I was interviewed last week about my research and writing and managed to chat a bit about the Manchester Corinthians. The interview was with Lewis Connell on Tameside Radio and can be heard below. The interview starts after about 40 minutes:
Tag Archives: Margaret Whitworth
A Great Example of Community Initiatives: Recognising the Manchester Corinthian Ladies Football Team
We will be unveiling a blue plaque to the Manchester Corinthians on 6 October. The club toured the globe representing England and promoting female endeavour, football and Manchester and now, over 70 years after they were established, their achievements have helped generate significant improvements to a park and helped foster a great community spirit. Through the dedicated work of a group of volunteers, especially the Friends of Fog Lane Park, a blue plaque, two murals and other tributes telling the Corinthians story will be erected and revealed on Friday 6 October at noon.
We all know how our public parks, particularly in cities, often suffer vandalism and other anti social activity and through the Corinthians’ story he Friends of Fog Lane Park have changed the look of a vandalised building and have built on the good work they had already performed to make Fog Lane Park, Didsbury a safe, well used and popular park.
There’s so much to say but both the Friends of Fog Lane Park and the Corinthians deserve significant praise. In total over £6000 was raised for these tributes and this came from a large number of individuals as well as the FA, Manchester Council and the Corinthians’ old friends (and on the pitch rivals) Dick, Kerr Ladies (see below for names of those who made donations).
The Corinthians won major tournaments in Germany, Venezuela, France and elsewhere. They were the link team between the world renowned Dick, Kerr Ladies and the modern era, playing a significant role in football’s development. Often they played as England in these tournaments too, adding a bit of international significance in the days when formal England teams did not exist.
Another major achievement was that at formation of the Women’s Football Association not only was Gladys Aikin, the Corinthians’ manager, playing a key role but the club joined the WFA as two clubs – Corinthians and Nomads. This demonstrated their commitment to the long term development of the sport.
A year or so ago Will McTaggart, who hosted a number of football film shows with me in the years before Covid, alerted me to a clip that’s been found by the BBC of the Manchester Corinthians women’s team of the 1960s. This clip is from March 1965. You can watch it here:
As a reminder here’s more on the story to erect the plaque:
In 2019 I wrote an article for the Manchester Evening News on the women’s achievements and hoping for FA recognition and had meetings with a variety of local organisations about promoting the Corinthians further. Covid slowed everything down but then in 2021 I publicly announced for the first time the desire to have a plaque erected to the pioneering Manchester Corinthians. This was at a celebration evening at Hebden Bridge organised with Geoff Matthews. Our guests included several former Corinthians players and the mood of the audience was encouraging and supporting, which then led on to rekindling discussions with Manchester based bodies.
Support came from Manchester City Council and we discussed erecting a plaque at Fog Lane Park, the initial home of the Corinthians. In fact the women were based there for over twenty years. Via the council the Friends of Fog Lane Park came on board and we set up an appeal under their name, as custodians of the park. I wrote to contacts at the FA and elsewhere and within next to no time donations came flooding in from a variety of former players, family, friends, journalists and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation via Gail Newsham. It was gratifying to see so much support (a full list of those who donated appears below – thanks to you all!).
My discussions with the FA eventually resulted in them agreeing to fund the plaque, the unveiling and to support other tributes. This meant we’d reached our goal. The plaque is a reality and will be unveiled soon.
The Friends of Fog Lane Park managed to get matching funds from Manchester City Council too and so now, as well as the plaque and a lectern providing a Corinthians’ timeline, there will be two impressive murals painted by artist Gavin Renshaw.
On October 6 at noon the blue plaque will be unveiled with over twenty of the Manchester Corinthians present.
The club became Woodley Ladies in the 1980s before it ceased operation around 1989. A later club, founded by a former Corinthian, used the Corinthians name from formation, playing in Tameside.
If you appear on the following photos then please get in touch or if you played for the Corinthians at any point between 1949 and 1982 we’d love to hear from you. I’m also keen to track down more photographs and items of memorabilia associated with the team. Please email me at gary@GJFootballArchive.com or contact via this page: https://gjfootballarchive.com/contact/
Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting further stories about the Corinthians. Recently I was fortunate to interview a 90+ year old who played for the Corinthians from formation in 1949.
