History of Women's Football

 

Year

 

 

 

1790's

 


Annual match in Mid-Lothian ?

 

1870's

 
Women were an uncommon site as spectators at football matches, where they were often allowed in for free. 

Indeed in Sheffield one letter writer complained that he had to PAY for his wife to see a local association match.
 

1892

 


First match within Scotland Football Association guidelines at Shawfield's Ground. 
The Scottish Sport considered it "..the most degrading spectacle we have ever witnessed in connection with football."

 

March 23rd 1895

 


The first recorded women's football match in England was played. It was between a northern and a southern side, the north winning 7-1.

Match played in Bradford.

 

1902

 


The FA banned its teams from playing against ladies teams.

 

1917-19

 


During the First World War women's teams began to spring up, using the games to raise money for charity.
 With the absence of men in this era women assumed many of what had traditionally been men's roles and a number of teams were based around war factories.

 

April 30th 1920

 


The first international game was held between two women's teams. 
Dick Kerrs Ladies beat a France representative side 2-0 in front of 25,000. 
This was one of a series of games held for charity. 
Dick Kerrs was a munitions factory in Preston.

 

1920

 


Dick Kerrs Ladies represented England against a Scottish XI - which finished 22-0 to England.

 

Dec. 26th 1920

 


The biggest crowd ever recorded for a women's game, 53,000 people, watched a Cup Final at Goodison. 
Dick Kerrs Ladies (from Preston) beat their closest rivals, St Helen's Ladies, 4-0. 
After the war crowds for women's games began to increase to levels greater than the lower ranking men's games.

 

1921

 


In the return international with Scotland played at Celtic Park, England ( represented by Dick Kerrs Ladies) only manage to score 9 times in front of a crowd of 6000.

 

1921

 


Following the above match, Dick Kerrs Ladies made a tour of Scotland, playing at Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Dundee and Dumfries before a total of 70,000 spectators.

 

Dec. 5th 1921

 


The FA banned women from playing on Football League ground.

 

1937

 


Dick Kerrs Ladies met Edinburgh Ladies for what was billed as "The Championship of Great Britain and The World". 
Dick Kerrs Ladies won 5-1, however the result was reversed one year later.