Four years ago I worked on a project for the Women’s Euros capturing the stories of women who played football in the Trafford area. This included several Corinthians and other women who played in local football. Even if you’re not particularly interested in Trafford it’d be worth having a look at this to get a feel for the stories of these players and clubs.
I worked on a temporary basis with Trafford to capture the stories of women, teams & more, while also staging a few events and researching the history of women’s football within Trafford. My time with the project was a great experience. I managed to interview women who played football either for Trafford based clubs or women who are from Trafford who played for teams outside the borough. There were also interviews with women who played significant games in Trafford and those videod are free to view via the name tabs to the right on the following website. This website was set up to tell the stories and we’ve posted a few of those covering teams, games & players. Take a look here at the ones posted:
Audio interviews were performed with a variety of former players of teams such as Sale United, Trafford Ladies, Manchester Corinthians, Manchester United, Manchester City, FC Redstar, England and the Merseyside club Leasowe Pacific who won the FA Cup in 1989 at Old Trafford.
We also held a session where young girls from Sale United met with former Corinthians, City & United players to talk about their careers and compare experiences.
I staged a talk at the National Football Museum on the History of Women’s Football with particular emphasis on the experiences and landmark moments of Trafford & Manchester’s women footballers. Jan Lyons of Manchester Corinthians & Juventus and Lesley Wright of Manchester Corinthians & Manchester City participated in a panel discussion too with some great questions from the audience.
Photo by Rachel Adams for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Arts and Heritage programme
An exhibition, including objects such as a 1958 Manchester Corinthians shirt and boots signed by Steph Houghton, was staged at the archives centre at Sale.
Displays around Old Trafford were also set up with the national history of women’s football appearing alongside Trafford bespoke monoliths close to Hotel Football and the Old Trafford Stadium.
Photo by Rachel Adams for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Arts and Heritage programme
There were also postboxes decorated with knitted women footballers that were produced by the local knitting groups as part of the project.
Finally, I’m still capturing the stories of women’s football in Manchester as a whole and last week I did my latest interview with a Corinthian. Over 50 were interviewed for the Authorised History book and I continue to record and document their story using interviews, archival material and other research to capture the facts not the fiction of their existence.
My aim, as always, is to ensure stories of Manchester’s football history is captured for future generations.
Research by Dr Gary James led to the history of women’s football in Trafford being documented as part of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Arts and Heritage programme
For International Women’s Day last year I staged a talk on this date (5 March) last year on the Manchester Corinthians at Manchester Central Library. It was a great night and wonderful once again to hear so many interested in the story. The addition of Corinthians in the audience added to the event. They truly are remarkable women and there are so many angles to this wonderful football team that toured the globe between 1948 (yes, 1948 and not 1949 as often reported) and 1992. This talk was one of many events I’ve performed over the last decade or so in which I discuss the Corinthians. You can find details about some of the others elsewhere on the site. For those who want to find out more…
Firstly, Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. This non profit book (every penny is used to stage events for the Corinthians and to further fund talks etc.) 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).
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
Next, here’s the wonderful 18 minute film put together by Imprint Films on the Corinthians. It includes brief interviews with a small group of the women I interviewed (I’ve interviewed over 50 Corinthians for the book and self funded project, including three women who played in the first season of 1948-49) plus I help to explain why they are so significant.
Had another enjoyable day today catching up with a couple of Manchester Corinthians Ladies FC players (2 of over 50 interviewed for the book). One had tracked down a couple of missing trophies won by the Corinthians – one of these was the first league title won by the club. More on this soon.
There’s plenty of articles and features on the Corinthians here of course. I’ve known some of the Corinthians for almost 40 years (my wife played with some former Corinthians) and both my brother and sister were taught by another at secondary school.
