Lionesses love-in continues – what are the rules for picking a women’s team to follow?

The Mailbox – most of it – continues to bask in England’s European Championship glory. So what next? And how do we pick a women’s team? Is it ok to choose a different club for a different gender?

Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com…

Who to support now?
Watching the final on Sunday, with my whole family, the inevitable question was asked. “Daddy, can we go and watch some women’s matches this season please?”

So here’s the conundrum – I’m a Colchester United fan. We disbanded our women’s team in 2013, so Colchester is not an option. The kids do come and watch Colchester with me, and are Colchester United fans…so…is it okay to support a different team if they’re a different gender?

And if yes, which team do I pick? I’m incredibly ignorant of the structure for the women’s game – is there a pyramid below the 2 pro leagues? Jumping straight to Arsenal or Spurs seems wrong somehow, are there other options for someone Essex based to go and support? Recommendations very welcome please.
Jeremy (we won, we actually won) Aves

What next?
Lionesses were awesome. And the tournament was epic

If you enjoyed the commitment and enthusiasm of the players then it’s time to match this with fan commitment

While a robust economic framework is far away, with most clubs earning less than $1m per year and women’s football as a whole generating most it’s money from sponsorship, the fans must do more.

Take a season ticket, watch the highlights, buy the kit and merchandise. Turn up when the weather is crap and your team are losing, teach your kids it’s not just about major tournaments and start spending money outside the peak events.

There is a very pervasive comment to be found everywhere ‘I don’t usually like football but the Lionesses were great and I’m inspired’ which is understandable given the professional nascency of the sport but please don’t vanish until the next big event.

Also now get involved at grassroots. Get your child in a team, pay subs, attend fund raising socials, donate time to be local club treasurer or whatever you can do.

With this springboard there is a huge opportunity to build the game into a sport of value and a high paying professional salary to meet that of women’s tennis. But not if fans become fair weather, social media fans.

If you’re inspired then show it
Alexander

…If you really think about the women are now significantly more successful than the men’s team.

They managed…