England Lioness Beth Mead calls out post about Gareth Southgate’s Euros success
England Lioness Beth Mead calls out post about Gareth Southgate’s success that has a glaring omission (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
England Lioness Beth Mead has schooled football reporters and fans in the best way possible after spotting a post celebrating Gareth Southgate’s Euros success.
The footballer and queer legend quickly corrected those congratulating the men’s side on their Euros semi-final victory against the Netherlands on Wednesday (10 July) but who had seemingly forgotten the England women’s team.
After a now-deleted post by Football on TNT Sports described Gareth Southgate as the “only England manager to reach two major international finals”, Beth mead took to X/Twitter to simply say: “Hmm… beg to differ.”
Several people claimed the men’s team are the first to reach two major international finals after making it to the final of Euro 2020 and again now in 2024.
While Southgate is the first to reach two finals with the England men’s team, Lioness manager Sarina Wiegman achieved this milestone earlier. Not only did the women’s team storm to victory at Euro 2022, they also reached the final of the Women’s World Cup in 2023, before being beaten 1-0 by Spain. They also won the Women’s Finalissima last year.
Mead won the Golden Boot – awarded to the person who scores the most goals – at the women’s Euro 2022 tournament but is also a role model for LGBTQ+ women, claiming she’s never had to come out, she’s just been herself.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2022, she said: “When I was growing up, obviously where I came from [the small village of Hinderwell, in North Yorkshire], there [weren’t] many people I knew who were openly gay or bisexual. My parents maybe struggled in the beginning and it was hard for me to say whether it was [just] a phase or something I wanted to act upon.”
The Arsenal striker added: “I’ve never physically come out and said: ‘I’m gay, I’m with a girl’, because I’ve not had to. I’ve just been me… I’ve tried to make it the normal rather than make it a statement.”
Mead acknowledged that the culture in the men’s game is different, making it “much harder” for them to be open about their sexuality. “I want to bridge that gap and help the men as much as the women,” she said. “If you’re happy, at the end of the day that’s all that matters.”
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