the furry faces of the team and the Lionesses' biggest fans. Beth Mead Beth Mead 's gorgeous Working Cocker Spaniel, Myle, has become a celebrity in his own right. Parented by Beth and her partner Vivianne Miedema, Myle became their furry son back in 2023. Myle even has his own Instagram account, where the adorable pup has become a social media star. Boasting over 40.3k followers, he has stolen thousands of hearts by sharing his adventures, morning walks, selfies with his parents, their football teammates, and even pictures with his furry best friend, Calvin. Lauren James The talented Lauren James and her best friend, Waffle, have the best relationship ever. Recently joining Instagram, Waffle posts adorable selfies and videos, showing him playing with his toys, football balls, dressing up, and even wearing his mother's jersey. It's safe to say social media influencing comes naturally to Waffle. Chloe Kelly Chloe Kelly is the proud "mother" to her three pups - Otis, Rolo and the baby of the family, Brody. In an interview with The Guardian, the football star got candid about her relationship with her furry best friends: 'It's about having people around you that allow you to do that. Mine is also my dog [Brody]. When I come away from the pitch, I take the boys for a walk. They're my little sons. That's the way I look after myself and switch off.' Lucy Bronze One thing about Lucy Bronze and her puppy Narla is that they're both glued to the ball. Always running around in the park and hanging out with other West Highland Terriers, Bronze has been adding #TheWestieWay to shout out her love for the breed. The West Highland Terrier has also become a social media star with over 29k followers. Lucy co-parents her dog with her ex-partner and teammate Keira Walsh. Keira's love for animals is reflected in her becoming an ambassador for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Maya Le Tissier Apart from bringing trophies home, Maya Le Tissier has one thing clear: her dog is her most beloved companion. On intensive days, whether it's after matches or training sessions, Maya's best source of comfort and cuddles is always waiting for her at home. During an interview with England Football, she said: 'My dog. I love him. He's so cute. He tries to escape all the time, but when I come home, he doesn't care how my day's been; he just wants to cuddle me.' Millie Turner Millie's love for her Bernedoodle Pongo and Yellow Labrador Leo has been shown both on her social media profile, as well as the dog's own social media accounts, where they share a glimpse of their lives outside the pitch. Leo and Pongo are the definition of best buddies, and their love for each other has warmed a lot of hearts. The dogs also have a unique relationship with Millie, which is adorable to see. Jess Park Jess Park's fur companion is Ashy. Her bond with her dog is so special and playful, and he has even made several appearances with the England squad. Ashy also participated in the social media pup trend, 'paws in.' Whether it's at home or training at the pitch, Ashy is always by Jess' side, being her biggest supporter. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
This Morning's Alison Hammond admits 'I'm numb to it' as she details racist abuse
On Monday's instalment of This Morning, ITV viewers saw Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary detail the latest headlines. This Morning host Alison Hammond opened up about the daily abuse she receives from people online. Her confession comes after the ITV presenter was discussing the latest headlines during Monday's show, alongside her co-star Dermot O'Leary. During their chat, the pair touched on the England Lionesses not taking the knee at the upcoming game this week against Italy. Their decision comes after player Jess Carter has received racist abuse online, resulting in the defender making a statement on social media. The football star informed her followers she's stepping back from social media, leaving the situation for the team to deal with. Sharing their thoughts on the matter, Nick Ferrari said: "The problem is, it's another major football tournament where we're actually not talking about the football, despite the fact that the Lionesses have done so well and let's wish them the best of luck tomorrow in the semis. "We're actually talking again, a bit like the Arsenal lad in the penalties in 2021. We didn't talk about the football; we talked about the racism, and here we are, another big football tournament, and we're doing it again." Alison Phillips highlighted that the media are talking about it because of the scale of the event, although she stated that reality is that for many people of colour, these types of experiences occur day to day. Alison replied:" I'll be honest with you, I get that all the time. You kind of become numb to it now. I have to ignore it all the time. "I've seen loads of comments that are racist towards me, and I literally just ignore. You become numb." Dermot seemed taken aback by Alison's remark as he told his co-star she shouldn't have to deal with that. He questioned what organisation she thinks could change in order to help end this from happening. She replied: "It would be very difficult to police. But, ultimately, I think Nick has made a good point in the fact that my age, the fact that I didn't have social media as a child, really doesn't bother me. "I know these people online are not the people that I love. If my family were saying awful things like that, it would have a massive effect. But, it really doesn't affect me." Dermot replied: "But, they shouldn't be free to say it in the first place." Alison told her co-star that it doesn't impact her when people say negative remarks towards her as she doesn't know who they are personally.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
