³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

England's loss was their first European final for 25 years

We'd convened a panel of highly respected female pundits for a two-hour discussion, which we called "Ladies First". Journalists Hazel Irvine and , , and joined me to discuss everything from and to .

It was certainly unlike any other regular edition of 5 live Sport - which is not to say we weren't discussing some of the same issues we'd cover on a regular weeknight. Any attempt I made to head down a "Heat" magazine-style debate on was quickly diverted to a much more considered and informed conversation about next summer.

But where else would you have heard Gail - who's 16 weeks pregnant, and nervous of the over which, as an elite athlete, she's always had control - getting advice and reassurance from the USA's , and , who won the Women's British Open just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter?

The truth is that when women succeed in sport, whether it's or , they're often doing it while juggling the many other distractions of a so-called normal life - relationships, kids and so on. Even when, like Catriona, they've got a fantastically supportive husband who keeps the childcare going and even caddies for her, too.

And many of those stories are never told - largely because the women involved often don't think they're doing anything special.

I've been a judge for 14 years now on the . They don't just celebrate the achievements of our brilliant elite stars - like , who beat off amazing competition from fellow Olympic champions , , and - not to mention the .

World and Olympic Champion Victoria Pendelton

But we also get to tell the stories of those behind the scenes - the PE teachers, coaches, administrators and volunteers who devote huge energy and love to their own sports clubs, and are often unsung in their own communities, let alone on a wider stage.

If that rings a bell for you, then you've still got time to .

There will be some out there who'll argue that we don't need special awards for women, or indeed special programmes for women's sport, and I partly agree with that.

When you're as good as , or , you can pretty much guarantee you're going to get the recognition you deserve. (as dominant in women's football as Tiger Woods or Roger Federer are in their sports), Hope Powell's England team got prime tea-time ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ TV coverage and for reaching the final of Euro 2009. And after their all-conquering year, England's women's cricket team have been rightly celebrated - and I daresay that at least a few people now might correctly identify , and that probably hasn't happened since the days of .

Success should bring acclaim and glory - or at least the right to expect some non-patronising coverage in the media. But it doesn't always. In the meantime, I'm delighted to be waving the flag, and, even if it's only once every couple of months, putting Ladies First.