1970–71 WFA Cup

the men's event 1970–71 FA Cup WFA Cup 1970–71 File:Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 1352835.jpg 300px Crystal Palace National Sports Centre hosted the Final EnglandScotlandWales November 1970 – May 1971 71 Southampton Women's F.C. Stewarton Thistle Nuneaton Wanderers EMGALS 1971–72 The 1970–71 Women's Football Association Cup was the first edition of the WFA Cup (Women's FA Cup), the national women's football knockout competition in England,England – List of Women Cup Winners RSSSF https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-womcuphist.html which at the time was open to clubs from the rest of Great Britain. It was organised by the Women's Football Association (WFA). Seventy–one teams entered the Cup,http://authoring.armyfa.com/NR/rdonlyres/C80076C7-5420-423C-AF3E-774DA1E8322A/0/WomensCompetitionFactsheet.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20110814201235/http://authoring.armyfa.com/NR/rdonlyres/C80076C7-5420-423C-AF3E-774DA1E8322A/0/WomensCompetitionFactsheet.pdf dead 14 August 2011 Football Association Women's Football Competitions Fact Sheet 21 October 2020 which was sponsored by sports equipment company Mitre and was thus named the Mitre Challenge Trophy. The inaugural Cup–winners were the English club Southampton Women's F.C., who beat Scotland's Stewarton Thistle in the Final on 9 May 1971 at Crystal Palace Park; Stewarton won the first edition of the Scottish Women's Cup Final in the same year. The WFA tournament followed the rescindment of the English Football Association's 1921 ban on women's teams' use of FA member clubs' pitches. However, the English Football League partially continued this ban for more than a decade after 1970. Prior developments After the 1921 ban, national women's football competitions had been attempted by organisations including the English Ladies Football Association. From 1967 until 1972, a large annual summer tournament was held in Deal, Kent with women's clubs from throughout Great Britain, playing short–form matches. The Deal International TournamentBANTAMS BID TO SLAY SAINTS IN HENS' SOCCER PARTY https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19700703/248/0027 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 3 July 1970 27 registration comprised 52 clubs in 1969, including some from Czechoslovakia and Austria.The Deal International Tournament https://womensfootballarchive.org/2014/06/11/the-deal-international-tournament/ Women's Football Archive 21 October 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20151225200521/https://womensfootballarchive.com/2014/06/11/the-deal-international-tournament/ 25 December 2015 This was a catalyst in the formation of the Ladies Football Association of Great BritainGregory Patricia How women's football battled for survival http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/women/4607171.stm 21 October 2020 BBC Sport 3 June 2005Early Years https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/early-years/ History of the Women's Football Association 21 October 2020 in November 1969 by forty–four clubs,Founder Clubs https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/early-years/founder-clubs/ History of the Women's Football Association 21 October 2020 with its first AGM on 6 June 1970.The Association's Development https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/wfa-development/ History of the Women's Football Association 21 October 2020 It was shortly renamed the Women's Football Association (WFA).Sue Campbell pays tribute on Women's FA 50th anniversary (2019) https://www.thefa.com/news/2019/oct/31/womens-fa-50th-anniversary-011119 The Football Association 21 October 2020 One of the Association's founder members was a club from the Republic of Ireland, Dundalk.The Irish team who were part of a women's football revolution in England (2019) https://www.the42.ie/dundalk-wfa-helena-byrne-4875972-Nov2019/ 21 October 2020 The42.ie 10 November 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191111015938/https://www.the42.ie/dundalk-wfa-helena-byrne-4875972-Nov2019/ 11 November 2019 Women's football had been treated in hostile terms by the FA, which forbade women's teams to play at its member club grounds in England from 1921Weeks Jim 1921: the year when football banned women https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/1921-when-football-association-banned-women-soccer-dick-kerr-ladies-lily-parr/ BBC History Extra 20 October 2020 until the early 1970s. The FA voted to revoke the ban in January 1970,FA mistake has rebounded on them, says Stan Cullis https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002135/19691202/375/0027 21 October 2020 Birmingham Daily Post 2 December 1969 27 registrationBan to be lifted? https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002831/19691211/037/0003 21 October 2020 Crewe Chronicle 11 December 1969 3 registration"THE Football Association have given women's football teams permission to play on grounds of affiliated clubs, including Football League grounds. But the League have still to Agree to women's teams playing an any of their 92 grounds" [sic] Clubs to keep girls waiting https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19700120/503/0037 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 20 January 1970 37 registrationsafety reports