A British man watching the Lionesses’ semi-final match with his Swedish wife celebrated the win by jumping into a swimming pool.
Damion Potter, 47, watched the match with his wife Susanna, three children – Elliot, 18, Zackary, 17, and 14-year-old Maya – and his wife’s extended family in Jonkoping, Sweden – and a bet was made in which the person supporting the losing team had to face a wet punishment.
Despite England winning 4-0, Mr Potter entered the pool as “it felt like the right thing to do as my family were not quite so excited about the result”.
“(No-one else) came in the pool to celebrate, but they came in afterwards because it was a bit warmer in the pool than the air outside,” he told the PA news agency.
He added: “I think my wife and my children are disappointed, but they will all be supporting England in the final.”
The former diplomat donned his England shirt with pride as he watched the match and even wore it to a supermarket, where he had “a few people staring at me”.
“At this family get-together, there are around 15 of us in the house, with my wife and two of her brothers and their spouses and all of our children, and I was still the only one with an England shirt,” he added.
The chances of that changing for the final are slim as he does not think the England shirt will “sell particularly well in Sweden”.
Mr Potter said that the Women’s Euro has had a positive knock-on effect on his daughter, who plays the sport.
For me as the father of a 14-year-old girl, it's exciting. She's already said she's signing up for three games a week with the school team for next season because she's inspired by watching people like (Alessia) Russo and (Ellen) White, which is fantastic,— Damion Potter
“For me as the father of a 14-year-old girl, it’s exciting. She’s already said she’s signing up for three games a week with the school team for next season because she’s inspired by watching people like (Alessia) Russo and (Ellen) White, which is fantastic,” he said.
“I love the fact that she’s as excited to play football as her brothers were and there should be no difference in terms of futures for young girls or young boys. Maybe in 2030, it will be her playing in an England shirt, who knows.”
Football has been a central part of the Potter household for years, with England playing Sweden on the couple’s wedding day in November 2001.
The game ended with a one-all draw which Mr Potter described as a “good diplomatic result”.
“I’ve been watching women’s football since 2003, when my eldest was born and the quality in the sport has been getting bigger and better,” he added.
