Women’s football came under the auspices of the FA in 1993, but its history stretches back much further
In the 1890s, there were several women’s clubs, and one in north London is said to have drawn 10,000 spectators to a game in Crouch End.
Early on, Preston was the center of women’s football, where the renowned Dick Kerr’s Ladies were founded in 1894 and raised a lot of money for charitable causes.
On Boxing Day 1920, 53,000 people attended their game against St Helen’s Ladies at Goodison Park, while many more were confined outside.
The FA declared that women should not play football on club property because it is “very improper for ladies.” at the end of the 1960s, altered.
Three years after the Women’s FA (WFA) was established, the first “Women’s FA Cup Final” and England Women’s international took place.
In 1983, the FA extended an invitation to the WFA to affiliate on the same terms as a County Association, and ten years later, a Women’s Football Committee was founded to oversee women’s football in England.
The Women’s FA Cup was first won by Doncaster Belles, England defeated Slovenia 10-0 in their inaugural FA-sponsored international, and the FA started governing the new FA Women’s Premier League, which has three divisions.
In 1997, the FA announced its objectives to advance women’s soccer from the grassroots to the professional levels. The following year, Hope Powell was named head coach of the England Women’s National Team.
By 2002, football had overtaken baseball as the most popular sport for women and girls to participate in England. In 2005 and 2012, major tournaments were hosted in England, and the country’s success in reaching one European Final and two World Cup quarterfinals, as well as the introduction of The FA Women’s Super League, helped raise the profile of the women’s game.
A brief history…
The first women’s football game was played in 1895. South lost 7-1 to North.
First international women’s match was placed in 1920. Dick Kerr’s Ladies from Preston defeated a French XI 2-0. 25 000 people showed up.
The largest audience ever for a women’s game was in 1920. 53,000 people came to see Dick Kerr’s Ladies defeat St Helen’s Ladies 4-0 on Boxing Day.
The FA forbids women from participating in football league games in 1921. “…the sport of football is very inappropriate for women and should not be promoted.”
With 44 member clubs, the Women’s Football Association (WFA) is established in 1969.
The FA Council lifts the prohibition against women playing on the fields of affiliated clubs in 1971.
1970: Stewarton and Thistle lost to Southampton 4-1 in the inaugural Women’s FA Cup Final.
1972: Greenock hosts the first official women’s international in Britain. Scotland lost against England 3-2.
1983: On the same terms as County Football Associations, the FA asks the WFA to the affiliate.
England defeated Denmark 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the first European competition for women’s football in 1984 to get to the final. They then faced Sweden in the championship game, losing the first leg 1-0 owing to a header from Pia Sundhage but coming out on top thanks to a goal by Linda Curl. The subsequent penalty shootout was lost by the Lionesses 4-3. While Elisabeth Leidinge stopped Curl’s and Lorraine Hanson’s penalty kicks, Theresa Wiseman stopped Helen Johansson’s penalty.
1991: The WFA begins a national league, which included 24 clubs at the start.
A Women’s Football Committee and the position of Women’s Football Coordinator are established by the FA in 1993.
1993: The Women’s FA Challenge Cup is established after the WFA National Cup is placed under FA management. 137 teams compete.
1994: The FA takes over management of the League Cup and Women’s National League. The competition adopts the name FA Women’s Premier League (FAWPL).
The FA explains its strategies for growing women’s soccer from grassroots to elite levels in 1997.
1998 saw the establishment of the first 20 Centers of Excellence for Girls. Both the League and Cup competitions attract sponsors.
1998 saw the hiring of Hope Powell as the first full-time head coach of the England women’s national teams.
1999: The USA hosts the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which draws over 90,000 spectators to the championship game.
Three years ahead of plan, the FA declares in 2002 that girls and women now participate in football more than any other sport in England.
England hosts the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2005. A record 29,092 spectators turn out for the tournament’s first game, and 2.9 million more watched it live on BBC Two. In total, 15 matches are played to 115,816 spectators. In the group stage, England is eliminated.
England finally earns a spot in the 2006 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in China, after a 12-year absence.
2007: Arsenal becomes the first British team to win the UEFA Women’s Cup, Europe’s premier club honor.
The England U19s are guaranteed a spot in the Chilean U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The senior England squad travels to China for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they lose to the USA in the quarterfinals.
2008: The FA Premier League Cup Final saw Everton shock everyone by defeating Arsenal 1-0, the Gunners’ first loss in well than 50 games.
However, in front of a record 24,582 spectators at Nottingham Forest FC, Arsenal goes on to win the FA Women’s Cup and claim their fifth consecutive Premier League title.
The first FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup is being held in New Zealand, and the England U17s are competing. They narrowly lose to North Korea in the semi-finals but still advance.
The England U20s compete in the FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup in Chile and lose to the USA in the quarterfinals.
The senior team from England has earned a spot in the 2009 UEFA Euro Finals, which will be held in Finland.
2009: In front of 23,291 spectators, Arsenal wins the Women’s FA Cup by defeating Sunderland 2-1 and the FA Women’s Premier League Cup Final against Doncaster Rovers Belles 5-0.
The senior English team won the Cyprus Cup after defeating Canada in the championship game.
The U19s won their UEFA Championship in Belarus, and England’s senior squad advanced to the UEFA Championship Final for the first time in 25 years before falling to Germany in Finland.
2010 saw Arsenal win the Premier League Cup and the Women’s FA Cup, but Leeds Carnegie won the league championship.
Mo Marley’s England U19 team made it to the UEFA Championship Final once more, falling just short of France in Macedonia.
The new “Women’s Super League” was going to debut the following spring, it was revealed.
2011: An innovative eight-team summer league called the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) was introduced in April. In the first game in Tooting, Arsenal defeated Chelsea 1-0 and went on to win the championship. In addition to their Women’s FA Cup victory, they also won the WSL Cup, often known as the “Continental Cup.”
The England Women’s team competed in the FIFA World Cup in Germany till the quarterfinal round before losing to France on penalties.
2012: The success of Team GB Women, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the London Olympics, increased interest in women’s football in England.
The English senior squad advanced to Euro 2013 undefeated, Birmingham won the FA Women’s Cup for the first time, and Arsenal maintained their FA WSL championship.
England was chosen to host the 2013–14 UEFA European Women’s U17 Championship Finals in March.