We Can Magazine

THE STORY OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

How women have fought for equality over the ages.

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The stars of women’s football and how they are the heroes of today.

TIMELINE

TIMELINE

NETTIE HONEYBALL

Nettie Honeyball was the founder of The British Ladies Football Club in 1895. This was the first known women’s association football club, and is considered as the first key point in the history of women’s football. In 1894, Honeyball placed an advert in the newspaper to encourage women to join the club. The first game took place on 23rd March 1895 with a crowd of 10,000 spectators watching the game at Crouch End in London.

The match came with some scrutiny with the Daily Sketch reporting that ‘the ladies wandered aimlessly at an ungraceful jog-trot’. Despite the negativity, The British Ladies Football Club started to gain popularity, and the club also successfully raised money for charity.`

Nettie Honeyball was also a player for the club until Spring 1895. The club played regularly until April 1897, and then was briefly revived in 1902.

I look forward to a time when ladies may sit in parliment and have a voice in the direction of affairs.

Nettie Honeyball, 1895

‘UNSUITABLE FOR FEMALES’

In the early 1920s, women’s football was thriving, despite the players not even being able to vote at the time. Amidst the First World War, The Dick Kerr Ladies were formed in Preston with the munition factory workers forming the team. The Dick Kerr Ladies can definitely be considered as the pioneers for women’s football, most notiably their Boxing Day fixture of 1920 when 53,000 fans came to watch them vs St Helen’s Ladies at Goodison Park.

Not only was this a huge milestone, the team also reportedly raised £3,000 (equivalent to £40,000 today) for charity. The success of women’s football was shortly lived, however, as in 1921 The FA banned women from playing

on Football League grounds, alleging that ‘The game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged’. This was a huge blow for women’s football and this outright form of sexism banned women for 50 years, which shows only the start of women’s fight against sexism in the sport.

‘One of the most important teams in the history of women’s football’

The North West Sports Awards, 2018

FA CUP

Around the time the FA ban on women’s football was lifted, the Women’s FA Cup final was held, where Southampton beat Stewarton and Thistle 4-1. Known as ‘The WFA Mitre Challenge Trophy’ back then, the match was played on 9th May 1971 at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. The first FA Cup included 71 teams from across the United Kingdom. Southampton were the most successful team in early years of the FA Cup, winning 8 of the first 11 WFA cups, as well as reaching 10 out of the first 11 finals.

Southampton also have the record for the highest scoring final against QPR in 1978, where Southampton beat them 8-2. As the years went on, however, Southampton became less dominant, and the Doncaster Belles

became the most prominent team in the cup between 1982 and 1994, where they reached nearly every final and won the cup 6 times during this period.

Since the WFA Cup began, Arsenal hold the record number of titles, with an impressive 14 accolades. The most recent cup holders are Chelsea, who beat Man City 3-2 at Wembley in 2022, with a record 49,094 fans watching the match live.

Even with the Women’s FA Cup growing, the fight for equal pay comtinues, with the winners in 2015 only getting £8,600 winnings, whereas the men in the same year earned £1.8 million.

‘Just lifting the cup and thinking we’ve actually won a cup, they’ve actually recognised that ladies can play football.’

Lesley Lloyd, former Southampton Captain

Tweets like ‘women can’t play football’, and ‘women should stay in the kitchen’ are very harmful, and used not only by the general public, but celebrities as well. We have to constantly fight these negative and hurtful comments, which not only lowers our self esteem, but also is another obstacle for equality in sport.

There is a lot of sexism in the media, and womens football is massively targeted amongst this. Over the years, women footballers as well as women, transgender and non-binary sports people have had to fight against discrimination, whether that be in real life or from the newspaper. Nowadays, the discrimination is most prominent in the media, especially social media such as Twitter.

The first steps to eliminating sexism is by holding Social Media websites accountable, as well as punishing people who use this derogatory language, as well as teaching people that anyone can play football, no matter their gender!

