Britain’s most famous Wags are finally being taken seriously – but why did it take so long?

At the peak of Wag mania, Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney overcame streaky highlights, sexist fan chants and false claims they were just fake (tanned) hangers-on, writes Amanda Whiting. But two new documentaries prove that they were the true stars of their marriages all along

(Getty/The Independent)

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, England faced Trinidad and Tobago in a forgettable group-stage match in Nuremberg. It was scoreless until the final 10 minutes, but I only remember the tabloid images from the day: glossy photos of young, glamorous women smiling in the stands.

It was 26 degrees, and Coleen Rooney (not yet her last name), Cheryl Cole (not yet – nor presently – her last name), and Mrs Victoria Beckham were supporting their Habs Wayne, Ashley and David on the pitch. As befitted the weather, the women’s shorts were short and tops shrunken. As befitted the times, their highlights were streaky; their manicures French; their tans fake.

On rest days, the Wags shopped. In the evenings, they put on mini-dresses and sauntered the streets of Baden-Baden in formation, like they were shooting an album cover. I remember the papers always made sure to refer to England’s base in the Black Forest as a “spa town,” as though the Wags themselves had bribed Fifa officials to ensure the team trained there. The golden generation flamed out of the tournament, losing to Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals. But by the time the squad landed back in England, it was the “hooligans with credit cards” – to borrow a sexist, classist dig from the time – who were being scapegoated.