See this.....https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/LNoYd7se8m/the-lost-lionesses
Just as Great Britain's Women footballers were boomeranged out of the 2020/1 Olympics by Australia, to help the future success, a huge investment from Sky Sports and the BBC has been made, allowing Women's Super League matches to be broadcast from 2021-2. The Women's World Cup is scheduled in 2023.
50 years ago a pioneering "unofficial squad", of 14 England women footballers, mostly teenagers, found themselves ostracised and shamed for having the cheek to play in the 1971, August, World Cup.
Recently, in Bedfordshire, half the original "Lost Lionesses 1971" squad gathered for a reunion. Leah Caleb at 63 years old and Janice Emms (69) (her daughter and badminton Olympic silver medal star, 2004, is Gail Emms) met and played "keepy up" in the garden.
Half a century ago, Caleb was 13 years old and Gillian Sayell, 14, standing at 4'10", who took the pitch at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, in front of a packed crowd of 90,000, daunting or what?
A group of Chiltern Valley Ladies' football team, whose home base was Crawley Green Sports and Social Club, was formed by Harry Batt, who became an "unofficial" team from England, travelling half way round the world. When they returned the FA banned the players for months and Harry was banned for LIFE! Harry never spoke about the event again and he retired a broken man. Batt had fought against France in the Spanish Civil War and had been a merchant seaman in the Second WW. Some reward for his patronism. He died in 1985, aged 78.
These women began their venture at a time when females were not encouraged to play football, typical of the everyday "sexism" that faced female footballers, especially youngsters. Across the board, women's football was ignored and subject to ridicule, although most parents were supportive and helpful in keeping their girls and the team going.
The trip to Mexico was by Jumbo Jet funded by sponsors Martini and Rossi. Arriving at Mexico City, the girls were quickly aware of the effects of heat and humidity, not to mention the altitude. Marlene Rowe, now 73, worked at the Post Office and decided to form a team, when she was 20. She became aware that the press were at the airport to greet them off the plane, not someone famous travelling in First Class. The daring English girls, epitomised "swinging London", and the press dubbed them "las chicas de Carnaby Street"!
The party had police motorbike escorts, hundreds watching their training sessions and a busy hotel. It was a story (game) of two halves, because off the pitch they were "hits" but on the pitch they were not "hits", for their first match was lost 1-4 to Argentina. (the England goal was scored by 15 year old Paula Rayner). The opposition were very physical and against Mexico they shipped 4 goals and 8 of the girls went to hospital to treat wounds! This meant they were out of the tournament but the organisers were so enamoured by the English girls that they insisted on another match, a friendly against France which ended 2-3.
Batt's team of schoolgirls and part-time payers had been amazing and amazed. When the squad returned to England, they were cheerfully greeted by their families and friends and there was a mild local newspaper report, BUT they were banned by the FA, which seems petty to say the least. Paula Mills is still playing "walking football", Yvonne Bradley is helping Shrublands U13s and some of the London girls support grassroot teams, such as East London Ladies and they regularly talk to schools about their experience and to encourage girls to try the football.
The first FIFA Women's World Cup took place in China in 1991.
The Lost Lionesses:
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