‘I went to the pub at 9am for Lionesses and free shirt – no one else came’
It's not every Friday you find yourself in a west London pub at 9am, wolfing down breakfast and watching the Lionesses face off against Denmark.
But that's exactly how I started my day today (July 28) after I learned Greene King was giving out free football shirts with a morning meal for punters bold enough to watch the 9am kick-off in one of their boozers.
Today the England women's team came out victorious in the Group D clash in Sydney, and despite being a lifelong football avoider, I was keen to get a piece of the action.
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So off I went, braving the morning commuter rush and heading to the Paxton's Head in Belgravia for a much-needed fry-up and 90 minutes of nail-biting play.
The pub was one of 30 nationwide offering fans the chance to nab some free kit with breakfast in a bid to get more people watching women's sports.
Research by Greene King found some 58% of Brits have started following a women's sports team since the Lionesses brought football home last summer.
But despite this, a third have never been to the pub to watch a women's football game.
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Andrew Gallagher, Marketing Director for Greene King Pubs, said: "Our pubs have such an important role to play in major football tournaments; they provide a space for fans to show their support and come together as a community.
"It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing England colours from head to toe, or if you’re just looking to back the Lionesses with your friends while you watch the match – our pubs are inclusive spaces for everyone during the upcoming tournament."
Unfortunately in spite of their efforts the pub wasn't exactly bursting – for much of the game I was the only customer there.
Clearly the Knightsbridge locals didn't know what they were missing as my breakfast, washed down with a coffee, went down a treat while I watched the gals give it their all.
The game itself was a hair-raiser, with the Lionesses securing the victory by just one point and midfielder Keira Walsh suffering a worrying injury.
As I chowed down on my hash browns and sausages, having proudly donned my free shirt, it was hard – even for a relative newcomer to the sport such as myself – not to get invested.
With the team already missing captain Leah Williamson as well as Beth Mead and Fran Kirby due to other wounds, it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the squad fares as they head into their final match before the knockout stages.
Whatever happens, I can only hope next time around it is also accompanied by as delicious a meal – and maybe not as early a start.
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