Taking on the trolls: how to support the Guardian’s women’s football coverage

Two weeks ago the Women’s European Championship kicked off with England beating Austria in front of more than 67,000 people at Old Trafford. It was a wonderful occasion and it has been followed by another 23 high-octane games featuring some of the best players in world football.

This Wednesday until Saturday the quarter-finals of this record‑breaking tournament will take place, starting with England facing Spain and finishing with the clash between Netherlands and France. All of them will be given the full Guardian Sport treatment.

The Guardian has led the way when it comes to coverage of the women’s game. In the past five years that coverage has ramped up another level and this home European Championship could well prove to be a seminal moment for the growth of women’s football in England and beyond – we have expanded our coverage to help make that happen.

This is not posturing; we recognise that for women’s football to grow it needs the best coverage and that, if the game grows, we benefit, too – through people wanting to find out more and seeking our coverage. Men’s football did not become the global beast it is today without good press coverage telling fans across the world the scores, results and team news. The media were integral to its rise, and the relationship between football and the media is mutually beneficial.

Why should we help to grow women’s football? Whenever the coverage of women’s football ramps up, so do the comments from trolls online. We are repeatedly told to “stop ramming it down people’s throats”. For some reason this minority are happy to switch over or turn the page if they are not interested in rugby, or cricket, or any other sport that benefits from national coverage, but coverage of women’s