The History of Women's Football - Part I

Mia Hamm, Marta, Nadine Kessler, Kristine Lilly have all made their name in the world of football as they are one of the many successful footballers to have played the game. Ever wonder how Women’s football gained popularity? Did you know that the first ever game that featured women teams playing against each other was in the 1892? If the first game was played in the 1890’s, why was the first ever Women’s world cup held in 1990? Sexism? Well, we’re not here to talk about that so let’s get back to Women’s football. It took almost a century’s time from the first match to their first world cup and by that time, men’s football had developed a lot. Let’s find out.

Reports suggest that one of the first matches may have taken place in Scotland in the 1790s during an annual competition in Mid-Lothian. However, the first match recorded by Scottish FA took place in 1892 and one recorded by English FA took place in 1895. It is understood that in 1860’s the football governing bodies introduced standardized rules in a bid to reduce violence and pave the way for Women’s Football. It has been 124 years since one of the first recorded women’s football matches took place.

- Nettie Honeyball

It took a gutsy Feminist Nettie Honeyball a.k.a. Mary Hutson, who took matters in her own hands and used the print media in the search of other female football enthusiasts to join her. Interesting, she placed an advertisement in the newspapers in 1894, looking for the same. Something like publishing an advertisement at that time would have required a lot of courage and determination to play the game. On the 1^st of January 1985, Nettie Honeyball along with her 30 other women formed the British Ladies Football Club who trained under Tottenham wing-half Bill Julian. 10,000 spectators turned up for their inaugural match on 23^rd march 1895. The team was divided into two parts the North and the South. The match ended 7 – 1 in the favor of the North.

- North London Side that played in the first ever recorded Women's Football Match

"I founded the association with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the ‘ornamental and useless’ creatures that men have pictured." – Nettie Honeyball.

It took the likes of strong willed and determined female figures like her to pave the way for Women in Football.

Meanwhile, Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C. was founded in 1917. This club played 828 games over the span of 48 years despite opposition from the FA (Governing body of football in England). The club played the first international match of Women’s football in 1920 when they faced France XI 2 – 1 in a match that was witnessed by 25,000 spectators. 1920 was a significant year as the match between Dick Kerr’s Ladies beat St Helen’s ladies 4 – 0. That match holds the record of drawing a record crowd of 53,000 spectators, the highest till date.

However, In the year 1921, The FA stopped supporting Women’s football and banned them from playing in football league grounds. They stated that it was unsuitable for women and it should not be encouraged. The growth of Women’s football was stagnated due to the ban and even though matches took place it wasn’t until the postwar era that women’s football grew. It took half a century for the FA to lift the ban on Women’s football.

Interesting! Isn’t it? That’s not all that there is to their history, log in to the football mind on the 20^th of January to read the second part of The History of Women’s football.