FOOTBALL, SHE WROTE

It took until 1971 to overturn a 50- year ban that deemed football to be “quite unsuitable for females”. It may have been lifted, but women aspiring to play or work in the game have since faced huge challenges. Determined to get a game in a boys’ team, future England forward Rachel Yankey shaved her head and called herself Ray.

In this anthology of women’s football writing, Fleet Street’s first female football reporter Julie Welch explains how the determination of early- 70s pioneers Elsie Cook and Patricia Gregory finally led to England facing Scotland in 1972. When asked if she was disappointed that Scotland lost, Cook replied, “The It was European actually Cup nae Winners’ problem. Cup We final just was wanted spectated a game.” by fewer than Jane 10,000 Purdon fans also on three recounts her occasions. fascinating Just path 6,461 from watched childhood East Sunderland German club fan to Magdeburg forming the stun very Milan first women’s in Rotterdam fanzine in 1974, ( Born while Kicking) the lowest in 1990, crowd and eventually for a European becoming final director – excluding of Women this year’s In Football. games – came when Soviet This Dinamo eclectic Tbilisi book beat shows that another although East the German profile of side, women’s Carl football Zeiss Jena, – and in of 1981. females The within tie the was media held in – is the much West improved, German city significant of Dusseldorf, hurdles making still remain. it difficult for both sets of fans to attend because of restrictions