A CAMPAIGN supporting WOMEN in the GOAL for EQUALITY within FOOTBALL.

All PROCEEDS from MERCHANDISE go towards the CAMPAIGN.

Football EVENTS and CLUBS

Visits to SCHOOLS to promote women’s football

Funding for GRASSROOTS

Giving CHILDREN and TEENS a chance to watch

PROFESSIONAL GAMES

HOPE POWELL

HISTORY BREAKER HOPE POWELL, the manager who CHANGED the game

n 1998 history was made, when the ex footballer Hope Powell became England Women’s manager. She was the first female, and also the first black manager of any England side. She also was the first full-time England Women’s manager, as well as being the youngest manager of England, getting the job at the age of 31.This was a huge milestone in women’s football, and also one of the big staples of women’s football history. Powell went on to manage England for an impressive

15 years, transforming the game as well as the England team. Not only was Powell a huge success as a manager, but also as a player too. She won 66 caps for England, as well as being the all-time top goalscorer of the Millwall Lionesses, and also playing for Friends of Fulham and Croydon.

IIn 2003 Hope Powell became the first woman to gain a UEFA Pro licence, which was another huge achievement for herself and the women’s game. Over her 15 years as England manager, Powell led the team to 2 World Cups and 4 Euros, where they reached the final in 2009. After managing England up until 2013, Powell became the Brighton and Hove Albion manager 4 years later, where she managed until October 2022.

As a result of her many achievements she was awarded with a CBE, and to this day remains one of the most influencial figures in women’s football.

‘People judged me perhaps for not what I was doing, but for other reasons, maybe the colour of my skin, the fact that I was female’

EUROS

On 31st July 2022, England made history by beating Germany 2-1 in the European Championship. This was the first major trophy England have won since the men won the 1966 World Cup, and the game was one we will never forget.

The match had a record attendance for the Women’s game, with an incredible 87,192 fans watching the game at Wembley. The first half stayed goalless, but in the 62nd minute of the second half, Ella Toone scored for England to make it 1-0. 7 minutes later however, Magull equalised for Germany, setting up for a tense extra time.

A nervy extra 30 minutes to endure, both sets of fans were crossing their fingers and hoping for the deciding goal, and in the 110th minute that goal came for England! Chloe Kelly found the back of the net and the players and

fans erupted with celebration. England held on for the last 10 minutes, resulting in them becoming European Champions!

This was a huge achievement for England, and the tournament on the whole was a great success. The tournament and final will go down in history for England, and will definitely be a moment we will never forget!

“It was amazing to see the impact in the summer, and how it has changed the women’s game”

Chloe Kelly, 2022

‘It’s been brilliant to see how many children we’ve inspired, and adults, too’

FINAL FISSIMA INAL ISSIMA

On Thursday 6th April 2023, the England Women played Brazil in the Finalissima, the match whereby the European Champions play the Copa America Champions. This was the first ever Women’s Finalissima, where an impressive 83,132 fans came to watch the match at Wembley. This was another huge occasion after the Euros, and shows how much women’s football has developed over the last few years.

The game started brightly for England as Ella Toone scored

in the 23rd minute to take the lead. England dominated possession throughout the game although Brazil were a threat and were rewarded in the 90+3 minute, when Andressa scored the equaliser. This was a big blow for England in the dying stages of the match but they were determined to win.

The match went straight to penalties, which was gutwrenching to watch. After both teams scored the first penalty, Toone stepped up to take hers but missed for England. However Brazil proceeded to miss their

next 2 penalties and with England scoring the rest of their penalties, they won the match! Once again, Chloe Kelly starred by scoring the deciding goal, as she did in the Euros. Keira Walsh also starred, with her impeccable performance resulting in her getting Player of the Match. The game was very exciting and also another huge milestone for women’s football, which I am sure will lead to many more momentous occasions in the future, especially with the highly anticipated World Cup coming up!

‘It just gives you the fire in the belly for the summer’

Leah Williamson, England Captain

THE GIRLS CAN P L A Y