Those who have donated to the appeal to erect permanent tributes to the Corinthians include:
Pam Barnes, Dan Mooney, Adam Turgoose, ‘Ben’, ‘Jean J’, Jonathan Kaye, Megan Riley, Helena Byrne, Dawn Burrows, Clare Wilkins, Linda Foley, Debbie Enever, John Carrier, Jacqui McAssey, Michael Cottam, Karen Ohanco, David Hoyle, Daniel Rubin, Heidi James, Gary James and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation. There were also a small number of anonymous donations – thanks to all of you too. Everyone has contributed to this appeal. Please come along to the unveiling if you can.
Golf Buggy Needed: Manchester Corinthians Plaque Unveiling
Can you help? Do you have a golf buggy or access to one that could be used at Fog Lane Park on Friday 6 October to help transport a few people around the site at our Manchester Corinthians plaque unveiling? If you do then please let me know. You can contact me at:
Gary@GJFootballArchive.com
For background this is what we’re doing on that day…
I’m delighted to say that four years after I wrote an article hoping that football’s governing body ‘finally recognised the work of these pioneering Mancunian women’ we are now about to unveil a blue plaque to the Manchester Corinthians. The unveiling will take place at noon on Friday 6 October 2023 at Fog Lane Park, Didsbury, Manchester.
In 2019 I wrote an article for the Manchester Evening News on the women’s achievements and hoping for FA recognition and had meetings with a variety of local organisations about promoting the Corinthians further. Covid slowed everything down but then in 2021 I publicly announced for the first time the desire to have a plaque erected to the pioneering Manchester Corinthians. This was at a celebration evening at Hebden Bridge organised with Geoff Matthews. Our guests included several former Corinthians players and the mood of the audience was encouraging and supporting, which then led on to rekindling discussions with Manchester based bodies.
Support came from Manchester City Council and we discussed erecting a plaque at Fog Lane Park, the initial home of the Corinthians. In fact the women were based there for over twenty years. Via the council the Friends of Fog Lane Park came on board and we set up an appeal under their name, as custodians of the park. I wrote to contacts at the FA and elsewhere and within next to no time donations came flooding in from a variety of former players, family, friends, journalists and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation via Gail Newsham. It was gratifying to see so much support (a full list of those who donated appears below – thanks to you all!).
My discussions with the FA eventually resulted in them agreeing to fund the plaque, the unveiling and to support other tributes. This meant we’d reached our goal. The plaque is a reality and will be unveiled soon.
The Friends of Fog Lane Park managed to get matching funds from Manchester City Council too and so now, as well as the plaque and a lectern providing a Corinthians’ timeline, there will be two impressive murals painted by artist Gavin Renshaw.
On October 6 at noon the blue plaque will be unveiled with over twenty of the Manchester Corinthians present BUT we still want to track down more former players. Can you help?
Did you, your mum, sister, aunt, granny or other relative play for the club? We are particularly keen on tracking down women who played for the Corinthians at Fog Lane Park from 1949 (its formation) or with the club prior to 1982. The club became Woodley Ladies in the 1980s before it ceased operation around 1989. A later club, founded by a former Corinthian, used the Corinthians name from formation, playing in Tameside.
If you appear on the following photos then please get in touch or if you played for the Corinthians at any point between 1949 and 1982 we’d love to hear from you. I’m also keen to track down more photographs and items of memorabilia associated with the team. Please email me at gary@GJFootballArchive.com or contact via this page: https://gjfootballarchive.com/contact/
Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting further stories about the Corinthians. Last week I was fortunate to interview a 90+ year old who played for the Corinthians from formation in 1949.