https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002135/19700120/479/0024 21 October 2020 Birmingham Daily Post 20 January 1970 24 registration but the men's Football League did not take similar action, and did not permit its clubs to host the first WFA Cup Finals. A blanket ban lasted for a further three years, according to the WFA's Patricia Gregory: The Football League (FL, now EFL) did not lift their objections to our using their grounds until we played an International match against The Netherlands in November 1973 (a game played at Reading FC [Elm Park]).Interview with Women's Football Association's (WFA) Patricia Gregory. (30 June 2019) https://justaballgame.blogspot.com/2019/06/just-ball-game-interview-with-womens.html Just A Ball Game? 21 October 2020 In 1971, and in the next ten competitions, the WFA Cup Finals were not allowed to be held at Football League grounds, according to the History of the Women's Football Association, based on British Library records: "As the sport grew the WFA was reliant upon the generosity of smaller clubs".The WFA Cup https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/wfa-cup/ History of the Women's Football Association 21 October 2020 The first women's Final held at a League ground was the 1982 Final at Loftus Road.Women's FA Cup / FA Women's Cup – Finals https://womensfootballarchive.org/cup-finals/ Women's Football Archive 21 October 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20160310223234/https://womensfootballarchive.com/cup-finals/ 10 March 2016 In November 1970, the County FA Secretaries' Association conference voted to reject, by 31 to 13, the Birmingham FA's proposal to allow women's clubs to affiliate to county FAs.The ladies rejected https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002135/19701128/610/0028 21 October 2020 Birmingham Daily Post 28 November 1970 28 registration Several regional leagues were formed around this time, including the Heart of England Ladies' Football League, Midland Ladies Football League,Ladies League expands https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19700620/164/0014 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 20 June 1970 14 registration Torbay Women's League,F.A. still hostile to women players https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001329/19700919/331/0016 21 October 2020 Torbay Express and South Devon Echo 19 September 1970 16 registration Home Counties League,[Amersham] Angels join new league https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002490/19700925/066/0006 21 October 2020 Buckinghamshire Examiner 25 September 1970 6 registration Kent Women's League,WOMEN FOOTBALLERS HERE TO STAY https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002513/19701006/057/0006 21 October 2020 Thanet Times 6 October 1970 6 registration and Merseyside and Wirral Ladies' Football LeagueLooking around https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19710120/077/0003 21 October 2020 Liverpool Echo 20 January 1971 3 registrationJones Dave Flashback: When pioneering Prestatyn Ladies FC blazed a trial for women's football in Wales https://nwsport.co.uk/2019/08/12/flashback-when-pioneering-prestatyn-ladies-fc-blazed-a-trial-for-womens-football-in-wales/ 21 October 2020 Grassroots North Wales 12 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20200210163356/https://nwsport.co.uk/2019/08/12/flashback-when-pioneering-prestatyn-ladies-fc-blazed-a-trial-for-womens-football-in-wales/ 10 February 2020 Early rounds thumb|WFA Cup runner–up with Stewarton Thistle, Rose Reilly The first news report on team entries to the Cup was in August 1970."[Teams] will be eligible to compete in the Womens Football Association cup competition the female F.A. [Cup] and have also been given five other cups for which they can compete." WOMEN SET FOR KICK-OFF [THE Heart of England Ladies' Football League] https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19700827/318/0025 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 27 August 1970 25 registration Mitre's sponsorship of the competition continued from 1970 until 1976; the company also provided the first winners' trophy, which was used until 1979. The 1970–71 Cup was reportedly divided into eight area groups. The eight zonal winners qualified to the quarter–finals, held in Watford. A first–round match in Scotland was Aberdeen Prima Donnas v Stewarton Thistle (of Kilmarnock), on 29 November 1970 at the Aberdeen Lads' Club Fields in Woodside, Aberdeen."THE PRIMA DONNAS, the ladies’ football team from TILLYDRONE COMMUNITY CENTRE, [...] against Stewarton Ladies (Kilmarnock) in the first round Mitre Challenge Trophy [...] tomorrow at 2 p.m." Prima Donnas https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000445/19701128/199/0017 21 October 2020 Aberdeen Evening Express 28 November 1970 17 registration The teams would meet again in the Scottish Women's Cup Final in 1971. In the earliest reported fixture in the Cup, on 1 November, Leicester City Supporters L.F.C. were drawn at home to The Wandering Angels (Lichfield),"And on the following Sunday [1 November] the Lichfield girls visit Leicester City Supporters L.F.C. in the All British Ladies' F.A. Cup." PALACE https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000379/19701023/352/0020 21 October 2020 Lichfield Mercury 23 October 1970 20 registration and in December