Anyone who was glued to the Women’s World Cup final would have heard, as part of the build-up, the frankly astonishing fact that in England women were banned from playing football by the Football Association from 1921 until 1970. It made the Lionesses’ progress through the tournament all the more impressive. It might also have prompted viewers to wonder about the women who were playing the beautiful game in the years leading up to the ban.
A new play shines a light on the most successful of them. Long before the Arsenal men’s team earned the tag of the Invincibles for their unbeaten run to the Premier League title in 2004, a team of women were acclaimed globally with the same nickname. Sterling Ladies played
© Times Media Limited 2023.
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.