Women's Football Association

History

On 1 November 1969, representatives of 44 clubs attended the inaugural meeting at Caxton Hall in London. Six months later seven regional Leagues were represented at the first AGM.

The first secretary was Arthur Hobbs, who was one of the founding members of the Women's Football Association; he had to leave up the post in 1972 due to poor health; he was succeeded by Patricia Gregory (1972–1982). In 1971, under pressure from UEFA, the FA rescinded its ban on women playing football on the pitches of its member clubs. Also that year the WFA held the first national knock out cup; the Mitre Trophy, which became the FA Women's Cup. The following year the WFA launched an official England national team, who beat Scotland 3–2 in Greenock.

In 1983 the WFA affiliated to the FA on the same basis as the County Football Associations. A 24-club National League was established by the WFA in 1991.

In June 1993 the WFA ceased to exist when power was transferred to the FA. The 1993–94 FA Women's Cup was the first to be run under direct control of the FA, while the league structure was taken over and re–branded in 1994–95. It was intended that the resources and experience of the FA would capitalise on increased participation levels and arrest a decline in fortunes for the women's national team.

The FA's subsequent performance did not meet with universal approval. Linda Whitehead, the WFA's secretary for 13 years prior to the switchover, said of the FA, "A lot of people felt very bitter. It wasn't what they wanted to do, it was the way they did it – they just rode roughshod all over us." In December 1994 Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers lamented, "They [the FA] have been in charge 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."

A 2006 Department for Culture, Media and Sport report into women's football concluded that the FA had been largely successful in developing and promoting the women's game in England. Jean Williams reported that the WFA had been a "pretty leaky umbrella", particularly after 1985 when a lack of resources was compounded by infighting. Kelly Simmons, the FA's director of women's football, stated that "the WFA did a brilliant job as a voluntary organisation, but the amount of human and financial resources the FA could put behind women's football was a major change".

Founder clubs

A list of the 44 founder clubs present at the first WFA AGM:

• Arland (Luton)
• Bantam Ladies (Coventry)
• Bedworth Rangers (Warwickshire)
• Boreham Wood (Hertfordshire)
• Bosom Buddies Utd (Essex)
• Brighton G.P.O. (Sussex)
• Chiltern Valley (Luton)
• Cycle and General (London)
• Deal and Betteshanger Utd. (Kent)
• Dundalk W.F.C. (Ireland)
• Edgware (London)
• Farley Utd. (Luton)
• Gillingham (Kent)
• Hamstreet (Kent)
• Harlesden Athletic (London)
• Hartwell (Northamptonshire)
• Hellingly Hospital (Sussex)
• Hull Ladies (Yorkshire)
• Kays Ladies (Worcester)
• Keresley (Coventry)
• L'Oreal Golden Ladies (Bedfordshire)
• Lan-Bar L.F.C. (Warwickshire)
• Leicester City (Leicestershire)
• Macclesfield (Cheshire)
• Manchester Corinthians L.F.C. (Lancashire)
• Manchester Nomads (Lancashire)
• Medway Ladies (Kent)
• Nuneaton Wanderers (Warwickshire)
• Patstone (Southampton)
• Rainbow Dazzlers (Burton-on-Trent)
• Ramsgate (Kent)
• Rapide L.F.C. (Worcestershire)
• Real Ladies (Southampton)
• Reckitts (Hull)
• Romford (Essex)
• Rye (Sussex)
• Spurs Ladies (London)
• Spurs Supporters (London)
• Swindon Spitfires (Wiltshire)
• Talon Elite (Luton)
• Thanet Utd (Kent)
• White Ribbon (London)
• Wilton Dynamos (Hampshire)
• Yardley Hastings (Kent)

Legacy

The Women's Football Association Archive is housed at the British Library. The papers can be accessed through the British Library catalogue, although many are embargoed until 2084.

References

References

1. "Women's Football Association". The Owl Football Historian.
2. (2022). "Dunn [née Thurston], Patricia Alice [Pat] (1933–1999), football referee".
3. (6 May 2017). "Personalities from the 1960s/70s".
4. (18 July 2006). "Women's Football". Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
5. "History of Women's Football". The Football Association.
6. Pete Davies. (30 August 1995). "Football: New year for Belles of the ball". [[The Independent]].
7. Clive White. (29 March 1993). "Football: Gunners on target as fans are won over: Once banned by the FA, the code will soon be back in the fold: Clive White watches the women of Arsenal close on the title after a 2–1 defeat of Doncaster Belles". [[The Independent]].
8. Pete Davies. (29 October 1994). "Football: Tough test for the team England forgot: As England's women prepare for their biggest ever fixture and the game continues to flourish at club level, the FA's commitment to the grassroots is being questioned. Pete Davies reports". The Independent.
9. Pete Davies. (13 December 1994). "Football: Outclassed women need lessons in game's beauty". [[The Independent]].
10. Sue Lopez. (2001). "Soccer". Berkshire.
11. Jean Williams. (2003). "A game for rough girls?: a history of women's football in Britain". Routledge.
12. Samira Shackle. (17 October 2014). "The rebirth of women's football: more than a century on, it's a game worth watching". [[New Statesman]].
13. (29 April 2017). "Founder Clubs".
14. [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS032-003409662 Women's Football Association Archive]{{Dead link. (January 2026)