Great to see the Corinthians’ stories are spreading at the moment and look forward to further stuff over the coming months. If anyone wants to know anything about this incredible club, established in 1948-49 and playing on for over 40 years, then please get in touch. I’ve interviewed over 50 Corinthians as part of a decade long project which has resulted in blue plaques, media attention, documentaries (UK & South America) and of course the Authorised History book. If you know little about this team then take a look at the following:
Firstly, the book: Over 50 Corinthians interviewed covering every season with three players from 1948-49 covered, as well as women who were there right at the end. Hundreds of images and much more. See:
Next… The video aimed at South American audiences and Portuguese speakers (I’ve been working with Luis for some time on this as I knew he could help get the Corinthians‘ story out in South America). Obviously it’s aimed at Brazil rather than Venezuela but this is great coverage. Here’s a link to the Portuguese language film he’s done here too:
The latest Corinthian article and video has been produced. This one is aimed at South American audiences and Portuguese speakers. I’ve been working with Luis for some time on this as I knew he could help get the Corinthians‘ story out in South America. Obviously it’s aimed at Brazil rather than Venezuela but this is great coverage. His article was picked up by a national media company and can be read here. Also, there’s a link to the Portuguese language film he’s done here too:
Great coverage and already he’s been getting interest from Brazilians who had no idea. Hopefully, the news will spread further in South America. Thanks again to all that have helped with getting the stories out there.
A year ago today (2 December 2024) we had a wonderful celebration for the Manchester Corinthians – the incredible women’s team that toured the globe promoting football, Manchester and female endeavour. There were players there from every era of the Club’s existence with many in their 80s and 90s. It was a great celebration. Here are a few video clips and photos of what was a truly special day.
We’ll start with my welcome speech, which I hope explains the significance of the Corinthians to those who don’t know much about their story. I also welcomed a room of around 90 people…
Next two Corinthians who have been consistent promoters and advocates for the club over the years (decades, actually!): Margaret Shepherd and Anne Grimes. Margaret starts with thanks for the efforts to promote their story and then Anne reads her poem about legendary Manager Percy Ashley. Well worth listening to:
And now a special video. It starts with 90 year old Mary Bee speaking after receiving her copy of the Armstrong Projects North West Football Awards 2024 Special Recognition Award and ends with the Corinthians singing their anthem. An absolute must see!
A few key points from the reunion:
Players from Manchester Corinthian Ladies Football Club held a reunion on Monday 2 December to mark over 75 years since their club was established
Players from every era of the club attended, many in their 80s and 90s!
The reunion was held at Manchester City’s Stadium, where around 90 people gathered, with the majority being former players
Many players had not met since their playing days, in some cases for over sixty years
There were also video calls to founding players (1948-49) in North Devon and the Unites States
The reunion allowed former players to celebrate success at the Armstrong Projects Northwest Football Awards 2024 where they were presented with the Special Recognition Award for Services to Women’s Football. A similar award has since been made at the Manchester Sports Awards 2025.
A month after the reunion the club’s Authorised History was published, telling the incredible stories of these remarkable women. Copies available via Amazon and other bookshops, plus copies can be ordered direct from me on this website.
This was the media release for the event:
Women from the pioneering women’s football team Manchester Corinthians held a reunion at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Monday (2 December 2024). In attendance were over 80 people, including over forty women who played for the club between 1948-49 and its final days over forty years later.
Several players in attendance were in their 80s and 90s, playing for the club in its formative years. This included women who participated in trophy winning tours across Europe and South America during the fifties, sixties and seventies.
North West Football Awards 2024 ball signed by Manchester Corinthians at the reunion
The Corinthians raised significant amounts of money for charity during their existence, while also promoting football and female endeavour at a time when participation in the sport was often frowned upon.
During the 1950s, playing as an unofficial England side, the Corinthians won a major European tournament in Germany and were supported on their travels by legendary Manchester City men’s goalkeeper Bert Trautmann.
In 1960 they found success in an unofficial ‘World Cup’ (officially the first ‘Torneo Internacional De Futbol Femenino’) in Venezuela as part of a significant tour of the West Indies and South America. Former player (outside right) Margaret Whitworth, who was present at the reunion, remembers: ‘We were treated like film stars. There were crowds everywhere we went. Playing in front of 56,000 was thrilling and the way women’s football was treated was so different to how it was back in England at the time. Here we had to play on park pitches or at other sports grounds, but there we played in major football stadiums.’
