Nita Carmona

Apparently Ana Carmona Ruiz, known as Nita Carmona, played for Sporting Club Malaga in the 1920s in the guise of a man.

...the heaviest lady footballer weighs eleven stone

The Globe, 01.02.95

There's an article about the enigmatic Ms. Honeyball (Nettie, not Nellie) here.

*For those unfamiliar with the archaic UK system 11 stone = 69 kg, or if you're  from the USA 154 lbs

Women's Football

A charming illustration of an international match between England and France.

Must'nt touch it with the hands.

I'm sure these cards were intended to titillate rather than to promote a positive image of women's participation in sport. The young lady's shape suggests corsetry- it's a nice kit though. 

I recommend this site to anyone interested in cigarette cards and other sporting ephemera.

Shorts

The male stars of the 1920s certainly didn't wear shorts that brief, even in progressive Argentina. There was always an element of titillation and novelty around the coverage of the womens' game.

The Sportswoman

The Sportswoman, painted by the Soviet artist Ivan Semyonovich Kulikov (1928) presents a  positive image of the game for women. This is in contrast to the attitude which is related in Yuri F Korshak's book Старый, старый футбол (Old , Old Football) which contains the following reference to women's football in pre revolutionary Russia: 
In the spring of 1911 in Moscow there appeared a number of...women's football teams!  The enthusiasts were senior schoolgirls. According to  newspaper reports the 'ladies' of the team trained hard in preparation for matches. The press reported that a match did take place, but this was the end of women's  football in Russia. Probably the players themselves realized football was not a game for women, and calmed down again. 

An Unsuitable Game For Girls...

FOOTBALL AND WOMEN

UNSUITABLE GAME FOR GIRLS.

The English Football Association have decided to request the clubs under their control not to allow the  use of grounds for football matches between women, mainly because the g ame is unsuitable for women.  The following resolution was unanimously passed: 

Complaints have been made as to football being played by women, the council feel compelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.

Complaints also have been made as to the conditions under which some of these matches have been arranged and played, and the appropriation of the receipts to other than charitable objects.

For these reasons, the council requests clubs belonging to the Association to refuse the use of their grounds for such matches.

A request from the Football Association amounts almost to an order.

It has been suggested that the chief drawbacks to the game for women were the unmaidenly "barging" and hefty-kicking which the game entails.

 Discussing the question, Dr Elizabeth Sloan Chesser said: "I do not believe in placing a ban on any pleasure. If women want to play football, let them. On the other hand, there are physical reasons why the game is harmful to women. It is a rough game at any time, but it is more harmful to women than to men. They may receive injuries from which they may never recover."

WOMAN CAPTAIN PROTESTS.

A vigorous defence of women's football was made by Miss Long, captain of the Strand Corner House Restaurant Women’s football team. "In my experience of women's football matches," she said. "I do not remember any serious injury to any of the players. I recollect one broken arm, but accidents happen in all games. What people forget is that women footballers play women, and not men. Our girls are wonderfully healthy, and thoroughly enjoy the game. We sacrifice our holidays for the game and for the sake of charity. The decision of the Football Association does not affect us very seriously unless our firm decide to ban the game." 

Speaking of the way  the game  is played by women,  Miss Long added naively: "Of course, we  get some fouls registered against us, but on the whole. I think women are cleaner players than men."

An old football ''Blue” who recently watched a women’s football match writes: "It was an 'inspiring spectacle, and I came away with the opinion that football is certainly not a game for women. If it is played

properly it means a big tax on the physical strength of the players . It also requires the least possible clothing. How the girls, although they wore shorts and displayed bare knees, could stand heavy sweaters combined with the violent exercise, beats me.

In a letter addressed to the secretary of the Football Association, Major Cecil Kent, of Liverpool, formerly secretary of the Old Westminsters Football Club, protests against a ban on women’s football, stating that he has seen about 30 football matches between women.

Major Kent observes: "On all hands I have heard nothing but praise- for the good work the girls are doing and the high standard of their play. The only thing I now hear from the man in the street is, 'Why have the Football Association got their knife into girls' football? What have the girls done except to raise large sums for charity and to play the game?'

I know that no unnecessary expenses are ever charged by the reputable girls' football clubs, and that the charities alone benefit from the matches." 

This article was syndicated to various newspapers in the UK towards the end of 1921, and was appearing in the colonial press in April of 1922.

Feminine Football 1896

Published in Glasgow, The Baillie was a magazine that featured short stories, sketches and cartoons.

The mocking tone of the cartoon reproduced above is in keeping with the contemporary view of women's football as other examples from the Scottish press of the era show:

 football is not a game for women; and the spectacle of a score of girls careering about a field in knickerbockers is not to be defended on any ground of public utility.

 Glasgow News 1881

(women’s football is) ...the most degrading spectacle we have ever witnessed in connection with football, and we never want to see it faintly repeated.

Scottish Sport 1892

I'm assuming that the cartoon depicts a match from the 1896 Scottish tour of the British Ladies Football Club, which, incidentally, was marked by a great deal of  spectator violence.

The tour was a repeat of the previous year's commercial success which had prompted the Scottish Referee to write scathingly of  the ‘New Woman’, who goes in search of international caps and gate money that  belongs to men.

British Ladies Football Club 1896

Le football féminin

Women's Football in France was always a stylish affair. The game took off in 1917 when it was taken up by members of the Femina Sport Club of Paris.
In 1920 Femina traveled to England and played Dick Kerr's in what is considered the first Women' s international.

Scotland v England ...

A fundraising match that drew a healthy crowd hungry for football to Celtic Park. The 'England' team was from the  Vickers-Maxim munition works at Barrow-in-Furness and 'Scotland' from Beardmore's at Parkhead.

The Vickers team won 4-0 with goals from Dickinson (2), Bradley and an own goal.
Some curious matchday entertainment. The landing of an aeroplane and a display of donkey handling!
The female Munitions workers of 1914-18 (Munitionettes)  had a vibrant football culture.
One of the best websites (on any subject) I've ever seen is the  Donmouth  site on women's  football.

Shorts, Knickers etc...

This illustration of the 1872 Scotland v England match shows the players wearing 'knickerbockers', trousers that were tucked into the stockings. Some players of this era (Kinnaird notably) wore ordinary trousers.

By 1891 there was a slight shortening, but the knickers were still below knee length, as we can see in this illustration of the FA Cup Final between Blackburn Rovers and Notts County.
 In the early 20th century Manchester United's Charlie Roberts was a trend setter, wearing what were considered indecently short knickers. Roberts' was an extreme case and most players persisted with knee length shorts.

Roberts

1920

Female footballers in 1920 had a distinctly modern appearance. This must have represented considerable novelty appeal to the onlookers. 

1936- Harry  Hooper (Sheffield United)  wears shorts that would not look out of place today. Alex James ( Arsenal ) sports his trademark voluminous pants (I hesitate to use the word 'shorts'). 

Football féminin

Women's Football

Another excellent site on the women's game here: http://www.thehistoryofwomensfootball.com/index.html

Women's Football

 Anyone interested in the early years of women's football should check out this excellent site:
http://www.donmouth.co.uk/womens_football/womens_football.html