Those who have donated to the appeal to erect permanent tributes to the Corinthians include:
Pam Barnes, Dan Mooney, Adam Turgoose, ‘Ben’, ‘Jean J’, Jonathan Kaye, Megan Riley, Helena Byrne, Dawn Burrows, Clare Wilkins, Linda Foley, Debbie Enever, John Carrier, Jacqui McAssey, Michael Cottam, Karen Ohanco, David Hoyle, Daniel Rubin, Heidi James, Gary James and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation. There were also a small number of anonymous donations – thanks to all of you too. Everyone has contributed to this appeal. Please come along to the unveiling if you can.
Manchester Corinthians Plaque Unveiling
I’m delighted to say that four years after I wrote an article hoping that football’s governing body ‘finally recognised the work of these pioneering Mancunian women’ we are now about to unveil a blue plaque to the Manchester Corinthians.
In 2019 I wrote an article for the Manchester Evening News on the women’s achievements and hoping for FA recognition and had meetings with a variety of local organisations about promoting the Corinthians further. Covid slowed everything down but then in 2021 I publicly announced for the first time the desire to have a plaque erected to the pioneering Manchester Corinthians. This was at a celebration evening at Hebden Bridge organised with Geoff Matthews. Our guests included several former Corinthians players and the mood of the audience was encouraging and supporting, which then led on to rekindling discussions with Manchester based bodies.
Support came from Manchester City Council and we discussed erecting a plaque at Fog Lane Park, the initial home of the Corinthians. In fact the women were based there for over twenty years. Via the council the Friends of Fog Lane Park came on board and we set up an appeal under their name, as custodians of the park. I wrote to contacts at the FA and elsewhere and within next to no time donations came flooding in from a variety of former players, family, friends, journalists and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation via Gail Newsham. It was gratifying to see so much support (a full list of those who donated appears below – thanks to you all!).
My discussions with the FA eventually resulted in them agreeing to fund the plaque, the unveiling and to support other tributes. This meant we’d reached our goal. The plaque is a reality and will be unveiled soon.
The Friends of Fog Lane Park managed to get matching funds from Manchester City Council too and so now, as well as the plaque and a lectern providing a Corinthians’ timeline, there will be two impressive murals painted by artist Gavin Renshaw.
On October 6 at noon the blue plaque will be unveiled with over twenty of the Manchester Corinthians present BUT we still want to track down more former players. Can you help?
Did you, your mum, sister, aunt, granny or other relative play for the club? We are particularly keen on tracking down women who played for the Corinthians at Fog Lane Park from 1949 (its formation) or with the club prior to 1982. The club became Woodley Ladies in the 1980s before it ceased operation around 1989. A later club, founded by a former Corinthian, used the Corinthians name from formation, playing in Tameside.
If you appear on the following photos then please get in touch or if you played for the Corinthians at any point between 1949 and 1982 we’d love to hear from you. I’m also keen to track down more photographs and items of memorabilia associated with the team. Please email me at gary@GJFootballArchive.com or contact via this page: https://gjfootballarchive.com/contact/
Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting further stories about the Corinthians. Last week I was fortunate to interview a 90+ year old who played for the Corinthians from formation in 1949.
Those who have donated to the appeal to erect permanent tributes to the Corinthians include:
Pam Barnes, Dan Mooney, Adam Turgoose, ‘Ben’, ‘Jean J’, Jonathan Kaye, Megan Riley, Helena Byrne, Dawn Burrows, Clare Wilkins, Linda Foley, Debbie Enever, John Carrier, Jacqui McAssey, Michael Cottam, Karen Ohanco, David Hoyle, Daniel Rubin, Heidi James, Gary James and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation. There were also a small number of anonymous donations – thanks to all of you too. Everyone has contributed to this appeal. Please come along to the unveiling if you can.
Manchester Corinthians
Last night I did a talk at a branch of the Women’s Institute on the incredible story of the women’s team, the Manchester Corinthians, and our quest to have a plaque erected to them. There were lots of great questions and it was a really nice event. Thanks to all those involved.
The story of the Corinthians is an inspiring one and I was delighted to explain the history of the club and why I am so determined to have tributes to them erected. I also explained about the work the Friends of Fog Lane Park are doing too to recognise the women.
