SAVE THE DAY!
England star puts fiancé in charge of their wedding as she’s playing in World Cup
ENGLAND goal keeper Siobhan Chamberlain has left her fiancé in charge of planning their wedding as the team prepare to take on France in their first match of the Women’s World Cup.
The 31-year-old, who lives in Buckhurst Hill and plays for Arsenal Ladies, told how boyfriend Leigh Moore is taking care of arrangements.
Chamberlain, who is getting married in December, said: “I’ve given him tasks. He’s in charge of all the enter- tainment and designing invitations and stationery. I’ve got my dress. He does keep hassling me about flowers — he keeps saying I need to know what colour scheme we’re going for.”
England play France at 6pm UK time tonight. Mr Moore, 27, who works for BT Sport, has taken time off to travel to Canada see England’s group games. Before she left for the tournament, he tweeted that he “couldn’t be prouder of her”.
Chamberlain, who has 33 caps and is playing in her third World Cup, said: “He is coming out to watch all the group games, he managed to get time off work and we’ll see what happens from there ... He needs to make sure he’s got enough time for our honeymoon as well.”
England also play Colombia and Mexico in the group games. Chamberlain said she was optimistic about the teams’s chances, claiming it is the “strongest squad we’ve ever had.”
She added: “The depth is fantastic. You could start any of those players and they’ll perform on the day. It’s the best it’s ever been.” The match will be broadcast live on BBC2, and the coverage will be a “great stepping stone” for the sport, she said.
Among those likely to be closely following England’s progress will be Prince William — who wished them luck before they left, as they presented him with an England shirt for Princess Charlotte.
“The public can get behind us and the media coverage is great,” said Chamberlain. “We met Prince William and he told us how much the country is behind us.
“He knew a lot about us and the qualification process and wished us luck.” She said she hoped to inspire young people into sport, whether female or male: “If a young girl or even young boy comes to watch us play, it motivates them to play or have fun around that.
“Even if it’s one person’s life you might be changing, then that’s fantastic for us.”
She would not comment on the Fifa corruption scandal, but added that the team want to “make sure women’s football is seen in the best light, and showcase women’s football for the great sport that it is.”