From penalty taker to physio: Lucy Bronze is England's Swiss army knife
Lucy Bronze pinned up a picture of herself after the 2019 Women's World Cup bronze-medal match against Sweden, which England lost 2-1, for her teammates to see on a wall in the team hotel where players and staff share inspirational images. She was, in her words, 'absolutely exhausted' in it, hairband round her neck, shirt crumpled, hair awry, the physical, emotional and mental pain of the preceding 90 minutes visible. That photo represents so much to Bronze, England's stalwart right-back who no one has come close to replacing and likely never will. 'I will give anything and I will give everything when I play in an England shirt,' she says of that image of her at her most broken. 'I wanted all the girls to know that that's my why. My why is to give everything for this team because I just love playing for England so much.' On Thursday night, at the Stadion Letzigrund that Bronze had spent the afternoon replicating in Lego with Michelle Agyemang, the veteran defender encapsulated her why, delivering for the Lionesses when it mattered most. Bronze was left with an array of new photos to choose from: standing arms wide in the first half, pleading for a diagonal ball that could unlock a path into Sweden's half on the right; powering in her header from the substitute Chloe Kelly's cross from the left to reduce the two-goal deficit to one, then kicking an advertising hoarding in a show of emotion; taking tape out of the team doctor's bag to tightly strap her own thigh deep into extra time before ripping the remains of the tape away; and dispatching England's final spot-kick in the tensest and most chaotic of shootouts at a speed of 102.51 km/h. 'I just felt a little bit tight at the end of the game and I thought: 'I just need to get through to make sure I can keep going,'' Bronze said of the self-treatment. 'But then I thought: 'It's going to hinder me in a penalty.' I didn't expect it to go to the sixth penalty, so I didn't take it off and then it was my penalty and I thought: 'I need to take this off, I'm going to smack it.'' Beth Mead said: 'Lucy was chaotic. A lot going on. With her taping her leg up she became a physio, [then] she became a striker and nailed the best penalty of the day. She did it all. Lucy really showed her experience in those moments. She's our most experienced England player and she was one of the players that very much got that determination out of us all today.' Bronze's message to Hannah Hampton before she stepped up to take her spot-kick was concise. 'I literally said to Hannah: 'I'll score this, you save the next one: game over,'' Bronze told Sky Sports, ice strapped to her right thigh, some kind of recovery device attached to a calf, as she marshalled Agyemang through the mixed zone, prompting her follow goalscorer to speak, coaching her through this high-interest new world after the 19-year-old's phenomenal introduction to the senior side. It is not the first time Bronze has done this: it was Bronze who virtually grabbed Lauren James by the scruff of the neck after the forward's player-of-the-match performance in the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup and told her she had to speak to the press, doing the interview alongside her, encouraging her. It was also Bronze who stepped forward after the humbling 2-1 loss to France in England's opening game of these Euros and rallied the side. She leaned into her Lionesses history to help the squad over the psychological hurdle of, in effect, being straight into knockout football by sharing that, after a loss to France in the opening game of the 2015 World Cup, the team went on to record their best finish in that competition (third). One member of Football Association staff described Bronze after the 3-2 win over Sweden on penalties as the best player they had worked with. In the press conference, Sarina Wiegman, usually so dispassionate in the face of questions about individual players, preferring to not highlight them over the team, let her love for coaching Bronze flow out, adrenaline still high. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'Lucy Bronze is just one of a kind,' the head coach said. 'I have never, ever seen this before in my life. I'm a very lucky person that I've worked with so many incredible people and incredible football players, and there are so, so many, but what she does, her mentality, and how she took that penalty and the goal … She gets it in the net, but that's not what defines her. What defines her is that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.' At 33, 34 in October, Bronze is edging towards her career's close, but she is fighting the end, forcing it further and further into the future with each exhilarating performance. But it is not just the performances that matter. Bronze's experience and influence are significant and vital as the next generation comes through. England need her, not just at right-back, but everywhere and in every way.