There are stories on this website about the Corinthians (follow the links below) but I am delighted to say that last year we received funding from a major source to erect a plaque and, thanks to the donations of many others (including the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation), there will be other tributes. The Friends of Fog Lane Park are playing a key role in identifying other ways of recognising the Corinthians.
I’ve been wanting to explain about the support for some time but I am still unable to publicly say who the major funder is – that will come soon – but if all goes as planned we should be able to have an event late this summer to recognise the women and unveil the plaque. Watch this space for details!
If you or a relative played for the Manchester Corinthians or Manchester Nomads (sister club) then please get in touch with me. I’m keen to track down as many women involved as possible so that they can all share in the celebration. In addition, in 2024 I will be publishing the Authorised History of the Corinthians. It would be great to include as many women in that as possible. More on the book here:
It is still possible to donate to the Just Giving page (follow Manchester Corinthians Plaque link below) and all funds raised will be used to develop further tributes to the Corinthians at Fog Lane Park.
Also, if you are interested in a talk on the history of this pioneering club and the women involved then please get in touch. I’d be happy to speak at other Women’s Institute groups, Probus, Rotary, Rotaract, history groups and others. It’s always a good night (and last night there was some nice tea and cake too!).
Manchester City and Women’s Football Before and During the FA Ban
December 5 each year marks the anniversary of a FA decision that was to have an impact for decades, many would argue that the effects of it are still being felt today. On December 5 1921 the FA leaders decided to ban women’s football from FA affiliated grounds. This ban was to remain in place for almost fifty years and stifled the development of the women’s game. Here’s a feature on the connections between Manchester City and the women who played before and during the ban.
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Rare Film of Manchester Women’s Football
Will McTaggart, who hosted a number of football film shows with me in the years before Covid, has alerted me to a new clip that’s been found by the BBC of the Manchester Corinthians women’s team of the 1960s. The Corinthians played from 1949 until the late 1980s (see elsewhere on this site for their story) and this clip is from March 1965. You can watch it here:
I’ve been researching and writing about the Manchester Corinthians and women’s football for many years (in fact my first book published in 1989 included material on the first games of Manchester City’s women’s team and I attended their matches back then). I’m currently working with the Corinthians and others to erect permanent tributes to them at Fog Lane Park which can be seen in this film.
Manchester Corinthians Plaque
I promised an update on the plan we’ve been putting together to have a plaque erected to the Manchester Corinthians – a pioneering women’s team that was established in the 1940s and promoted football, Manchester and female endeavour across the world over the following four decades. Today we had a progress meeting which was attended by representatives from Manchester City Council, the Friends of Fog Lane Park, myself and, most importantly, Janice Lyons, Margaret Shepherd and Margaret Whitworth from the Corinthians.
The meeting went exceptionally well and we discussed the plans for the erection of a plaque and further recognition to highlight the Corinthians history and significance. It was extremely positive and the support and enthusiasm from Manchester City Council and the Friends of Fog Lane was great to see.
It is clear we will need to raise some funds to achieve all we want to achieve. Hopefully, we’ll be able to formally announce fundraising plans in June. Watch this space.
Everyone agreed that the Manchester Corinthians’ history needs celebrating at Fog Lane Park. Why Fog Lane? This was the site of their training ground and home for many, many years with their old pitch located close to the former home of Percy Ashley, the founder, which is still clearly visible today from the park.
In 2024 I will be publishing the Authorised History of the Corinthians and you can read about that here:
If you’d like to find out more about the Corinthians then please use the category link below or search my site for more details. I’ve also written various other articles for the Manchester Evening News, When Saturday Comes, the Manchester FA and She Kicks. Some of these are linked to here:
https://www.manchesterfa.com/news/2020/mar/08/manchester-corinthians-ladies
There’s also this article I co-wrote on the FA’s ban of women’s football which also mentions Corinthians:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17460263.2021.2025415
#FABan Manchester Corinthians
At the start of December 2021 together with Geoff Matthews I staged a talk at Hebden Bridge on the FA ban of women’s football. It was a wonderful night and lots of attendees asked about the future and what they could do to help promote the stories of the women who played at a time when the FA tried to kill female participation in the sport. Well, today I want to talk about recognising the Manchester Corinthians.
