Was your great gran a soccer star of the past? E

NGLAND women footballers have been more successful than their male international counterparts in recent years. How times change. Almost 100 years ago, the Football Association did its best to kill the burgeoning women’s game that started during the First World War.

They said it was unladylike, unsuitable and could be injurious to the fairer sex.

And in 1921 they effectively banned women from playing at football league grounds.

Yet after watching an exhibition match, a Dr Mary Lowry gave an interview in which she stated that the playing of the game would be no more harmful to a woman than hope was that the game would Atalanta joined the England the women who had been engaged a heavy day’s washing. thrive. Ladies Football Association and on munitions work were speedily

Which made me wonder how Huddersfield Atalanta Ladies had played in the women’s FA Cup but discharged from employment and Cristiano Ronaldo might cope with a training field at Sands House, were beaten in the semi finals. their football teams rapidly disappeared.” a heavy day’s washing circa 1920. Crosland Moor. Sadly, with the establishment

The excellent Clare Balding doc- To prepare for a game against the against them, the ELFA didn’t last Women’s football virtually ceased umentary, When Football Banned mighty Dick, Kerr Ladies of Preston, long. to exist in north east England and Women that was screened on BBC4 which was watched by a crowd of It wasn’t until the formation of Cumbria, he says. last month, showed games attracted 25,000, they trained with Town the Women’s Football Association Elsewhere in the country, including massive crowds and raised thousand players at Leeds Road. in 1969 that the game revived on an Huddersfield, teams continued of pounds for charity. Left winger Ada Beaumont said: organised modern basis and England to play for charity until the end of

But the FA, possibly worried that “The fellas were smashing. They began competing internationally. 1921. it might rival the men’s game, set would take the girl who played in In 1972 the FA finally rescinded I’d be delighted if anyone who about removing it as a threat. After their position and try and teach its 50-year ban of women playing has any knowledge of any of the the ban, it didn’t last much longer. them. on football league grounds. Huddersfield ladies or teams who

During this exciting time, Huddersfield “I trained with Billy Smith, the Patrick Brennan, whose website, were involved almost 100 years ago had three women’s teams international. They all did it voluntarily, is packed with information about were to get in touch. and some local players were called but they seemed to enjoy it, those early years, says: “Following Was your great-grandma a up for international trials when the and so did we.” the end of the Great War, most of trailblazer?