‘Bigger and bigger’: Lionesses’ march is inspiring the next generation

Welcome to Moving the Goalposts, the Guardian’s new (and free) women’s football newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version once a week, just pop your email in below:

Euro 2022 is nearly over. If it were up to me, it would last for ever. Throughout we have seen great energy in the stands, amazing football and the whole of England rallying behind Sarina Wiegman’s squad. The idea is to keep the momentum going next season. When the Football Association announced the fixtures for the Women’s Super League 2022-23 campaign, it explicitly said it was “set to be the biggest ever” because of the home championships.

Even after all the records and success, there is so much more to achieve. Anita Asante wrote last week about the England team’s lack of diversity and she raises a really important point – where are people looking for talent? Especially at a time like this, when the visibility is high and there are more girls and women dreaming about playing, it is important to think about the future of women’s football in England.

Josh Arnold, the manager at the Bloomsbury Football Academy, said that since the start of the tournament he has seen an increase in the number of girls and boys who want to join their team based in central London. “We often say you have to see it to be it. Maybe we’re missing an opportunity. It would be fantastic to see the diversity that really represents the young people playing the game. However, I believe that the current group of players have really inspired the next generation of young footballers.”

The founder of east London’s Victoria Park Vixens, Morgan Brennan, feels the main challenge is not to drop the ball after the Euros. For her, the legacy has to be