Tag Archives: Toni Duggan

Manchester City Women: The 1st WSL Goal and Win

A crowd of 829 attended Manchester City Women’s WSL game away against Arsenal on this day (18 May) in 2014. This was a historic day as City not only scored their first goal in the WSL but they also defeated Arsenal. The historic goal was scored by Toni Duggan in the 11th minute and the match ended 1-0. The photo is of Duggan (far right) with Neil Mather (the original manager of Manchester City’s women’s team when founded in 1988) and Debbie Darbyshire (who played in the club’s historic first game back in 1988).

If you’re interested in the history of women’s football then you may be interested in my Authorised History of the Manchester Corinthians. You can get your name in the second edition if you subscribe to it here. All subscribers will get a copy of the second edition book (posted out before it appears in the shops) and your name will be included in a special roll of honour published within the book if ordered before publication:

UK ONLY – Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History (second edition)

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This is UK only at £19.95 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs. This revised and updated second edition will be a paperback edition and contain more pages than the first edition.

£19.95

Opportunities to buy multiple copies, sponsor the book or donate to ensure it’s published to the size and standard the women who played deserve exist. Please email Gary@GJFootballArchive.com for more information on those opportunities.

This book is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and will consist of over 360 pages. It will be fully illustrated throughout and subscribers can order it now for £19.95 (including UK postage and packaging). All orders received before publication will have the purchaser’s name included within the special roll of honour at the back of the book. You can order the book for someone else – all details will be checked and confirmed before publication.

The book will be published this October (2026).

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.

Manchester Corinthian Ladies FC Recognition @ The Women’s Football Awards 2026

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:

A Wonderful Celebration

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:

https://gjfootballarchive.com/category/manchester-corinthians/