Subscribe to trusted local news

If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

Aug 2022

Last Updated: 01/08/2022

Community

Former school leads messages to Harrogate's football champion Rachel Daly

by Vicky Carr

| 01 Aug, 2022

The Lioness, who grew up in Harrogate, spent the day at Trafalgar Square where a victory parade was held - but her home town was keen to ensure she received its best wishes too.

Mike Sweetman with England international Rachel Daly, who he coached at Rossett School. Picture: Miichael Sweetman.

Organisations across Harrogate have been giving their congratulations to England football star Rachel Daly today, after she helped the team to a historic victory in the European Championships.

The Lioness, who grew up in Harrogate, spent the day at Trafalgar Square where a victory parade was held in front of thousands of fans — but her home town was keen to ensure she received its best wishes too.

The messages were led by Rossett School, which Rachel attended as a teenager, becoming a star in its football teams. Headteacher Helen Woodcock said:

"Rachel Daly and the Lionesses have brought a real sense of national achievement and pride to the world of English football. We are so proud of her, here at Rossett!

"We have a long tradition of sporting excellence at Rossett - especially in football - with our young women and men going on to football scholarships both here and abroad. Most recently we have cemented our relationship with the sport in beginning a partnership with Harrogate Town, providing a home for their academy training.

"We are immensely proud of Rachel Daly; her work ethic, her resilience and her longevity in the game. All Rossett students and staff were shouting themselves hoarse in encouragement and then in celebration as she tackled and defended as part of the amazing team effort against a strong German side on Sunday.

"Rossett School are looking forward to preparing the next generation of young women and men heading towards sporting excellence as part of its school and community football programmes.

"We hope to welcome Rachel to the school soon to inspire our young women to look at taking their skills a step further, realising a career in the sport at local, national and international level."

'That was for you' - Harrogate Lioness's tribute to late dad

'Play like the star you are': Harrogate gets behind Rachel Daly ahead of Euro final

Community football teams were also singing her praises:

https://twitter.com/FDSHarrogate1/status/1553863343307358210

Among those sending their congratulations was a parent of a young player at Killinghall Nomads, where Daly used to play as a child.

https://twitter.com/alexsvere/status/1553983915366514693

Tweets were also posted by local organisations, including Visit Harrogate:

https://twitter.com/VisitHarrogate/status/1554044676717613057

There have been calls in Scarborough to give their local Lioness, Beth Mead, the freedom of the town.

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council if there were any plans to mark Daly's achievement or put on a homecoming parade, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

However, the authority did share a tribute on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Harrogatebc/status/1554054764240986113

Subscribe to trusted local news

Former school leads messages to Harrogate's football champion Rachel Daly

Read more: