PULSE PICS

On Sunday, July 31 football finally came home in style – and it was the girls that did it! England’s Lionesses united the nation in pride when they delivered that spectacular win and became European champions for the first time, writes Sammy Jones.

After an early lead, that German equaliser made everyone fidgety at the thought of penalties. And then England scored again and a nation joined the team in celebrations.

Newport Pagnell’s Leah Williamson was Captain and led the team to victory. The inspirational Arsenal player is now set to become the first person to be awarded the Freedom of the City of Milton Keynes.

In a special Pulse Pics, we look back at a momentous day that changed the world of football, and we celebrate the local girl who lifted the trophy...

By far the biggest and most colourful tribute to Leah was spray painted in her hometown. The response to the two wall coverings has been immense, and rightly so – the stunning work pays tribute to a stunning talent!

If you got the snacks out to nibble while you watched the big match, perhaps you chose Doritos, with Leah gracing the front of promotional packs! Not content to watch the action on the small screen, England fan Nicki Atkinson and her daughter Sophie celebrated at Wembley with 87,000 others! “The energy that a home crowd brings to a team in that stadium is phenomenal,” Nicki said, “A brilliant performance from both teams, but the Lionesses brought it home. Total class.”

Pic: UEFA

Pic: UEFA

Emma Street poured a glass of something nice at home in Milton Keynes, painted on the flags and waited. She was rewarded. “What a match! It was such a privilege to watch those girls achieve their dream,” she told Pulse.

Ian Downing swapped Newport Pagnell to be at Wembley Stadium with his brother-in-law and niece: “We bought the tickets over a year ago simply hoping to give her a day out at Wembley, so England getting there was a massive bonus,” Ian said, “It was a great noisy family atmosphere.”

Local artist Kevin Ball drew this fantastic picture to honour our local champion, having been inspired by the mural. You can see more of his work by searching Kevin Ball’s Artwork on FB.

Pic: UEFA