England’s Lionesses reach the World Cup final
The team has become a game-changer for domestic football
WHEN CAROL THOMAS started playing the game, aged 11, she had no idea the Football Association (fa) did not allow women on its pitches. A ban imposed in 1921 because football was deemed “quite unsuitable for females” remained until 1970. Ms Thomas flourished and became captain of England, but she had to pay for her own travel, including internationally. Her team expected, and got, no media coverage. Gillian Coultard, a former teammate who played in the 1995 World Cup, has described the female footballers of the 1980s and 1990s as the “silent generation”.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Lionesses of the future”
Britain August 19th 2023
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