THE German women's football team are a little bit cheeky in my eyes. (From Warrington Guardian)

THE German women's football team are a little bit cheeky in my eyes.

With Mike Parsons

Warrington Wolves are letting them play at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in June's Euro 2005 and the Germans think they are going to pinch Wolves' fans as if they were sunbeds next to a swimming pool in Majorca.

I learned this in a chat with Heike Ullrich, the head of the women's department of the German FA, in a conversation we had at the final draw ceremony for the UEFA Women's Championship which took place in the plush Commonwealth Suite at the City of Manchester Stadium last Wednesday.

Germany, the current European and World Champions, had just been paired with their arch-rivals Norway for the opening Group B game to take place at Wolves' den on June 6.

I explained to her that the Halliwell Jones Stadium was home to a Rugby League team (she understood the Rugby bit but not the League bit - typical!)

rather than a soccer side.

Heike hit back with: "One of our goals, of course, for after the tournament finishes, will be that your people shall come out to watch women's football and not rugby any more."

She appeared a lovely woman with a real passion for her sport, which is great. I was delighted she spared some time to talk to me about the summer's big

championship and I didn't have the heart to tell her that, if 10,000 people turn out to see the clash on June 6, then 9,900 of them will be cheering on Norway.

This is not because of rivalry between 'my people' and 'her people' but because neutral supporters, and I expect there will be many of them, love to get behind the underdogs and Germany are favourites to retain the title.

I can recall the Rugby League World Cup clash that took place in Warrington in 1995 between New Zealand and Tonga. New Zealand were favourites to win the match, their group and to reach the final and, as a result, the 8,000 Warrington people on the terraces took Tonga to their hearts.

So much so that chants of 'Tonga, Tonga, Tonga' blarted out from the Fletcher Street End and, in a mark of respect for the support they were shown, the Tonga players repeated their prematch war dance after the final

whistle to receive more rousing applause.

It just goes to show, if top flight international sport is brought to the doorsteps of the Warrington people, they will support it. Women's football of the highest

order is a delight to watch. And even Lars-Christer Olsson, the UEFA chief executive, admitted at the draw ceremony: "The women's game is not a copy of the men's game and it shouldn't be. It's entertainment partly in a different way and in many cases the women's game is more entertaining than the men's

game."

Tickets for the UEFA Women's Championship are expected to go on sale within the month but, until then, practice your chanting: "Norway, Norway, Norway."