Amersham Angels ("who were given a bye in the preliminary round") beat Luton Ladies, 5–3."Amersham Angels battled their way into the second round of the Women's Football Association Mitre Cup, at Hervines Park, beating Luton Ladies by two goals. [...]" Amersham Angels https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002490/19701225/042/0007 21 October 2020 Buckinghamshire Examiner 25 December 1970 7 registration At this time, the Association was evidently open to all Irish and Welsh women's football clubs, though how many competed in the Cup is unclear. The successful Welsh women's team Prestatyn travelled to Ireland to play Dundalk in an "international" friendly match in April 1971,LADIES SOCCER https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002330/19710402/173/0014 21 October 2020 Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal 2 April 1971 7 registration which ended in a 4–2 away win,DUNDALK LADIES BEATEN https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002330/19710416/140/0012 21 October 2020 Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal 16 April 1971 12 registration and Dundalk's Kevin Gaynor was on the WFA Executive."Dundalk's Kevin Gaynor was again elected to the Executive of the Women's Football Association. a body that is now officially recognised by [the] English and Irish F.As" LADIES' SOCCER https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002330/19710618/121/0012 21 October 2020 Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal 18 June 1971 12 registration A representative Northern Ireland team was discussed with the WFA in June 1971;NI to https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19710619/389/0014 21 October 2020 Belfast Telegraph 19 June 1971 14 registration eventually, the WFA came to be solely a governing body for England. The Scottish Women's Football Association was founded in 1972. Final rounds One of the eight zonal final matches in February was won by Nuneaton Wanderers (Warwickshire) 6–3 against Bantams Ladies (Coventry), at the Memorial Park; another zonal winner was EMGALS (from Leicester, representing the East Midlands Gas Board, EMGAS), who won 5–3 at Hull.Ladies Cup win https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19710116/183/0013 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 16 January 1971 13 registration Another zonal final match was between Chiltern Valley and Amersham Angels.Emgals land title https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19710225/335/0027 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 25 February 1971 27 registration The remaining Scottish club, Stewarton Thistle, played Manchester Corinthians L.F.C. in their zonal final. Thistle's key player in their win was Susan Ferries, recounted in a 216 article: "Susan was the star of an early round 5–2 defeat of the Manchester Corinthians and a [semi–final] 9–2 thumping of Nuneaton Wanderers, being described in the press as the Bobby Lennox of the female football world."Stewarton's First Star Remembered https://shekicks.net/stewartons-first-star-remembered/ She Kicks https://web.archive.org/web/20171223061455/https://shekicks.net/2016/05/25/stewartons-first-star-remembered/ 23 December 2017 25 May 2016 In the quarter–finals, Nuneaton Wanderers beat Kays Ladies (Worcester) on 25 April at Watford. EMGALS, Southampton and Stewarton also progressed from their quarter–finals.Midland girls play-off clash MIDLAND Ladies' Football League teams Wanderers and Emgals play-off at Crystal Palace on May 9 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19710501/370/0028 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 1 May 1971 28 registration The semi–final winners were Stewarton Thistle (9–2 against the injury–hit Wanderers) and Southampton (11–0 versus EMGALS). The final matches were held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, earlier the site of twenty men's FA Cup Finals in the 19th and 20th centuries. As in the FA Cup at the time, a third–place playoff was held – Nuneaton Wanderers beat EMGALS on penalties after a 3–3 draw.Wanderers have finished in third place in the national Mitre Challenge Trophy competition https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19710513/279/0023 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 13 May 1971 23 registration Soon after, Wanderers won a 10–team international tournament in Holland in June 1971.Wanderers triumph https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19710617/328/0023 21 October 2020 Coventry Evening Telegraph 17 June 1971 23 registration Southampton Women's F.C. won the Cup with a 4–1 victory over Stewarton Thistle, including a hat–trick by Pat Davies. The Kilmarnock–based club, whose Rose Reilly later won eight women's Serie A titles, were the first winners of the Scottish Women's Cup in the same year; the team also reached the second WFA Cup Final in 1972 under the name Lee's Ladies. Southampton player Sue Lopez reported that the WFA subsequently fined the winners, a league select team, for "misrepresentation as a league club".Lopez 1997 77 The WFA had fined Southampton for misrepresentation as a league club, which resulted in Southampton joining the Home Counties League for the 1971–72 season. Southampton were "fined £25 at a WFA tribunal". Stewarton had considered withdrawing from the final over the issue, however