For many of us, the rare excitement and enthusiasm of England reaching the Euros 2020 final has already kicked in – it certainly has for me and my family.

But not everyone will be feeling the same way – for many women across the UK, big sporting events like this can have a different meaning: a hurricane of emotional upheaval, a catalyst in fuelling violence.

My WhatsApp notifications were already pinging in full force as friends and family asked what my plans were for watching the match. “Shall we do it at yours?” one message read, while another suggested we “go out and make the most of it”. Scrolling through the tirade of “it’s coming home” texts, I saw it – the message from a female friend I’d been expecting, and dreading, since the last game.

Read the full story from The Independent below:

Source: For victims of domestic violence, the England final isn’t something to celebrate