The reunion was organised by Dr Gary James who has been researching and promoting the Corinthians’ story for a decade. In recent years he led the project to erect a blue plaque to the team and later this month his book on the club, Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History, will be published. For the first time it tells the story of the club from formation through to its final game. Many of the Corinthians present at the reunion have been interviewed for the book, which is destined to become the definitive story of the club. Their achievements deserve this recognition. More on the book here: https://gjfootballarchive.com/order-manchester-corinthians-book/
Organiser Gary James, a Research Professor at New York University, commented: ‘This remarkable football club gave opportunities for women to play at a time when women’s football was banned by the FA. They toured the world but, more importantly, they played a part in developing women’s football for over forty years. Their players and officials created competition and helped to change the way women’s football was governed. Some of their players are still coaching and developing teams today. For several years I’ve wanted to help them gain recognition, not simply for one high profile moment, but for over seventy years of activity. The reunion was my thank you to all of them for what they achieved for football and Manchester.’
During the late 1960s the club’s management played a leading role in the creation of the Women’s Football Association. Both the Corinthians and their sister club the Nomads were founder members, and their manager Gladys Aikin became a member of the governing body’s committee. In fact, Gladys oversaw the Women’s FA international committee which instigated the first official England international team in 1972. Corinthian Jean Wilson played in the historic first official international and she was present on Monday too. Gladys’s daughter Carol, a former goalkeeper with the Corinthians and a Women’s FA Cup winner with Fodens, was present at the reunion as memories of Gladys’s time were discussed.
Those attending the reunion talked fondly of the club’s original manager Percy Ashley, who was the driving force when the Corinthians toured the globe, winning tournaments and raising significant amounts for charity. After his death in 1967, the Corinthians continued to play and former players present on Monday remembered how, in the 1970s, they were frequently coached by the Manchester City 1956 FA Cup winner Dave Ewing at City’s Platt Lane training complex.
Many of the Corinthians present went on to become players with Manchester City’s women’s team during its inaugural season of 1988-89. This includes Lesley Wright who continues to find success as the England Over 60s walking football captain. She also coaches women’s football at Stockport County, continuing the Corinthian influence through to the modern day development of the sport.
About Manchester Corinthian Ladies Football Club
Manchester Corinthian Ladies FC was an English football club founded during 1948-49. Its driving force was manager Percy Ashley. At this time the FA ban on women’s football using FA affiliated grounds was in place (from 1921; lifted in 1970). During the inaugural seasons the Corinthians played friendlies and in small scale competitions in the UK, but during the mid to late 1950s they embarked on a series of European tours.
Their fame grew and they received invites to play across Europe, in Africa and in South America. Occasionally playing as an unofficial England side in tournaments (these were the days before there was an official England team), they found success often, becoming the most successful women’s team by some distance.
Under the management of Percy Ashley, followed by Gladys Aikin and then George Aikin, the Corinthians were important representatives of women’s football, both internationally and domestically, always contributing to the game’s growth and development.
The club spawned sister clubs, including Dynamo Ladies and the Nomads, who were also successful and often accompanied the Corinthians on tour and in competition. Both the Corinthians and Nomads became founder members of the Women’s Football Association.
Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History
This book 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 order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging).
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 is UK only at £25 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.
Wednesday (26 November) saw the Manchester City Women Supporters Club celebrate their tenth anniversary with a special event at the City Football Academy. Both myself and my wife Heidi were guests (Heidi was a player with the original City Ladies and scored two goals in their inaugural match in November 1988), as were a few other players from the early years, founding manager Neil Mather and Steph Houghton (the extraordinary captain of the Club during the last decade or so). It was a great night.
The Supporters Club have created a great atmosphere at City Women games and they’ve been wonderful promoters for women’s football, not simply City. They deserve recognition and it was great to be there and help pay tribute to the fans. I was asked to say a few words and in my speech I made reference to the fact that back in 2014/2015 City made several important signings such as Steph, Jill Scott & Karen Bardsley, but it’s often overlooked that another major decision made at that time was to ask Blandie to establish a Supporters Club. Jayne, Dave, Jude, Dave & others helped direct the supporters club and the group grew over the decade that followed. They established a tone and atmosphere for supporting City Women that ensures this is a welcoming space. Over the last decade the Supporters Club has contributed significantly and is recognised by others at the FA and at other clubs for ensuring a positive mood and feeling for both City and their opponents.
