OFFICIALS at York and North Yorkshire football clubs say England women’s Euros success is providing a massive boost in participation in the girls' and women's games.
After the ground-breaking Wembley win in the 2022 Euros, the Lionesses became the first senior England football side to take a major title overseas with the Euros 2025 win in Switzerland on Sunday night - cementing their sporting legacy.
The final was the most-watched television moment of 2025 across all UK TV broadcasters, drawing a peak live audience of 12.2 million.
Tony Turner, secretary at Strensall Tigers Football Club, said participation in the women’s game there has exploded since Chloe Kelly poked home the extra-time winner against Germany three summers ago.
“They can really see a progression if they want it.”
With only five of England's starting line-up in yesterday’s final in Basel repeating their start from the Wembley showdown and ten new faces in Wiegman's 23-player squad, Tony said the girls here know there is pathway.
He said: "They can dream – it’s huge - there were two girls' teams here three years ago and now, we have age ranges from under-15s to under-12s, an under-9s team and we’re about to start an under-8s team.
“So that’s six teams – the Tigresses – and my ambition is to have a team in every age range.
“We have got the platform at the moment, and I really want to get there.”
Former York RI AFC Ladies manager Dean Cairns is helping former York City Ladies full back Kira Lewis establish a women’s side at Pickering Town FC and said the grassroots game is growing massively outside of York too.
As reported in The Press, the York side's performances two seasons ago saw them reach the FA Cup first round and win league promotion.
Dean said: “There’ll be another massive buzz on the back of Sunday’s win and it’s sure to get more women involved in the game.
“The league format here has grown a lot since I was last involved in this area several years ago.
"The North Riding Women’s Football League was made up of seven or eight sides but we’re up to nearly triple that amount now.”
Dean said the increased local participation also helps bring down the expense and travelling time involved in fulfilling fixtures.
He said: “We’ll be starting in the bottom division of the league, and I think a lot of the squad and those who’ve been coming down to training were watching the game last night.
“We have fifteen or sixteen down now, we’re always seeking new players and some have expressed an interest after coming out of the juniors route, for example from Brooklyn Juniors in Malton.”
Statistics across the country report that more girls are taking up football but fewer than 25 per cent make the stepping stone into adult football compared to more than 60 per cent for boys.
Tony Turner said he hoped to see an increase the number of playing facilities open to clubs.
He said: “The City of York league is increasing but the biggest headache can be just getting the pitches for the girls to play on.
“We have to hire two at other venues and I think York struggles with that compared to Middlesbrough, or Hull, for example.
“The last thing I want to do is turn a kid away because we can’t get them a pitch to play on.
“The system is a pyramid – if you don’t have strong foundations at the bottom, you’ll never get the top built."
A spokesperson for North Riding Football Association said: “We’ve seen a surge in female football across York and North Yorkshire in recent years, and it’s a real point of pride for everyone involved at North Riding FA.
“Participation numbers in the female game have grown significantly at both youth and adult levels, with more girls than ever before taking their first steps into football through school programmes, Wildcats centres, SQUAD centres and community clubs.
“We’ve worked closely with local clubs, schools, and facility providers to improve access to safe, appropriate spaces to play — including increased access to high-quality pitches.
“These improvements have removed many of the traditional barriers to entry and allowed female players to train and compete.
“Looking ahead, our focus remains on sustaining this momentum.
“We’re investing in female coach and referee development, supporting the growth of women’s recreational formats, and continuing to listen to local communities to ensure the game remains accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for all girls and women.
“Female football in North Yorkshire is thriving — and we’re committed to making sure this is just the beginning.”
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