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Women have played football for as long as football has been around with the modern game being codified by the FA in 1863.

But it was the First World War and the formation of team from a munitions factory in Preston known as the Dick Kerr Ladies that really drew in the crowds – one game in 1920 attracted 53,000.

But the women’s game was considered to be un-ladylike and seen as unfair competition for the men’s game and so the FA brought in a ban in 1921.
It was to last almost 50 years.

But pressure from within saw it abolished and in November 1972 the women’s game flourished with the staging of the first international match when England played Scotland in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Greenock. More international games followed, with the Wales FA staging their first international in 1973.

These early pioneers helped lay the foundation of the successful professional women’s game we see today.

Joining Kirsty Wark are England player Patricia Gregory and Scotland’s Elsie Cook who co-organised that first international; Margaret Rae, Scotland‘s captain from 1972 onwards; Michelle Adams, who was Wales youngest player aged just 15 in 1973 and went on to get an MBE for her contribution to women’s football; Rose Reilly who played for both Scotland and Italy; and Sue Whyatt who was England’s goalkeeper beginning with the return England v Scotland international in 1973.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Howard Shannon

Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4