A short history of women's football

When people talk about football history, the women's game gets left out far too often. That needs to change, because the history of women's football is powerful, inspiring and frankly unstoppable.

From the 1800s to Massive Crowds

Women have been playing football for well over 100 years. Records show women's matches taking place in the UK as far back as the late 1800s, and by the 1920s the women's game was pulling crowds that would turn heads even today. Some matches attracted more than 50,000 fans through the gates.

Then came the setback. In 1921, the English FA banned women from playing on affiliated pitches, a decision that pushed the women's game to the sidelines for decades. But here is the thing: women kept playing anyway. In parks, on borrowed fields, wherever they could find a patch of grass. The passion never died, even when the support was nowhere to be found.

From Ban to Breakthrough

The ban was eventually lifted in the 1970s, and since then the women's game has been building momentum year on year. From grassroots football all the way through to the Women's Super League, the UEFA Women's Champions League and the record-breaking crowds of the Women's World Cup, women's football is now one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. The trajectory only goes one way.

Why This History Matters

The history of women's football is not just a sports story. It is a story about equality, resilience and the kind of stubborn, unshakeable passion that refuses to be ignored. Every fan who shows up, every person who wears their colours with pride, is part of that story. When you support the women's game, you are carrying more than a century of history with you.

The Women's Game Is Here to Stay

Women's football has survived bans, been ignored by broadcasters, been told it was not worth watching. And it has come through all of it. Today, millions of fans worldwide are proving every single week that the women's game is not just here to stay, it is stronger than it has ever been.

Wear it. Celebrate it. Live it.