It’s The Summer Of Football! Here’s Our Guide To Embracing It

Get ready for the singing and chanting because it’s a summer of brilliant football and we’re already in full swing. As you may know, the England team are one of the favourites to win, meaning there’s a high chance that football could actually come home – and the women’s team could be the ones to do it. 

England is hosting the tournament this year, which means the whole country is buzzing with football fever as matches take place at stadiums all over England. Now that the quarter-finals are over, things are hotting up and making this a summer to remember – whether you’re gathering with your pals to watch the action, screaming with joy as England score or watching dramatic penalty shootouts with bated breath. As we enter the semi-finals, here’s our handy guide to making the most of one of summer's biggest sporting events.

This year marks the second time that England has hosted the tournament and being on home turf definitely has its advantages. The Netherlands hosted the last tournament in 2017 and they won, which bodes well for England’s performance and the whole 'it’s coming home' thing. This year’s tournament kicked off on 6th July, with the opening game between England and Austria at Old Trafford in Manchester. The match wasn’t high on drama but England scored their first goal of the tournament, kicking things off with a nice 1-0 win. Now, the stakes are getting higher as we progress through the knockout stage. The quarter-finals got going on 20th July with a properly nail-biting game between two of the tournament favourites: England and Spain. With Spain up 1-0, it looked like maybe football wasn’t going to come home after all until an England goal in the 84th minute got the squad back in the game. The match went into 30 minutes of extra time and England got another goal, six minutes in. After 24 minutes of agony (both for the players and the fans, tbh) to get to the final whistle, the Lionesses were officially into the semi-finals. They will play either Sweden or Belgium on 26th July. The other semi-final, on 27th July, will see Germany go head-to-head with France or the Netherlands. Then it’s time for the big one, the final, on 31st July at Wembley. Here’s hoping England make it to that stage.

There’s nothing like the excitement of a massive football tournament – and it’s not just about the 90 minutes (or more) you spend watching each game. It’s about embracing football fever and all the things that come with it. First up: a wall chart is essential, so you can fill it in as the games happen. There are loads of free wall charts online which you can print off – just remember to give it pride of place on your kitchen fridge. And if you want people to know that you’re really rooting for your favourite team, you’re going to want to get all artistic and draw your team’s flag on your face. This is also a good shout if you don’t own a football shirt. Use PayPal at checkout to buy some face paints online, or dig out a red lipstick as a makeshift option. 

If you don’t know much about the background of women’s football, it’s worth familiarising yourself, because 1) it’s super interesting and 2) you’ll sound like a pro when you fill in your friends. In the 1910s, when men went off to fight in World War I, women took their jobs in factories and many ended up forming football teams as a way to blow off steam. People loved watching women’s football – in fact, a match at Everton's Goodison Park in 1920 attracted 53,000 fans. That all changed in 1921 when the FA banned women’s football, declaring that it was 'unsuitable for females'. The ban was only lifted in 1971 – and women’s football has had a lot of catching up to do ever since. Happily, the game is rising in popularity and that’s why this year’s tournament is a massive deal.

Half the fun of watching football is the atmosphere, whether that means heading out to watch it in the pub or having your best pals over to watch at home. If it’s the former, book a table if you can, then all you have to worry about is how many goals your team will score. There are official Fan Festivals popping up all over the country in the nine host cities, where you’ll find football taster sessions, entertainment, food and drink stalls and lots more. Some of these festivals are hosting free screenings too, including the events in Trafalgar Square in London (23rd July to 31st July) and in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester (6th July to 31st July). And if you have a search, there are more alfresco screenings happening across the country where you can get comfy on a beanbag and catch the remaining England games for free.

If you’re hosting your own screening party, stocking up on drinks and plenty of snacks is crucial – because who knows when a game could run into extra time? If you don’t want to ask everyone to bring something (let’s face it, you will end up with four pots of hummus), do a big shop and split the bill with the PayPal app – all you need is your mate's email address or mobile number (top tip: a PayPal account is required to send or receive money). While nothing can really soften the blow of a heartbreaking penalty shootout, a massive bag of crisps definitely won’t hurt.