During the first world war, it was commonplace for women to form football teams at their places of work. They played charity matches with rival firms, raising funds to support the war effort.
The popularity of these games culminated in a 1921 boxing day match with the Dick Kerr’s Women’s team, garnering a crowd of an estimated 53,000 people. A further ten thousand were turned away at the gate.
What could have become a thriving women’s league was swiftly quashed by the English Football Association, who banned women from use of their affiliated grounds and facillities that very same year.
