Victorious England Women's ceremony lead by Portsmouth Royal Marines musicians as Lionesses lift Euros trophy
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Military personnel from Portsmouth played a vital role in celebrating England’s victory at the Women’s Euros.
Royal Marines Band Service (RMBS) musicians lead the Lionesses football team down The Mall in London for their celebrations. England women beat Spain on penalties on Sunday (July 27) in Switzerland after drawing 1-1 in normal time. Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty in the shootout was enough for England Women to retain the trophy they won three years ago against Germany.
Captain Tre Naughton commanded the Portsmouth-based musicians, with many only recently returning from a deployment to Thailand and Singapore. the full 35-piece band, led by Drum Major David Nevatte, performed for the growing crowds near Horse Guards Parade before stepping off to lead the European champions down The Mall.
classical marches such as ‘Royal Salute’ and ‘The Captain General’ were among the display of military pageantry. Directed by Flight Lieutenant Michael Parsons, the 35-personnel band performed a high-energy set to welcome the Lionesses for the official trophy lift. Football anthems such as “Three Lions” and “Freed from Desire” replaced classic military music.
Players and backroom staff boarded the buses with the trophy to a huge roar from the crowds. Wearing white Nike T-shirts and England scarves, the team took photos with their phones as the buses travelled down the street. Royal Marines musicians flanked either side of the bus while they travelled towards Buckingham Palace.
Manager Sarina Wiegman danced alongside afrobeat star Burna Boy on stage. A performance of Proud by Heather Small, before captain Leah Williamson lifted the trophy in the air to huge cheers.
Speaking on stage at the Queen Victoria Memorial to BBC host Alex Scott, she said: “I’ve been crying all the way down The Mall. This is unbelievable, probably one of the best things we’ve ever, ever been a part of, so thank you for coming out.” Williamson described the team as “special, special people”.
She added: “We love each other, we’ve got each other’s back on and off the pitch. We had tough moments, nasty things to deal with, and still we rise.”
Kelly, who has family connections to Portsmouth, spoke to the crowd and said: “(It is) so good to stand side by side with every single one of these girls throughout the whole tournament, and the staff that you don’t see behind the scenes. It’s incredible. Thank you to everyone that got out to support us, whether that’s in Switzerland or here today. It’s so special.”
Celebrations on home soil began yesterday (July 28) when the team landed at Southend Airport. Hundreds of supporters waited to catch a glimpse of Sarina Wiegman’s side and the trophy.