Experiencing history in real-time: The impact of the 99ers and 22 Lionesses
The Lionesses forced waves of positive change after their historic 2022 European Championship win. But with less than a year until the next edition, what changed specifically?
Many Americans, myself included, are quick to relate the impact of the 2022 win with the ’99er effect in the US — that is, the societal shifts after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) won the 1999 World Cup. And it isn’t just because of Chloe Kelly’s celebration bringing Brandi Chastain’s iconic penalty celebration to mind.
When I was a girl playing soccer (football) in the US, my heroes were Mia Hamm, Briana Scurry, and Chastain. It gives me chills thinking about Kelly, Mary Earps, Leah Williamson, and more being that for kids today.
Of course, the footballing landscapes in the two countries differ quite a bit. The so-called tradition of the sport, the existence of Title IX in the US, and the signing of US Soccer’s (USSF) 2022 collective bargaining agreement, to name a few.
The 1999 World Cup had fewer realistic potential winners than the 2022 Euros. The smaller pool of competitive nations in the 1990s is no surprise when you think about the fact that many countries had only lifted bans on women’s football a decade or two earlier.
All this to say, Americans have had 25 years to reflect on the impact of that 1999 World Cup and it’s hard not to feel some déjà vu.
Changes at the grassroots level
Football is still often seen more fitting of men, yet that messaging never felt as strong in the USA. Don’t get me wrong, it still existed, it just wasn’t as crushing.
Growing up, essentially every girl I knew played football at some point. It’s just something you did – almost as if there was an unwritten rule that you could not move past primary school without being on a football team at least once.
It wasn’t until seeing the coverage of the Lionesses win and moving to England that I fully comprehended how different my footballing experiences would’ve been had I grown up in England in the early 2000s instead.
As a child today, though? That’s another story and one that’s rapidly changing.
Today, families in the US spend an average of around £1000 per child per year on football. In England, school teams are free, and local clubs are closer to about £200 per year.
The option to play in school is becoming an option for more girls, too.
The Lionesses successfully advocated for equal access to football in school after the Euros. Since then, the FA reported that they reached their 75% equal access target a year ahead of schedule and are now working to hit 90% this year.
"We see this as only the beginning."
An open letter from our #Lionesses… pic.twitter.com/Ty9kA7zgGa
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 3, 2022
These opportunities led to 100,000 more girls playing school football. Additionally, the country saw over 6,500 new women and girls registered for teams between 2020 and 2023.
And this isn’t specific to a single age group – the growth is across the board.
It must be mentioned that progressing to more competitive teams is extremely expensive in both countries. The increase in participation and school access is a start, but football at the elite level will only become representative of the communities they represent when this barrier is torn down.
Increased revenue and attendance for the WSL
Beyond grassroots, the Women’s Super League has seen average attendance double since their 2022 success.
https://infogram.com/1p1277vp9qpmq3imqelxm1ddres6dewdg0z
Where the professional league stateside was in its infancy and on very shaky ground, to put it mildly, in 1999, the WSL is established and growing. Hopefully, this means a greater chance for sustained interest and support.
Interestingly, after the 1999 World Cup, other women’s sports also saw increases in participation and professional league attendance in the US. Time will tell if other sports benefit similarly in England.
Dare to dream
It’s not just the participation and revenue that’s shifted after both major events, it’s also how we talk about female footballers that has changed – mostly for the better.
Let’s start with the bad. Shifting societal dynamics scares some people. And the more things shift, the louder those detractors tend to be – we all know the kind of Twitter rants that exemplify this trend.
As a caveat, the need to continuously compare women’s sports to men’s is reductive and lazy. But for some, growing the game comes down to one thing. Money. This ignores historical context, societal norms, and nuance completely, but I’ll briefly wade into these waters.
The USWNT surpassed the men’s team in revenue annually from 2016 through 2021. And this changed in 2022 and 2023 when the men’s financial statements included hefty 2022 World Cup earnings. Again, success shouldn’t be defined by this and the landscapes are different, but equal revenue is possible.
It took US Soccer over two decades to agree to equal pay for their national teams. With other countries doing the same, the Lionesses almost certainly won’t be left waiting as long.
The FA reports show the basics are close to being met. This should be celebrated. But women deserve more than just the basics.
As Alex Morgan said in her retirement announcement this week, “a pathway exists.” But it’s up to football’s governing bodies and sponsors to ensure the path moving forward has far fewer obstacles.
Feature image credit: Loco Steve | https://flic.kr/p/2nQKbXQ
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