How women’s football can capitalise on England triumph – in six steps

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:

As the Lionesses placed their hands on the European Championship trophy on Sunday, one eye was already on ‘what next’? For as special and historic as this moment is, it will be a failure if women’s football does not capitalise.

Victory on the international stage has the power to change the sport. Much like when the USA 99ers’ World Cup success led to women’s football exploding in the States or the legacy of the Netherlands’ 2017 win that has helped participation and attendances increase, alongside the introduction of the first professional Vrouwen Eredivisie, England will need to find its own way to make sure this achievement has a long-lasting effect.

How do we make sure of that? Here are six areas that need to be focused on.

As Ian Wright said so passionately after the Lionesses’ semi-final win over Sweden: “If girls are not allowed to play football in their PE, just like the boys can, what are we doing?”

He is not wrong. According to the Football Association’s figures, 63% of schools offer equal access through girls’ football in PE, including only 44% of secondary schools. These barriers are established at key stages in children’s development that will colour their view for years.

There is work being done, with one of the headline goals for the FA’s Women’s and Girls’ Football in England strategy being “every primary school-aged girl to have equal access in school and clubs” by 2024.

A rise in interest always follows tournament success and the infrastructure must be ready to meet demand. More resources need to be