Fever pitch The decade that defined women’s football

It was a landmark moment for women’s football. Under the arch of Wembley stadium, to the soundtrack of Beyoncé’s feminist anthem Run the World (Girls), more than 70,000 fans streamed in to watch Team GB take on Brazil in the London Olympics to result in what was then Britain’s biggest ever women’s football match.

Team GB won 1-0 but that was almost (sort of) beside the point. The atmosphere was electric. In the crowd, the moment was a revelation. I couldn’t believe there were so many women and girls. After a lifetime of hearing that women were rubbish at football and being made to feel that our views on the subject were unwelcome, it felt completely wild.

But most striking of all was the mood. As well as “rocking” and “a night never to forget for women’s football in this country”, as