The FA Cup is one of the most renowned competitions in sport – but for years the women’s event has been largely ignored by the public and the media.
Ahead of this year’s Women’s FA Cup Final on 3rd December, Leeds based Sporting Heritage CIC is hosting a special online event with the BBC sports journalist, Chris Slegg, and author of ‘A History of Women’s FA Cup Final’ and 1985 Women's FA Cup Winner, Lori Hoey to explore some of the moments that have shaped the evolution of the competition.
This exclusive, free event is being hosted by Sporting Heritage's Education Lead, Derek Peaple and is supported by funding from Sports England. WFA co-founder, Patricia Gregory will also join the discussion to consider where we would be now if the competition had been fully embraced by the authorities half a century ago.
Derek Peale said: “The WFA competition and women’s football, in general, has really developed since the very first FA final on Sunday 9th May 1971. Southampton Women beat Scottish side, Stewarton Thistle on an overgrown pitch inside an athletics track at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre with just a handful of spectators watching and very little, to no media interest. Those early pioneers of the sport have really paved the way for the game we see today. They fought prejudice and discrimination to overturn a ban that had been in place on women’s football since 1921.
This online event is a brilliant opportunity to find out about the heritage of women’s football and hear the first-hand stories of these inspiring sportswomen.”
Tickets to the online event are free and it takes place Monday 29th November 1pm-2.30pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fifty-years-of-the-womens-fa-cup-final-tickets-210338306537
