By Sidney Wise
Towards the end of the 1960s men’s attitudes towards women’s football had started to change as The Football Association allowed the women’s game to make a comeback. In 1969 the Women’s Football Association (WFA) was formed with a total of 44 member clubs and, in 1971, The Football Association rescinded the ban it placed in 1921 on women’s football teams using football league grounds, though this was under pressure from UEFA, indicating that attitudes hadn’t necessarily changed completely.
Development in the 1970s
The first Women’s FA Cup Final was played in 1971 as Southampton defeated Stewarton and Thistle 4-1. In 1972 there was the first official women’s international game to be played in Britain as England beat Scotland in Greenock. There was progress in the league format, as in 1983 The Football Association allowed the WFA to affiliate on the same basis as County Football Associations and in 1991 the WFA announced the launch of their National League which was to kick off with a total of 24 clubs. This competition was styled in a pyramid format with the FA Women’s Premier League National Division at the top, and the Northern and Southern Divisions played on an equal footing beneath the National Division. The winners of these competitions would be promoted to the National Division.
A women’s football match in 1974. Credit: British Movietone
The FA Take Charge
From 1993 onwards The Football Association began to be much more involved in the running of the WFA’s major competitions. The WFA National Cup was brought under their control and renamed the Women’s FA Challenge Cup with 137 teams entering. The winners in 1993 were the Doncaster Belles as they beat Knowsley United 1-0 at Glanford Park, the home of Scunthorpe United. Furthermore, in 1994, The Football Association decided to take charge of the administration of the Women’s National League and the League Cup with the former becoming known as The FA Women’s Premier League (FAWPL). Finally, in 1997 The Football Association outlined its plans to develop the women’s game from grassroots to the elite level. However, there was opposition. Linda Whitehead, who was the WFA’s secretary for 13 years prior to The Football Association taking charge commented that ‘a lot of people felt very bitter’ and ‘they just roughshod all over us’. Moreover, in December 1994, then Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers complained that ‘they have been in charge for 18 months now and they talk about a development plan. But I haven’t heard a single word yet about what they actually intend to do’. Clearly, there was still plenty of work for The Football Association to do in order to win over their doubters.
The Women’s Game Continues to Grow
In 1998 The Football Association started to make good on their promise to develop the women’s game as the first 20 Centres of Excellence for girls were established. Furthermore, the women’s game started to grow commercially as the league and cup competitions were able to attract sponsors. Although England did not qualify for the 1999 World Cup in America, the tournament highlighted the global growth of the women’s game. The spectator figures were over 660,000, there were over 2,500 journalists in attendance and an estimated 40 million viewers in America alone watched the USA win a second World Cup. In addition to this, the final boasted an incredible attendance of 90,185 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California. Former US President Bill Clinton remarked that ‘it will have a far-reaching impact not only in the United States but also in other countries. This growth would continue into the 21st Century.
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The 1999 Women’s World Cup. Credit: FIFATV
