A brief history of the women's game in England.
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ORIGINS
The first recorded women's match in England took place in March 1985, between a northern and southern team. The north won 7-1. The women's game was especially popular in the north-west of England, with the Preston-based Dick, Kerr's Ladies attracting massive crowds. On Boxing Day 1920 a record crowd of 53,000 watched them record a 4-0 derby win over St Helen's Ladies. The Football Association banned women from playing in 1921, claiming "the game is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged".
RE-ESTABLISHING THE GAME
The Women's Football Association was formed in November 1969, with ff founder clubs, with the FA lifting the ban in July 1971. Southampton won the first ever WFA Cup, now the FA Women's Cup, with a final win over Stewarton and Thistle. The first official women's international in the United Kingdom saw England beat Scotland 3-2. The WFA launched a national league in September 1991, and in 1993 the FA took over the cup competition. For the 1994/95 season the FA took control of the domestic league, renaming it the FA Women's Premier League.
ENGLAND
The FA took over the England women's side in July 1993, and in June 1998 appointed Hope Powell as the first-ever full-time coach for the women's sides. She has overall responsibility for all age-levels.
International results steadily improved, with England automatically qualifying for the 2005 European Championships as hosts. They begin with a dramatic 3-2 win over Finland in front of a record crowd of 29,092, but lose their two remaining group games and fail to make the knock-out stages. Despite this blow, Powell's side regroup to qualify for the 207 World Cup. They record a record 13-0 win over Hungary during qualifying, with a 1-1 draw in France securing top spot in their group win.
While few expect them to return form China with the trophy, qualification alone is a fantastic achievement and it will allow England's squad to test themselves against the best in the world.
DOMESTIC GAME
The launch of the FA Women's Premier League in 1993 marked a change in the dominance of northern clubs, with Arsenal the inaugral winners. Although Doncaster Belles took the title in 1994 and Everton in 1998, London-based sides have taken every other championship. Arsenal are the most successful side in the competition, having won it an incredible eight times. In 2006/07 they completed a domestic treble, also claiming the FA Women's Cup and Women's Premier League Cup. In addition they were crowned champions of Europe after winning the UEFA Women's Cup.
The Women's Premier League consists of three 10-team divisions, with a national division above of regional leagues. |
