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| Record TV audience watch England in Women's World Cup | Record TV audience watch England in Women's World Cup |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| As England’s manager, Phil Neville, punched the air in glee on the touchline after his side went 3-0 up against Norway to secure their passage to the World Cup semi-finals, he wasn’t the only one celebrating. | |
| A record-breaking 7.6 million tuned in to BBC One back home to cheer on the Lionesses as they trounced their Scandinavian opposition. The figures, based on people watching for five minutes or more, made it the UK’s most-watched women’s football game ever. | |
| ❤️❤️❤️❤️ @Lionesses # pic.twitter.com/OwiBysSEGp | |
| The number tuning in on Thursday to watch England’s passage to the next stage beat the previous best for a women’s game of 6.9 million for Sunday’s victory over Cameroon. On 9 June a peak of 6.1 million saw England beat Scotland 2-0. | |
| The Lionesses will face either France or the USA in the semi-finals on Tuesday. The final is on Sunday 7 July at 4pm UK time. | |
| Support for the team has flooded in, as momentum has built. The former England men’s captain David Beckham was among the crowd watching Thursday’s game, along with his daughter Harper. | |
| The BBC sports presenter Clare Balding tweeted: “What a great result. A top performance from a team to inspire pride and love.” | |
| Prince William also sent a personal message of support. The FA president said: “What a performance Lionesses, a superb display! | |
| “The whole country is behind you going into Tuesday’s semi-final, bring it on!” | |
| The BBC said the 2019 tournament had extended its record for TV reach to 22.2 million, well in excess of the 12.4 million set in 2015 during the Women’s World Cup in Canada. | The BBC said the 2019 tournament had extended its record for TV reach to 22.2 million, well in excess of the 12.4 million set in 2015 during the Women’s World Cup in Canada. |
| Bronze , the Lyon full-back who scored the third goal against Norway with a strike from just outside the box, has established herself as one of the stars of the tournament. She also set up Scott’s opener and was involved in the build-up to the Lionesses’ second goal, scored by White. | |
| Neville said about Bronze: “What you saw tonight was a player playing at the top of her game, and that is her level of performance. The bigger the stage, the bigger the performance.” | |
| Sue Campbell, head women’s football at the FA, said Neville had played 22 of the 23 players on the pitch. “He has used his squad well, keeping people fresh… They are all playing their part. But to pick out outstanding individuals you have to start with Steph Houghton, the captain, and she has been outstanding in every single game. Ellen White has scored five goals.” | |
| She added: “Lucy Bronze scored probably the goal of the tournament. She played really well but last night she was exceptional in every way. Those are the three you’d pick out. They are not better than others but their performances have been consistently at a high level.” | |
| Campbell said these women had battled their way to the top. “It’s not like male footballers … these are women who when they first started playing, people were not always positive about them playing football. They have overcome every barrier. | |
| “They are wonderful role models for all girls no matter what they want to do. These girls tell you whatever you want to do you can do it if you work hard and are prepared to make sacrifices, they are terrific role models.” | |
| Campbell said it was important to make sure those inspired by the Lionesses had a chance to play. “We need to make sure the inspiration they get from watching this World Cup turns into participation by thousands of young girls,” she added. | |
| Many across the UK have been watching the games in pubs and The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said England’s success could increase beer sales by 3 million pints. | |
| Samuel Dewey, landlord at Saint John’s Yard in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said that interest in the matches this year had been far higher than that of previous tournaments. | |
| “It is important that we show just as much interest in this as the men’s side of the game,” he said. “We don’t allow children in the evenings normally, but we have done with the Women’s World Cup so they can watch it too. | |
| “People are really excited about it. There will be chanting, and there was a nice atmosphere for last night’s game – everyone was enjoying it.” | |
| Julie Neville, the wife of Phil Neville, said on BBC Radio Manchester’s Breakfast Show with Chelsea Norris that she had seen how much her husband had put into the job. | |
| “When he was offered the job, he was really interested in it, but a big criticism at the time was that he didn’t know a lot about women’s football. He said he was going to fully immerse himself in it… I have seen him do that.” | |
| She added: “I have seen how committed he is and what it means to him. He said in an interview that it was one of the best things he has done in his life and I can see that.” | |
| Neville said that her husband was “super positive” and “particularly calm”. “He is up for it, and the girls are confident … They are playing the best football they have ever played and they are fitter than they have ever been. If there is ever a time to potentially do it [win], this will be it.” | |
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