A year ago today (4 May 2025) we managed to take a small group of Manchester Corinthians to the WSL Manchester Derby at Old Trafford as guests of United. They were taken pitchside and also had seats in the Directors Box. Players from the 50s to 90s were there, such as Linda Hallam, who scored the only goal against Juventus when the team won a major tournament in 1970. Margaret Whitworth, who participated in the tour of South America was also one of our party. Others, like Wendy Crossland, had been significant players during the club’s first league successes – back when the Corinthians became champions of the highest league available to them. Here are a few photos from the day, plus images of the match programme article I wrote for United. It talks about the full history of the club of course and mentions Maureen Charlton, one of three original players in 1948 (yes, 1948 not 1949 as is often claimed), who I interviewed for the book:
You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of over 350 pages. It is illustrated throughout and you can find out more here:
I’m absolutely delighted to say the the incredible Manchester Corinthians will be honoured with recognition at the Women’s Football Awards on Thursday 7 May 2026. This is wonderful news and follows a special recognition award at the Manchester Sports Awards 2025, a lifetime achievement award at the North West Football Awards 2024 and even the Blue Plaque appeal was shortlisted at the This Is Manchester Awards 2024.
All of these awards help to ensure the Corinthians’ legacy will never be forgotten. The Women’s Football Award is special as it’s really important to remember the women who were there at the start of the club (including three special women who helped establish the club), those who played and those Corinthian women who played their part in the establishment of the Women’s FA, regional competition and also the establishment of the England Women international team. There are still Corinthians today contributing to coaching women and girls and also playing walking football. All deserve remembering and celebrating.
Former Manchester City and England footballer Toni Duggan (photographed below with Debbie Darbyshire and Kate Themen, two players with Manchester City at that club’s formation in 1988) recognises the significance of these women: ‘As an England women national football team player, you know you’re part of something bigger. But this wouldn’t have been possible for me or any of my former teammates without the likes of Manchester Corinthians. They are the reason that we are here today. Their courage and love for the beautiful game has paved the way for generations of players like me – it is an honour to see their story celebrated.’
A year ago this week several Corinthians were guests of Liverpool FC for a wonderful day (see images below) when they met the Liverpool women’s team and watched training. The former Liverpool FC men’s team player Jamie Carragher has commented this week: ‘The Women’s Football Awards will be celebrating a group of fearless pioneers who refused to accept the limits placed upon them. The Manchester Corinthians didn’t just play football – they changed it forever. Their legacy is present in every girl and woman who plays football today.
The Corinthians are wonderful people who toured the globe promoting Manchester, football and female endeavour over a forty year period.
In 2024 around ninety former players/families of former players were brought together for a reunion at the Etihad Stadium. You can find out more about the Corinthians and watch moments from their reunion, when they sang their club song, here:
Congratulations to all the Corinthians and thanks to the Women’s Football Awards for this latest recognition.
If you want to find out more about these remarkable women then there are lots of articles on this website mentioning the Corinthians. Here’s a link to everything tagged Manchester Corinthians:
I’m absolutely delighted to say the the incredible Manchester Corinthians have been honoured with a special recognition award at the Manchester Sports Awards 2025. Special thanks are due to Paul Hulme at MCRActive for all his efforts in making this happen. Paul has been a great supporter of all we have tried to do to recognise and promote the Corinthians’ stories over the last five years or so. He was extremely helpful when we established the Blue Plaque campaign a few years back and I know he put a lot of effort into making this award happen too.
The Corinthians are wonderful people who toured the globe promoting Manchester, football and female endeavour over a forty year period. I was sat with Corinthians who had played for the club in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. I was particularly pleased for Margaret Whitworth, Margaret Shepherd and Jan Lyons, who had worked hard over many years to get the stories of the club listened to and worked with me to get the Blue Plaque campaign established.
Altogether we managed to get 14 Corinthians at the event tonight (15 November 2025) – a fraction of the number we’ve found during my project to capture the stories of Corinthians from every season of the club’s history. Over 50 Corinthians have been interviewed by me and in December last year my wife Heidi (who played with some former Corinthians at Manchester City in the 80s and 90s) and I managed to get eighty former players/families of former players together for a Reunion at the Etihad Stadium. It was great to see them catch-up with each other.
You can find out more about the Corinthians and watch moments from their reunion, when they sang their club song, here:
A small group of Manchester Corinthians were invited to attend the WSL Manchester Derby today at Old Trafford. They were taken pitchside and also had seats in the Directors Box. Players from the 50s to 90s were there, such as Margaret Whitworth, who participated in major trophy winning successes for the club in Venezuela and France. Others, like Wendy Crossland, had been significant players during the club’s first league successes – back when the Corinthians became champions of the highest league available to them. Here are a few photos from the day, plus images of the match programme article:
You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages.
It is illustrated throughout and you can order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging). I’ll sign all copies ordered direct from me below.
If you live outside the UK then please contact for details of additional postage costs.
You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button above and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.
UK ONLY – Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History
The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This will be published in late December 2024. This is UK only at £25 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.
£25.00
Some photos from when a group of Corinthians visited LFC’s Melwood a few days ago:
Gary James' Football Archive 