As part of my longstanding project into female participation and involvement in football in Manchester I have been researching a variety of teams, including the original Manchester United and Manchester City teams, and these will form part of a book that I will eventually produce (it’ll be a while before I can develop this in the way I want). The book will be of a similar scope to my Manchester A Football History on men’s football.
One of the key teams in Manchester’s football history is Manchester Corinthian Ladies. The team existed from the 1940s into the 1980s (some of their story appears in my book on Manchester City Women as several of their late 1970s players played for City in its inaugural season).
A lot has been written on the Corinthians (see the section on women’s football on this site for a few examples) but not nearly enough, plus there are some inaccuracies out there that need to be corrected. Basically, this team possessed a talented group of players who toured Europe and South America promoting football, female endeavour and Manchester.
I talked quite a bit about Corinthians at Hebden Bridge and we were fortunate to have three Corinthians as guests that night. Margaret Whitworth, Margaret Shepherd and Lesley Wright between them covered every season of the club’s life from the 1950s through to its demise (maybe next time we’ll get one of the players from the 1940s too).
What became clear was that we need to recognise these players further. on the night I mentioned my idea of having a plaque erected for the Corinthians in a significant/related location in Manchester. Several members of the audience thought this was a wonderful idea and asked if they could support the wider promotion of the Corinthians.
Previously I’d written an article in the Manchester City men’s match programme about the Corinthians and highlighted my desire to get a plaque erected about their achievements.
Since that night I have written to appropriate people at Manchester City Council about the Corinthians and the idea, suggesting a location and asking what we need to do. I’m still awaiting a reply sadly but I will be pursuing this again soon. If possible it would be great if anyone who can help make this happen gets in touch.
Those present at Hebden Bridge – and anyone else reading this – can help by raising the topic with Manchester City Council or any other body you feel can help. Manchester has plaques connected with men’s football but nothing highlighting the incredible achievements of its female footballers. Those women represented Manchester and England in a positive manner and won trophies in South America for example before either men’s club represented the city there. They also won a significant European competition before either men’s team yet their achievements are not recognised by the city.
With the women’s Euros being in England (and various sites in Greater Manchester) this year I would love to do talks and other events in Manchester celebrating the Corinthians and Manchester’s other teams. The event at Hebden Bridge was free to attend and was made possible by the support of a locally based business. We felt it was vital we made this free to attend to spread the word.
If anyone runs a key Manchester venue and would like a Corinthians celebration event then please get in touch. The more we can do to promote their story the better. In 2024 I will be publishing the Authorised History of the club and you can read about that here:
Thanks for reading this. If you would like to find out more about the Corinthians then follow the tabs on this site or use the search function. If you’d like to know more about the FA Ban then you can download for free an article I’ve recently co-written here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17460263.2021.2025415
Copies of my book on Manchester City Women are still available. This tells the history of City Women via the voices of the women (and some men) involved. The book has been heralded as a model for oral histories by the Oral History Society.
Here’s a link you can follow to order a signed copy of the City Women book:
Here’s the Oral History Society review:
Watch this space for more on the Corinthians and women’s football over the coming months. Thanks – now use the tabs and search to learn more on women’s football in Manchester. Ta!
#FA Ban – Tonight’s Show
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s ‘No Man Could Stop Us!’ show at Hebden Bridge Town Hall. If you are coming then feel free to use the hashtag #FABan when mentioning it on social media. We have some excellent guests and I’ll be highlighting the history of women’s football from the nineteenth century through to the 1921 FA ban. I’ll then explain what happened to the sport over the following 50 years, until it was officially lifted in January 1970. We’ll be hearing from players who had lengthy careers with Manchester Corinthians, Manchester City, Manchester United, Redstar, Bronte, Doncaster Belles and England. It promises to be an excellent night.
Late next week I’ll post an article here on the evening’s events for those unable to make it. The evening has been sponsored by Geoff Matthews and his company Cansquared – thank you for all your support and enthusiasm.
Gary James' Football Archive 