The Lionesses’ Legacy

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Gill Sherry

Something amazing happened on 31st July. Not only did England win their first major football trophy since 1966, but it was the women (not the men) who secured this magnificent victory. And that’s not all. As well as playing in front of a record European Championship crowd of 87,192 at Wembley Stadium, the TV audience of 17.5 million was also a UK record. The Manchester City striker had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury (one of the most serious injuries an athlete can sustain) in May 2021. Such an injury takes at least 12 months to recover from and Kelly was in a race against the clock to be fit in time for the European Championships.

As England progressed in the tournament, the momentum grew. More and more viewers tuned in to watch the Lionesses roar. Many were surprised by the talent on display, their skill and stamina both seemingly improved under head coach, Sarina Wiegman.

Having defeated Northern Ireland 5-0 in their opening fixture, England’s women went on to beat Norway (8-0) and Austria (1-0) in their other group matches. Buoyed by the nation’s support, they then beat Spain in the quarterfinal (2-1 after extra time) before overpowering Sweden, one of the tournament favourites, 4-0 in the semi-final. Her journey back from injury and subsequent tournament-winning goal have proved inspirational and ensured she will always be known as an England footballing legend.

Thanks to their historical win, the Lionesses have put women’s football well and truly on the map. Tickets for their next match, an international friendly against the United States on 7th October, sold out within 24 hours. There has also been a huge surge in ticket sales for the Women’s Super League. Season tickets for Chelsea have already sold out and Manchester City have reported a record number of season ticket sales.

Of course, this will attract more broadcasting deals, bigger sponsorships and, ultimately, an even larger audience. It is also hoped (and expected) that more schools will allow girls to play football. In fact, the Lionesses have appealed to the Department for Education to change the rules after their inspirational Euros win. Currently, just 44% of secondary schools in the UK provide equal football lessons for both boys and girls.

In the space of a few days, Beth Mead, Ellen White and Lauren Hemp became household names, up there with the likes of Harry Kane and Raheem Stirling. New supporters of the women’s game were impressed with the grit and determination on display as well as the discipline and respect shown by the players, things that are often lacking in the men’s game.

There’s no doubt this was the start of something very special for women’s football, not just in the UK but the world over. 17.9 million viewers also watched the final in Germany, where they saw their team defeated 2-1.

England took the lead after 62 minutes, courtesy of substitute Ella Toone. Germany then equalised 15 minutes later forcing the match into extra time. It was Chloe Kelly, also a secondhalf substitute, who scored the winning goal in the 110th minute and whose iconic celebration has empowered women all over the world. But it’s not just women’s football that will benefit from England’s splendid victory. Women’s sport as a whole is set to grow significantly with an increasing number of girls taking up their chosen sport and believing they can progress to international level, thanks largely to the Lionesses legacy.

Something amazing happened on 31st July and it will change women’s sport forever.

Kuwaiti Architecture Office STUDIO TOGGLE Named "BEST YOUNG ARCHITECTURE OFFICE IN THE WORLD"

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Studio Toggle, an architecture office from Kuwait, has won big at the prestigious A+ International Architecture awards presented by the popular Architizer magazine. The office, led by Architects Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George, won the coveted "Popular Choice Award" in the "Best Young Firm" category, edging out four other finalists from the UK and China, chosen out of 5000+ nominations from 100+ countries. Studio Toggle also won the prestigious "Juror's Choice Award" in the "Best Architecture Office in the Middle East and Africa" category. The other four finalists included two offices from Iran, and two from Israel. Studio Toggle and AGi Architects are, thus far, the only Kuwaiti architecture offices to win this prestigious award, with Studio Toggle being the first to win in 2020 for its project, Khat, located in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.

About Architizer A+ Awards

The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program in the world, with an audience of more than 400 million subscribers, promoting and celebrating the year's best architecture and spaces. Its mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture worldwide, and to champion those designers that are integral to bringing great buildings to life. 2022 is the 10th Anniversary of this prestigious award, whose previous winners include Zaha Hadid Architects, Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), Bjarke Ingels Group, etc. This year's winners were chosen by a jury that included Patrik Schumacher: Principal of Zaha Hadid Architects; Bjarke Ingels: Founding Principal of BIG; Joe Gebbia: Co-Founder of Airbnb; Monica Ponce de Leon: Dean of Princeton University School of Architecture; and Mohsen Mostafavi: Dean of the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, among others. Upon graduating from the University of Applied Arts (Die Angewandte) in Vienna, Austria, architects Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George founded Studio Toggle in 2012. Although relatively new, Studio Toggle has quickly emerged as one of the Middle East's most critically acclaimed architecture offices. The firm has won multiple international and regional awards, and its projects are regularly published in books and magazines worldwide. In 2020, Studio Toggle gained international recognition as winner of an Architizer A+ Award for its project, Khat. It gathered more international acclaim in 2021 by winning two American Institute of Architects International Merit Awards.

In 2016, Studio Toggle opened a branch in Porto, Portugal, and in 2021, another branch in Bangalore, India.

www.studiotoggle.com