1972 Scotland v England women's football match

Last updated

Date18 November 1972
Venue Ravenscraig Stadium, Greenock
Referee Mr. J. Clelland (Scotland)
Weather Snow

Scotland Women v England Women (1972) was the first ever official international women's football match to be played in Great Britain. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. [1] The match took place on 18 November 1972 at Ravenscraig Stadium in Greenock, Scotland. England won the game 3–2, [2] almost exactly a hundred years after the first men's international between the two nations. [3] It was the second international women's match to be granted official status by FIFA, after a meeting between France and Netherlands in April 1971. [4]

Contents

Background

Representative women's fixtures between teams from Scotland and England had taken place much earlier. In May 1881 a touring English team played two fixtures against local opposition in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The second game, before 5,000 spectators at Shawfield Stadium, resulted in a riot. In March 1918 Celtic Park hosted a match between female teams of munitions workers. Vickers-Armstrongs from Barrow, beat William Beardmore and Company from Glasgow 4–0, with proceeds donated to hospitals caring for wounded soldiers from World War I. A return fixture in Barrow three weeks later finished 2–2, in front of 5,000 fans. [5] In 1920 Dick, Kerr's Ladies beat a Scottish XI 22–0. A return fixture at Celtic Park the following year finished 9–0 to the English team, watched by a crowd of 6,000. Dick, Kerr's then undertook a tour of Scotland; playing in Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Dundee and Dumfries to an aggregate crowd of 70,000. [6] The SFA was resisting pressure from UEFA to take over the administration of women's football. In 1971 the European member associations had voted 39–1 in favour of UEFA's motion that they take control of women's football, with Scotland voting against. [7] In Scotland football was traditionally seen as a working class, male preserve. A 1921 ban on women's football was not lifted until 1974 and it was not until 1998 that the SFA assumed ultimate responsibility for Scottish women's football. [8]

External image
Searchtool.svg England train at Wembley ahead of the match (Daily Mail)

Teams

England's defensive midfielder was 17-year-old Janet Bagguley of Macclesfield Ladies, described by Wendy Owen as "hard as nails and a ferocious tackler". [9] Team captain Sheila Parker (née Porter) was a 24-year-old centre half.

Background

Wendy Owen reported that the hotel in Gourock where England stayed required its female guests to wear skirts at all times: "this didn't go down too well with the players, most of whom, like me, were never out of trousers. I didn't even possess a dress or skirt and had to go out and buy one before I joined the tour." [10]

Venue

Ravenscraig Stadium Ravenscraig Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 996781.jpg
Ravenscraig Stadium

The match was staged in Greenock at Ravenscraig Stadium, primarily an athletics facility, because a Scottish Football Association (SFA) resolution dating from the 1920s was still in place. This banned women footballers from SFA-affiliated grounds. For the same reason the referee and linesmen were sourced from the Scottish Football Referees Association instead of via the SFA. [11] The English FA had rescinded their own similar ban in January 1970. [12]

The match

Wendy Owen was "bitterly disappointed" to be named amongst the substitutes and watched the game from underneath a blanket on the substitute's bench. The match was played in icy conditions which gave way to heavy snow during the second half. Sylvia Gore recalled that: "There was only one other game played in Scotland that day – a men's game – because the conditions were so bad." A "close and exciting" game saw Scotland leading 2–1 at half time but England recovering to win 3–2. Scotland took the lead with a goal from Mary Carr. Rose Reilly then scored direct from a corner to put Scotland 2–0 ahead. [13] During the first half Gore made history by scoring England's first ever goal in an official international: [14]

I picked up the ball in my own area and ran 40 yards. I thought I would slip over but I stayed on my feet and side-footed the ball past the keeper.

External image
Searchtool.svg Action from the match (The Scotsman)

As conditions deteriorated in the second half, England scored twice more without reply. Wendy Owen reported that Gore scored again and Pat Davies got one, [15] while Sue Lopez credited Davies with both England's second half goals. [16] The English and Scottish FAs report England's goals came from Gore, Lynda Hale, and Jeannie Allot. [17] [18]

Match details

Scotland  Flag of Scotland.svg2 – 3Flag of England.svg  England
Carr Soccerball shade.svg
Reilly Soccerball shade.svg
Report Gore Soccerball shade.svg
Hale Soccerball shade.svg
Allott Soccerball shade.svg
Ravenscraig Stadium, Greenock
Referee: Mr. J. McClelland (Glasgow)
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes white.png
Kit socks long.svg
Scotland
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes on white top.png
Kit socks long.svg
England
GK Janie Houghton
RB Jean Hunter
LB June Hunter
RH Linda Kidd
CH Marian Mount
LH Sandra Walker
OR Rose Reilly
IR Edna Neillis
CF Mary Anderson
IL Margaret McAuley (c)
OL Mary Carr
Substitutes:
GK Liz Creamer
DF Mary Davenport
FW Linda Cooper
FW Diane McLaren
DF Irene Morrison
Manager:
Flag of Scotland.svg Rab Stewart
Scotland Women v England Women 1972-11-18.svg
GK Sue Buckett
RB Morag Kirkland
LB Sandra Graham
RH Janet Bagguley
CH Sheila Parker (c)
LH Paddy McGroarty
OR Lynda Hale
IR Sylvia Gore
CF Pat Davies
IL Jeannie Allott
OL Jean Wilson
Substitutes:
GK Susan Whyatt
DF Wendy Owen
DF Julia Manning [19]
FW Eileen Foreman
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Eric Worthington

Player of the Match:

Assistant referees:
Flag of Scotland.svg Mr. D. Munro (East Kilbride)
Flag of Scotland.svg Mr. J. Gibb (East Kilbride)

Subsequent matches

England has competed against Scotland most notably since 1972 in matches in 2019 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2017. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]

Record

The full record between the two countries is as follows:

CompetitionPlayedResultsGoals
ScotlandEnglandDrawScotlandEngland
Friendly 121110543
British Home Championship101015
UEFA Championship qualifiers6060116
Algarve Cup 101014
Cyprus Cup 211023
TOTAL2222001071

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