A REPORT FROM THE NEWSPAPER MATURE TIMES The voice of our generation . 2011 – 2012.
Sports archivists have uncovered never before – seen pictures of Britains first ever female football team – set up by Suffragette for the Rights of Women movement in 1881. The astonishing black and white photographs show the moment pioneering campaigners swapped their corsets for football shirts and formed ‘Mrs Grahams XI’. Historians believe that the side helped women win the local Government vote and even sparked riots, after stepping onto the football pitch in revealing bloomers and blouses. Images of the team, from Stirling, Scotland, were uncovered by artist Stuart Gibbs, 47 while compiling an exhibition about the history of the women’s game.
He said “They were on the cutting edge. The day after a controversial match in Glasgow the right for women to vote got the royal assent” .”The players were all part of the rights for women and the ‘rational dress movement’, so maybe the game was seen as a sign of the times and had some influence. ”
The stunning shots were uncovered by artist Mr Gibbs while researching `Moving the Goalposts : A History of Womens Football in Britain’ – currently touring the UK. He compiled an album of pictures after scouring local libaries in Stirling. Mr Gibbs found suffragette Scot Helen Matthews, who played under the name Mrs Graham, had set up the first official womens club in the city.
The team known as Mrs Grahams XI – also the first national side-played their first official match at Easter Road ,on May 7, 1881. From that point on the team were never far away from controversy. The second game, against England at Shawfield Athletic Ground in Glasgow, on May 16 1881 sparked riots when they beat the visiting team 3-0.
Following the riots, the Womens Franchise (Scotland) Bill was given the royal assent, allowing women to vote in local government elections. This was a right women in England had enjoyed for two decades. But the events of that day caused such a stir that a Government ban was imposed on women playing football in Scotland.
The team – which even included the world’s first black female footballer, Carrie Boustead – were considered “improper” by their male counterparts. But they battled on to eventually obtain recognition. Mr Gibbs said, “There were critics right from day one. Even women’s magazines were against it, even though you wouldn’ t think they would be. It just wasn’t acceptable for women to dress in trousers and football was considered a man’s game.
“The women had lots of fans, but they also had lots of objectors and there were a few problems caused by hooligans who tried to disrupt the game. Female teams played right through the First World War – but on December 5, 1921 the English Football Association voted to ban womens football from grounds used by its member clubs. The ban was not lifted until July 1971.
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