They paved the way for the Women's Euros in muddy Fog Lane Park - the legend of Manchester Corinthians
The Lionesses' awesome scalp-tingling victory over Spain has rightly put the women's game in a national spotlight. If the team can go on to win the Euros the impact on grassroots football will be immense.
They used charity games both at home and overseas tours to defy the ban. As Jean Williams, a professor in sport history observed: "Corinthians was to be one of the most important women’s clubs after 1945 to pioneer women’s football as socially acceptable, and by the late 1950s, internationally, as a celebration of Mancunian civic pride."
But those spartan conditions may mean the team are never forgotten. A campaign has been launched to place a plaque in Fog Lane Park to mark their contribution to women's football, 73 years after they were formed. "Everyone agreed that the Manchester Corinthians’ history needs celebrating at Fog Lane Park. Why Fog Lane? This was the site of their training ground and home for many, many years with their old pitch located close to the former home of Percy Ashley, the founder, which is still clearly visible today from the park."
Whitty said: “What a great experience for us all! The stadiums… the reception from the crowd… it was all incredible but we all just took it in our stride. It’s only afterwards that you look back and realise how significant it all was.” Some of the 1980s team members became players with Manchester City’s women’s team in its inaugural season of 1988-89. By that time the volume of women’s clubs, leagues and competitions had grown.
England's hosting of the Euros has seen games being staged at Old Trafford, Manchester City’s Academy Stadium, and Leigh Sports Village. Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK and Ireland for the tournaments sponsors, Visa, said: "With records continuing to be broken, sold-out stadiums and excitement levels building like never before, it's clear UEFA Women's Euro 2022 marks an incredible milestone for the women's game.
It was a culture shock for some journalists. In April 1895, in an issue of the Manchester Courier, one had an opinion which now jars, it is so archaic. He wrote: "It is silly to think of women playing football and cricket as to imagine a man comfortably darning stockings by the fireside." It was reported that the match was watched by 30,000 spectators and it was seen as a landmark game in the sport's development. At the time the average Manchester United home gate was 27,000.
In 1974, an article about the women footballers of Kellogg’s Ladies ‘Corncrackers’ team quoted Captain and Stretford resident Bridie Fogerty: "We practice once or twice a week and when we do play for the normal time of 90 minutes. We also go training at Stretford Sports Centre once a fortnight." Since the late 1990s, Trafford women’s football has steadily grown. From 2000–01, Trafford were in the Premier Division of the North West Women’s Regional Football League , while Flixton based Manchester City were a tier higher: playing in the Northern Combination League. During those years Urmston were also in the Second Division South, of the North West Women’s Regional Football League .
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