The Fight For Football: How The F.A Banned Women's Football

"Football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged"On Boxing Day 1920, more than 50,000 fans packed into Goodison Park to watch a football match between Dick, Kerr Ladies and St Helens Ladies - raising funds for wounded World War One soldiers . It was the largest crowd ever recorded for a women’s football game in England, a record that would stand for over 90 years.The Dick, Kerr Ladies, a team formed by workers from a Preston munitions factory, featured 15-year-old sensation Lily Parr, a gifted winger who quickly became a national star. But within a year after that historic match, the Football Association banned women from playing on its grounds — a ban that lasted nearly 50 years.In this episode of How It All Played Out, ITV’s Mark Pougatch and journalist Paul Hayward delve into the politics, prejudice, misogyny and missed opportunities behind this story. They’re joined by Arsenal and England legend Karen Carney to explore the ban’s long-lasting impact — and how the history of women’s football might have taken a very different path.Remember to follow or subscribe and give us a 5 star review too!We'd love to hear from you! Email us: [email protected] Producer: Adem WatermanHead of Podcasts: Factual: Al RiddellDirector of Podcasts: Vicky Etchells