Emma DownesA family travelled more than 700 miles (1,127km) to follow England’s Lionesses through their Euro 2025 campaign and eventual win in Switzerland.
Emma Downes and her wife Leonnie and son George, from Durham, took the whole month off and attended every game in Basel.
She said the experience had been “very intense” with dramatic penalty shootouts and the family had been through “every emotion on the spectrum”.
The family also drove via London on the way back home to go to the open-top bus parade celebrations.
Mrs Downes told BBC Radio Newcastle they were “knackered” but that there was “plenty of time to sleep when we’re home”.
Sarina Wiegman’s side became back-to-back Euros champions on Sunday, in the most-watched television moment of the year so far.
The family intended to stay in Switzerland for however long the Lionesses were in the tournament.
A run of nail-biting matches meant they had Eurotunnel tickets “in the basket a few times”, Mrs Downes said.
Emma Downes“We went through absolutely every emotion on the spectrum there,” Mrs Downes said.
“The number of England fans and the support they’ve had throughout the whole tournament has been absolutely incredible.
“We should all be proud of how many people have got behind the Lionesses.”
She said they were going to stay at back of the crowds during the parade through central London, because it was for fans who had not been able to go.
Mrs Downes also said her son had “absolutely loved” the summer.
“He’s come back a huge fan of Lucy Bronze,” she said.
“She’s just such a role model for young boys and young girls.”
She also said she hoped the historic win would inspire a new generation of girls to take up football.
“I played football as a young girl and we had an England team to look up to but you couldn’t watch the matches on TV or anything like that,” she said.
