logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
44m 56s

Women & Football

History Hit
About this episode

Football, or soccer depending on where you are in the world, is quite unsuitable for women, wouldn’t you agree? No? Well the Football Association thought so when they issued a ban on women’s football in 1921, which stayed in place for fifty years.


Off the back of England's Lionesses winning the Euros (it's also the 20th anniversary of Bend It Like Beckham, which must mean something) Kate is joined by The Guardian's women's football correspondent, Suzanne Wrack, to talk about the rise and fall, and rise again of women's football.


Hear about the factory girls of World War One, meet some of the early stars like Nettie Honeyball, and find out why the game became so political.


You can find out more about Suzanne's book here, and listen to her podcast here.


*WARNING there are naughty words in this episode*


Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.


Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.


For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.


If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!


You've been listening to a History Hit podcast. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey with your feedback, we'd really appreciate it.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
The Truth About the Mitford Sisters
<p>The Mitfords could rank as the strangest family of the 20th century.</p><br><p>Unity and Diana were passionate fascists who became obsessed with Adolf Hitler, while Jessica became a communist. Unity even became mates with Hitler and was in Germany as the war broke out.</p><br> ... Show More
41m 49s
Nov 21
Did Henry VIII Have An Affair With Anne Boleyn's Sister?
<p>She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!</p><br><p>What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Es ... Show More
38m 50s
Nov 18
The Truth About Roald Dahl
<p>The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda. Roald Dahl wrote some of the world's most loved children's books.</p><br><p>But what do we know about the man himself? Was he really a spy? Was he a good husband? And why have some editions of his books been edited?</p><br ... Show More
48m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Women’s Football
Football is the most popular sport in the world, and is played anywhere from pitches marked out in desert dust, to warzones with helmets for goalposts. But it’s still predominantly a male sport. So what about the roots of women’s football in the UK? How did social change in the F ... Show More
50m 31s
Sep 2019
The History of Football
Where did football come from? Was it really invented in China or is the truth a little closer to home? Why was knife crime such a problem for football hundreds of years ago? And what’s the real truth behind the history of the women’s game? Public historian Greg Jenner joins comed ... Show More
46m 20s
Jul 2023
255. The History of Women’s Football!! (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Thinking in English Proofreading! - https://twbrock.co.uk/proofreading/ Book a Consultation to Help You Get Started With Applications or Documents - https://calendly.com/twbrock/application-consultation?month=2023-07 ------  With the Women’s World Cup taking place ... Show More
28m 55s
Sep 2020
Book Club: The Fleet Street Girls, Julie Welch
<p>For the return of Football Ramble’s Book Club, a legend of football journalism joins Kate Mason and Jim Campbell in the studio: Julie Welch, the country’s first female reporter and author of ‘The Fleet Street Girls’!</p><br><p>Julie burst onto the scene in the 1970s, in a time ... Show More
54m 53s
Dec 2020
The History of Football (Radio Edit)
Where did football come from? Was it really invented in China or is the truth a little closer to home? And what’s the truth behind the history of the women’s game? Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Tom Parry and historian Prof Jean Williams to learn the history of the beautiful g ... Show More
28m 52s
Nov 2021
Upfront: Beth Mead stars again, England's next captain, and what's going wrong at Manchester City?
<p>Welcome to Upfront, a brand new women's football podcast available every Tuesday on Football Ramble Presents! Each week we'll bring you the biggest stories from the WSL and beyond, and take you to the cultural heartbeat of the women's game.</p><br><p>Today, we look back over t ... Show More
39m 20s
Oct 2022
A League of Their Own
In this week's Lambie, Tess "swings" into the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that came out of World War II. From the ridiculous rules in terms of their outfits to etiquette, to how this experience regardless of the strictness, changed these women's ... Show More
35m 25s
Mar 2023
First Ladies of the United States
<p>Don talks to former White House reporter Kate Andersen Brower about how the role of First Lady has changed - and stayed the same - since the 1960s. Supporting their husband's presidency, while pursuing their own agenda. Each putting their stamp on their time in office - while ... Show More
31m 17s
Aug 2022
Upfront: England win the Euros!
<p>IT HAPPENED PEOPLE! After an almighty tussle with Germany, England – at last – lifted their first major tournament in 56 years.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Flo, Chloe and Rachel pick themselves up from the floor and congregate on Wembley Way to hail England’s history-makers. From Ella Too ... Show More
38m 52s