They’ve also supported various non-City initiatives such as welcoming the Manchester Corinthians (see images below) and attending events connected with the Corinthians too.
I thought it was fitting too that last night, in the middle of the celebrations time and space was found by the committee to remember members from this first decade who are sadly no longer with us.
Thanks to all the committee and members for all you do. Here’s to the next decade.
There are some official photos from the anniversary event here:
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:
For any Manchester City fans interested I’ll be the guest at the Hattersley & Mottram branch of the City Supporters Club on Wednesday 12 November. On the night I’ll talk about City of course and my writing. No doubt we’ll also chat about Ricky Hatton and also the Manchester Corinthians. It starts at 7.30pm at Mottram CC. I’ll make sure I have a few copies of my books on Peter Barnes, Joe Mercer and the Corinthians available at discounted prices if anyone wants one. Thanks to Anthony and all at the branch for inviting me.
I’m delighted to say that in addition to Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History (published at the start of the year, see below) and Histories of Women’s Football in Britain and Ireland (published last month) I’ve written a feature for another book which mentions the Corinthians. The book tells the story of football (focusing on England) in 100 objects. I’ve written a few of the features for this National Football Museum book (alongside Marek, Alex & Wiebke from the museum) and one of these is on Margaret Shepherd’s Corinthians shirt. The shirt is currently on display at the museum too.
This feature, together with mentions by myself and others in the Histories book and the Authorised History, helps spread the word about these remarkable women.
Some of you are aware of my obsession to document and promote the history of women’s football in Manchester over the last decade, but for those uncertain I’d like to post a few links and bits of information here on the remarkable stories of the Manchester Corinthians who, before the men’s teams of City & United, found international success.
Some of the Friends of Fog Lane Park at the last meeting before the Corinthians plaque unveiling
Dorothy Alcock, Manchester Corinthian from formation in 1949
Margaret Whitworth with the Manchester Corinthians blue plaque
Washing in the duck pond, Manchester Corinthians by Artist Gavin Renshaw
Some of the trophies won by the Manchester Corinthians
Over the last decade I’ve been interviewing women who played football in Manchester, or for Manchester based teams, during the 1940s to modern years. This includes Maureen Charlton, Dorothy Allcock and Flo Cloake (who played in the 1940s & 50s) and players like Steph Houghton, Karen Bardsley and Jill Scott (who of course played in more recent times). For me the stories of all are inspiring but it is those who played for the Corinthians that I’m most keen to promote at the moment. These women played prominent roles in football’s development and some are still contributing significantly today.
In 2021 the blue plaque appeal was launched to recognise the Corinthians and elsewhere on my site you can read about the success of that and the unveiling in 2023. In addition in December 2024 I staged a reunion where over 90 attended (most Corinthians with some in their 90s). You can watch scenes from that here:
I gave a speech explaining why the Corinthians matter that day:
There were some wonderful words from Margaret Shepherd which I am truly grateful for. Margaret has been one of the key figures promoting the club’s endeavours and she certainly inspired me during my research:
We’ve also inspired Imprint Films to put together this 18 minute overview of the Corinthians’ story, including interviews with some of the players:
Of course there is the book too and I’m absolutely delighted with this from Matt Williams, a longlist judge for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2025 award. He has posted the following video about the Manchester Corinthians book as his ‘What are we reading this week?’ post on social media. It really does please me and demonstrates why I’ve been so keen to get the Corinthians story out there. The book hasn’t won any prize but the comments mean a lot to me.
For those interested Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages. Getting it into Manchester bookshops, particularly Waterstones, is proving difficult so if there’s anyone reading this who can help please get in touch. We can organise events if that helps?
Thanks to everyone who has helped so far to promote the Corinthians and their stories. We still need to bang the drum so please do all you can to spread the word on this remarkable team. If you need more info then there’s lots on this website, just search Corinthians. There’s also the books of course….
The Authorised History 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.
Gary James' Football Archive 