WOMEN TO THE FORE AT LAST

In the 16^th Century, Sir Philip Sydney's poem “A dialogue betweene Two Shepherds” makes mention of women and football and indeed there is evidence of Mary Queen of Scots owning a football. Rather like the men, women's football seemed to have a quicker and earlier development in Scotland and a tour with an English team to Edinburgh in May 1881 was arranged by Helen Graham Matthews. There were riots at the games and this resulted in a ban of women's matches, which at the time clearly caused too much excitement.

Matthews south of the border, formed the Lady Footballers' team and in 1894 Nettie Honeyball formed the British Ladies FC, whose president was the 8^th Marquis of Queensberry, Lady Florence Dixie.

In 1885 Preston North End offered free admission to women to their matches, as did other clubs but this proved too popular and clubs realised they were losing money. The women used club grounds for their matches and during the 1^st World War, ladies' teams played and raised money for the war effort as well as joining in football matches with men as they worked side by side in the munitions factories.

One of the best known is Dick, Kerr's Ladies FC, a team formed from a Preston factory, that blazed a trail in football in that era and beyond. Between 1917-1965 the team raised ten of thousands of pounds for Charity. (see previous blog)

A French team organised by the National Sports' Governing Body toured England playing at Preston, Stockport, Manchester and London. There was a reciprocal arrangement with a selected English team visiting the French.

In 1969, the FA, for ever looking to the future, banned women from playing on FA affiliated pitches-ie club grounds. Thankfully this has changed and the Women's Super League now flourishes and is The FA is promoting international football, as we have seen in the latest World Cup.