Last Monday was a special night when a book I’ve co-edited with Fiona Skillen and Helena Byrne was launched at the Embassy of Ireland in London. We were absolutely delighted with the evening and support we received from the Embassy. I’ve been fortunate to have my books launched in some pretty spectacular venues over the years, this was the first time any of my books have been launched at an embassy. In fact, it’s the first time I can recall ever being in an embassy.
The book we launched was ‘Histories of Women’s Football in Britain and Ireland’ and the launch was attended by academics, researchers, historians, practitioners, international footballers and many others who have helped us along the way. The whole event was hosted by the Embassy and we were delighted that Orla McBreen, the Deputy Head of Mission, was so interested in the book. Both Orla and the rest of the Embassy team, made us feel so welcome and Orla introduced us with a nice speech too. Thanks for that.
Orla said: ‘The book turns our attention to an area of history that has too often been overlooked. By tracing both regional and national developments, and by spotlighting the work of historians, heritage practitioners, artists, and documentary makers, this volume shows how academic research can travel beyond archives into public spaces, shaping attitudes, inspiring communities, and ensuring that the struggles and achievements of women in football are preserved.’
After Orla’s speech came a panel discussion between myself, Fiona and Helena and then we opened up the discussion to questions from the audience. Over 100 people attended and the whole event was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many former players and administrators there and to have key representatives from organisations such as the Irish FA (Northern Ireland) and the FA, as well as officials from the Embassy of Ireland of course.
I’d like to say special thanks to Helena Byrne who, on behalf of all the authors and editors, put so much effort into making this launch happen at the Embassy. I’d also like to thank everybody at the Embassy for their efforts and support. It really is appreciated and was a special night.
The book is the culmination of several years work and includes the following chapters (author names in brackets after each chapter):
Setting the Scene: The Origins Story of Women’s Football in Scotland (Richard McBrearty)
The First Tour of Women’s Association Football – 1881 (Stuart Gibbs)
Women’s Football in Wales, 1890–1950 (Craig Owen Jones)
‘Testimonial to Mrs Walter Scott’: A Brief History of Diana Scott (Alexander Jackson)
Excommunicating the Women’s Game: The English FA’s 1921 Ban Revisited (Dilwyn Porter)
The Media Framing of Women’s Football in Wales During the English FA’s 1921–1970 Ban (Beth G. Clarkson, Keith D. Parry, Rafaelle Nicholson and Alice Hunter)
‘Proving themselves no mean experts at the game’: Women’s Football in Scotland, 1914–1921 (Fiona Skillen)
The Development of Women’s Football in Trafford (Gary James)
A Hollow Victory: Exploring the Limited Impact of the Removal of Formal Restrictions on Women’s Football in Scotland on the Development of the Women’s Game in the 1970s and 1980s (Karen Fraser)
Surviving or Thriving? Women’s Football in 1970s Northern Ireland (Conor Heffernan)
The Development of Women’s Soccer in Dublin (Conor Curran)
The Trailblazers – Organised Women’s Football in the Interwar Period (Helge Faller)
The Dick, Kerr Ladies from Paris and Sydney: Globalisation the Image and Influence of British Women’s Football Overseas (Keith Rathbone)
Game Changer: Looking Back on the First UEFA Competition for Women (Helena Byrne)
Winning Working Women – the Story of Sweet F.A. (Paul Beeson)
The Representation of Women Within the Scottish Football Museum (Demi Boyd)
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Heritage Programme: A Case Study (Caterina Loriggio)
From Pitch to Screen – PurpleTV’s Documentary Films on Women in Scottish Football (Margot McCuaig)
The publishing blurb says: ‘This book brings together a range of researchers to explore the growth and development of the women’s game in Britain and Ireland. They are active across a diverse range of fields, from historians and heritage practitioners, to those from the arts such as playwrights and documentary directors. This edited collection draws together both regional and national studies to provide a more nuanced understanding of the history of the women’s game in Britain and Ireland than has been possible before. Chapters in this book explore new findings around the development of key teams, players, and organisations, and in doing so enrich the historiography of the game.
‘Often books on the history of football have taken a narrative approach focusing only on the research findings or ‘story’. This is of course important, but in this book the editors also wanted to reflect the ways in which research into the history of women’s football has been shared and explored within a range of spaces and communities. There is a huge untapped audience who want to engage with the history of the sport. By reflecting on previous arts/heritage-based projects we can explore new avenues regarding how academic research can be made accessible to the general public and in turn how arts/ heritage-based projects can inform academic research.’
The book has been published by academic publisher Peter Lang and is, inevitably, priced accordingly. If you’d like to read the book then I’d encourage you to ask your local library or archive to stock a copy. Thanks
