The first ‘official’ England Women’s football match

Julia Brunton, part of the first official England squad, 1972. © Getty Images

Today is the 50^th anniversary of the first ‘official’ England Women’s football match.

This was a really significant moment in 1972. It was only a year since the Football Association had overturned their 1921 ban on women playing football on any affiliated FA grounds, which effectively killed the women’s game for 50 years. A new team, chosen through trials held by the Women’s Football Association, travelled to Scotland to play a newly formed Scottish team on 18 November 1972.

The England women's national football team and their manager, Eric Worthington, line-up for a team portrait at Wembley Stadium in London, England, 15th November 1972. (Photo by Ronald Dumont/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

This week, local Lioness, Julia Brunton (née Manning), came to Brighton Museum to share her story of being in that very first official squad. Women such as Julia are one of the reasons we celebrated the England team lifting the UEFA Women’s EURO trophy at Wembley this summer. They played despite lack of facilities, lack of funding and ridicule from the media and the general public alike.

Julia remembers travelling up to Scotland in an ‘ancient coach’ with her new teammates

‘It was freezing cold and snowed during the second half.’

Programme of the England vs Scotland game, 1972, signed by the players. Photograph by Lindsey Smith

Despite the weather, there were plenty of goals and England beat Scotland 3-2 in front of a crowd of about 400 people.

Julia kept her programme from the game, signed for by all her teammates and the Manager, Eric Worthington. It was the start of women’s football internationals for the England team, although it would still be 12 years before an official competition was organised, in 1984, the European Championship.

England Cap, presented to Julia Brunton for her England debut match in 1973. Photograph by Lindsey Smith

Julia was a substitute for the England/Scotland game and received her first Cap in the second international match, which was against France on 22 April 1973.

‘I was more excited than nervous. But when I got on the pitch I just relaxed and enjoyed it. I can imagine it was very different for the girls walking out at Wembley this year! We had to hand our kit back after matches, we didn’t get to keep it. We were given one Cap in honour of our first game for our country, which was handsewn by a lady called Flo Bilton. We were never given an official Cap, until now. It cost money to play for England, we paid for our own travel to our team meeting point.’

England Cap awarded to Julia at Wembley on 7 October 2022

Despite the best efforts of the Women’s Football Association, which was a volunteer organisation, the women who played in the early teams have never felt recognised, appreciated, or respected by the Football Association. Until this year, when the FA invited that very first team to Wembley as special guests to watch England vs USA on 7 October.

‘It was the first time I really felt like a Lioness. We were given official Caps, with our England Legacy number on, and an England shirt with our name on. My Legacy number is 13. I looked up my male equivalent, and it is a chap called Leonard Howell, born in 1848, which was 103 years before I was born! We walked into the player changing room in Wembley and all our shirts were hanging up, like we were players now. It was incredible, so emotional.’

London, England - October 07: Former Players from the 1972 team look on from inside of the changing rooms ahead of the Women's International Friendly match between England and USA at Wembley Stadium on October 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Julia was playing for Lowestoft Ladies team when she was chosen to be a Lioness in 1972. She moved to Brighton when she got married, having first researched Brighton teams. She played for Brighton and Hove Albion Supporters Ladies Club, and when it disbanded, went on to play for C&C Sports.

Julia’s story is one of many captured by the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Heritage Programme to recognise, highlight and celebrate untold histories of women’s football in England.

Thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support in uncovering these stories.