Women’s football is now one of the fastest growing sports in the world. The sport has been pioneered by many influential women over time. Two of the most significant examples of the growth of women’s football is through the WFA and 1971 squad from the second unofficial Women’s World Cup. The Lionesses’ win at the European Championships 2022, has brought about a huge shift in the way that women’s football history is being told. This thesis will bring to light the narratives of these influential groups through oral interviews and much material culture. Despite both the WFA and the 1971 squad both striving towards women’s football, they had differing ways and views of how it should come about. This thesis looks into the impact that they made to the sport, as well as why neither had an immediate effect on the women’s game. Additionally, external influences such as politics, societal opinions and the heritage sector have all made development in women’s sport slow until recent times. Nowadays attendance figures and mainstream role models are meaning that women’s football has been transformed since the 1970s. The question that does remain however is to how sustainable is this huge growth for women’s sport and whether national success such as the Lionesses’, is the reason it is staying afloat.
| Date of Award | 23 May 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Katherine Lewis (Co-Supervisor) |
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