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.
Nov. 1969	The Women's Football Association was formed with 44 member clubs.
Jul. 1971	The FA lifted the ban on women playing on the ground of affiliated clubs.
Nov. 1972	The first official England international was played. England beat Scotland 3-2 in a friendly at Greenock.
1982	Ist UEFA European Competition For Representative Women's' Teams was launched with 16 entrants culminating in finals in 1984 in which Sweden beat England on Penalties (1-1 after extra time).
1987	First ever European cup final held in which Sweden beat England 4-3 on penalties.
1989	Channel 4 screened a series of one hour tv programmes, attracting an audience of up to three million. At this point there were 263 clubs in England with about 7000 players.
1990	The English Schools FA amended its constitution to permit mixed competition in schools up to the age of eleven.
Sep. 1991	The Women's FA launched a National league with 24 teams in three divisions (Premier, Northern and Southern).
1991	First ever Women's World Championships. Held in China with 46 teams involved in qualifiers and 12 teams in the finals. 510,000 spectators attended the games and 63000 attended the Final in which USA beat Norway 2-1.
1992/3	There were 450 clubs and 12,000 WFA registered players.
1993	The FA took over the responsibility for the Women's National Squad with Ted Copeland appointed as Manager.
1993/4	The WFA National Cup competition was brought under the control of the FA and became the FA Women's Challenge Cup with 137 teams competing. In the final Doncaster Belles met Knowlesly at Scunthorpe.
1994/5	The English FA assumed responsibility for the organisation and the administration of the Women's National League. The league changed its name to the Football Association Women's Premier League (FAWPL) and at that time consisted of 3 divisions (National, Northern and Southern) with 10 teams 10 teams in each division.
1996	In England there were about 600 women's teams with 14000 players plus 750 girls' teams with 7500 players. About 40 leagues had been formed since 1990.
1996	Launch of ON the BALL women's soccer mag.
Aug. 1997	Gillian Coultard gained her 100th cap for England but the FA refused a request for a presentation before the match against Scotland
1997	. An estimated 8 million women and girls participate in football in USA and it is thought to be their most popular females' sport.
1997	In 1997 the estimated number of teams in England (club, school and county rep) is 1300 involving an estimated 22,000 players. Around the world there is estimated to be some 30 million female players.
1998	A new trophy was designed and made for the FA Cup competition.
2000	"On the Ball" becomes "She Kicks"