Hope Powell sent Sarina Wiegman a simple message in the hours after England won Euro 2022.

The Albion boss told one of her successors in charge of the national team: “I hope you partied all night.”

Wiegman assured Powell that she “sure did”.

It has been party time for the game as a whole this week.

Fans flocked to stadia and screens of various sizes, including in Trafalgar Square, to watch the Lionesses secure glory.

There were two sell-outs at the Amex for very different wins over Norway and Spain.

Albion’s home also hosted nearly 13,000 on a gorgeous, warm Friday night to see Austria beat Norway in Group A.

Now attention turns to the WSL and other domestic leagues.

Powell is convinced England success – and the success of the tournament as a whole - can only benefit the domestic sport, right down to grass roots.

Or, put another way, it has to.

There will never be a better opportunity.

Powell was asked this week whether Chloe Kelly’s shirt-twirling celebration of her winning goal in the final was the most iconic moment for the game in England.

She replied: “Seeing the attendance figure going up on the screen was the iconic moment.

“You can’t say people don’t care about women’s football.

“I think winning it in this country could be a real catalyst for change.

“The attendances at non-England games were really pretty impressive.

“The best ever for a women’s European Championship.

“I think we have got to give credit to the whole game, the performances of all the teams. The standards have gone through the roof.

“People want it and now everybody goes, ‘Right, this is a product worth getting involved in’.

“That 87,192 must tell commercial partners something.

“That must tell marketing people something.

“They must look at the standard of play and how athletic those players are.

“That must tell the world something.

“That this is a serious sport and these are serious athletes.”

Powell was working for UEFA at the final.

But she was also there way back with England, managing the national team, bringing together a structure and doing the jobs of three people.

She said she felt it was important those who had contributed all along the way were appreciated for their efforts which all led to Wembley glory.

And she was full of praise for the set-up now in place under Wiegman’s guidance.

Powell said: “I was in the stadium, I was with some colleagues from UEFA.

“It was kind of ‘Fantastic, well done, now we have got to go and do some work’.

“I was doing some technical observation with UEFA.

“It was pretty much enjoy the moment very quickly and then get together and discuss the game.

“We kind of enjoyed the evening and had a bit of a celebration. It has been pretty busy ever since.

“I always felt that England, in terms of the quality of players they had and the depth they had, had a really good chance of getting to the final and winning it.

“The players who started every game played their part and the players who came on and the impact they had was fantastic.

“It was really good to see those who came on, the standard didn’t drop.

“I thought that was a key point to England’s success.

“I though everybody stayed fit and healthy.

“And everyone was in it together – the starters, the finishers, the staff.”

Albion season ticket numbers will be well into four figures by the time they start their season versus Aston Villa at the Amex on Sunday, September 11.

They are currently showing an increase of 250% on the final figure last term.

The club sold more season tickets between Sunday and Wednesday this week then they did all last year.

Powell said: “The impact of not just England winning but the whole tournament has really galvanised people to get out, play more, buy tickets and support women’s football.

“So it has been absolutely fantastic.”

Albion are currently in Bavaria training ahead of this weekend’s friendly against Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Championship outfit Lewes play WSL side West Ham in a friendly at Hassocks on Sunday (2pm).

The fixture has been switched to The Beacon with the Dripping Pan unavailable.

Admission is £7 for adults and £5 for concessions with under-16s going free and ample car parking available on site.

Lewes’s fifth and latest signing is defender Nat Johnson, who was a part of Coventry United’s dramatic escape from relegation last season.