Southampton were allowed to keep the trophy and went on to win eight WFA Cups.Slegg Chris Gregory Patricia A History of the Women's FA Cup Final 6 May 2021 The History Press 978-0750996594 30 https://books.google.com/books?id=7KUkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT30 24 April 2022 Group 1 Only known matches shown Teams Blackpool Supporters Elbeo Macclesfield Macclesfield 'B' Manchester Corinthians Manchester Nomads Preston North End Supporters Club Prima Donnas Stewarton Thistle First round proper All games were scheduled for 1 and 29 November 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Prima Donnas0–15Stewarton Thistle Group 2 Only known matches shown Teams British Rail (Leicester) EMGALS, Forest Hull Leicester City Supporters Club Notts United Rainbow Dazzlers Wandering Angels First round proper All games were scheduled for 1 and 29 November 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Leicester City Supporters Club8–0Wandering Angels Group 3 Teams Bedworth Bedworth Rangers Connors (Nuneaton) Coventry Bantams Keresley Nuneaton Rangers Renold Wanderers (Nuneaton) First round proper All games were scheduled for 1 and 29 November 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Bedworth Rangers?–?Nuneaton RangersWinner not known2Connors (Nuneaton)?–?Wanderers (Nuneaton)3Keresley?–?Coventry Bantams4Renold?–?BedworthWinner not known Second round proper All games were originally scheduled for 6 and 19 December 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Bedworth Rangers or Nuneaton Rangers?–?Coventry Bantams2Renolds or Bedworth?–?Wanderers (Nuneaton) Group 4 Only known matches shown Teams Aston Villa, Badsey Birmingham Beau Belles Chelmsley Diamonds Elkington's Angels Kays, Lan-Bar Lodge Park Mid-Vale (Pershore) St Andrews Regional Semi finals All games were originally scheduled for 10 January 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Elkington's Angels?–?Aston Villa2Kays?–?Badsey Group 5 Only known matches shown Teams Amersham Angels Amersham Imps Arland Bracknell Bullets Chiltern Valley Devizes Moonrakers Farley United (Tigers) Luton Phantoms Swindon Spitfires Talon Elite Second round proper All games were originally scheduled for 6 and 19 December 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Amersham Angels5–3Luton Regional Semi finals All games were originally scheduled for 10 January 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Amersham Angels?–?Bracknell Bullets2Devizes Moonrakers2–2 Chiltern ValleyreplayChiltern Valley?–?Devizes Moonrakers Group 6 Matches not known. Teams Barking Belles Cykicks Edgware Ipswich Avengers Keith Blackman (Walthamstow) Orient Spurs White Ribbon Group 7 Only known matches shown Teams Deal & Betteshanger United Herne Bay Ladybirds Lydd Maidstone Mote United Margate Rangers Medway Ramsgate All Stars Thanet United White Wanderers (Hamstreet) First round proper All games were scheduled for 1 and 29 November 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1White Wanderers (Hamstreet)?–?Lydd Second round proper All games were originally scheduled for 6 and 19 December 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Deal & Betteshanger United3–0Ladybirds (Herne Bay)2White Wanderers (Hamstreet) ?–?Ramsgate All Stars Regional Semi finals All games were originally scheduled for 10 January 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Thanet United?–?Deal & Betteshanger United2White Wanderers (Hamstreet)1–4Medway Group 8 Only known matches shown Teams Brighton G.P.O. Hampden Park Kingfishers Hellingly Hospital S. & S. Club Patstone United, Rye Southampton Southampton 'B' Travaux Second round proper All games were originally scheduled for 6 and 19 December 1970. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Hellingly (Hailsham)1–2Southampton2Rye0–23Southampton 'B' Regional finals All games were originally scheduled for 10 January and 7 February 1971 Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Amersham Angels1–0Chiltern Valley2Coventry Bantams3–6Wanderers (Nuneaton)3Hull3–5EMGALS4Kays5–2Aston Villa 5Stewarton Thistle5–3Manchester Corinthians6Thanet United5–1Medway Quarter–finals All games were played on 25 April 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1EMGALS2–1Amersham Angels2Southampton23–0White Ribbon3Stewarton Thistle8–1Thanet United4Wanderers (Nuneaton)?–?Kays Semi–finals All games were played on 25 April 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1Southampton8–0EMGALS2Stewarton Thistle9–2Wanderers (Nuneaton) Third place playoff All games were played on 8 May 1971. Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Att. Attendance1EMGALS3–3 (?–? p)Wanderers (Nuneaton) Final 1971 WFA Cup final 9 May 1971 15:30 BST Southampton 4–1 http://womensfacup.co.uk/history/index.php?od=99&tm=1&mn=1214 Stewarton Thistle *Davies Cassell *Reilly Crystal Palace Bryn Poyner (Worcester) London See also 1969 European women's championship 1970 Women's World Cup 1971 Women's World Cup 1970–71 FA Cup External links Women's F.A. Cup – Results [1970–71], WomensFACup.co.uk "Southampton '71 skipper Lesley Lloyd recalls first Women's FA Cup", Web Archive, The Herald, 221 References General references Lopez Sue Sue Lopez Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football Scarlet Press 1997 London, England 1-85727-016-9 Category:Women's FA Cup seasons Cup Cup WFA Cup 1970-71