Women's football in Liverpool soaring as Lionesses reach another final
The number of players and teams has shot up since the last Euros final
As the Lionesses celebrate reaching the final of the European Championships again, the Liverpool FA has revealed how women's football has soared since the last final three years ago.
It looked like achieving back-to-back finals wouldn't happen as Italy led 1-0 going into second-half stoppage time.
However, a 95th minute goal from substitute Michelle Agyemang and a late extra-time strike from Chloe Kelly, who converted the rebound to her missed penalty, meant victory was clawed from the jaws of defeat.
Girls and women's football in the Liverpool area has taken a huge step forward since England won the tournament in 2022.
Ellie Fox, Women and Girls Football Development Officer at the Liverpool County FA, said:
"I think the growth of the women's game over the past ten years has been fantastic. You've seem the impact of girls and women having more access to football but I think its been massive to see the reflection from the Euros back in 2022.
"We had roughly 3,485 women and girls players in 2022. We've now got just over 6,000, so we've increased over 2,500 players in that short space of time, which has been absolutely phenomenal to see.
"Even the number of teams within that - from 332 teams back in 2022 to increasing to 489 teams. We're not just talking youth teams here either, the women's side has seen a massive increase as well.
"It's just fantastic to see the growth"
"On a Saturday and Sunday provision that we're lucky to have within Liverpool - you're seeing under 11s with 21 teams within it, under 10s having 20 teams, under 13s having 28 teams. It's just fantastic to see the growth.
"Even our recreational women's offer of five and six a-side - we've developed from having 148 players, 18 teams to this season we've had just over 450 women between the ages of 18 and 60 playing monthly football in a league with over 30 teams. We've just announced that we've got 40 teams within that league next season, so it just shows that it's had a massive impact for not just the youth side of the game, but for women and recreational.
"We even go as far as the development of the women's walking football as well. We hosted a festival on Sunday 13 July at GOALS and we were able to provide just over 25 women and four teams the opportunity to come and play with each other, have fun, and we stayed afterwards and watched the England v Wales game, which was lovely and we used the national campaign that the FA currently have, it was really good to highlight the Women's Euros, but also inspiring and celebrating women from all ages and backgrounds, abilities and really showcasing what football is all about - bringing people together."
England will play either Spain or Germany in Sunday's final - with pubs across Merseyside putting on special events for fans to watch the game together.
Ms Fox added:
"I think it would be a massive statement to retain back-to-back Women's European (Championships), that would just be absolutely mind-blowing to be honest!
"We've got people playing at 75 years of age"
"It'll be fantastic for women and girls football, especially reflecting back to where we were ten years ago and even myself - I played football at the age of 7-14 and that was for a boys team for seven years because I didn't have a girls team where now you can play at the age of five, start in a Wildcats, play your football right through... we've got people playing at 75 years of age.
"It shows that no matter what age, size, ability, background - you can play football. That in itself is already an achievement."