Unofficial to Unstoppable: The Lionesses' Story

Unofficial to Unstoppable: The Lionesses' Story

The England women's team from 1969 to Euro 2025, in a 14-page PDF.

In 1971, an England team with players as young as 13 played in front of 80,000 people at the Azteca in Mexico City. When they got home, the FA banned them from playing.

This is the Lionesses' story from the unofficial sides the FA wouldn't recognise, through the first official internationals, the first UEFA Euros, World Cups, Hope Powell, and finally the glory years.

Inside:

• 1969–1979: Harry Batt's unofficial England, the Italian-run tournaments, and a lifetime ban for fielding an "illegal" side
• 1980s: the first Euros, a final lost on penalties, and two Mundialito wins over Italy
• 1990s: FIFA finally shows up (with the M&Ms Cup), and Germany keeps getting in the way
• 2000s: Hope Powell, the first professional players, and the first central contracts
• 2010s to 2025: World Cup bronze, heartbreak, and back-to-back Euros under Sarina Wiegman

Written by Clare McEwen, women's football historian and author of She Can Kick It.

14 pages · A4 PDF · instant download