The Pioneers of Football: Lily Parr, Anne O'Brien and Rose Reilly
Women’s football has endured turbulence, inequality and oppression throughout its history, but despite the opinions of former male footballers (Barton et al), it has emerged through adversity and grown. However, there is still a long way to go for Women's football as players, clubs and supporters of the game face continued misogyny, sexism and abuse. A better way to put it as that male supporters have a long way to go.
While the Women's game has grown and become more mainstream over the last couple of decades, there were Women footballers who defied bans, moved countries and played despite being told by male-dominated associations that football 'wasn't suitable for Women'. There players were the pioneers of the women’s game, paving the way for women to pursue careers in football and immerse themselves in the game that should be enjoyed and played by all. These women had to do it in a time when football was seen as a men’s game. Indeed, this is shown in the fact that the ban of women playing in official FA grounds was only lifted in the 1970’s. Before that, women’s teams such as Dick, Kerr Ladies were trailblazing the way for women’s football, attracting huge crowds and even taking on some men’s teams.
These are the stories of Women who fought against adversity, oppression and the patriarchy throughout history to progress the game and become role models for aspiring footballers today. These are just some of the women who broke the stereotype that football is a mans game.
Lily Parr
Lily Parr
Lily Parr was born on 26th April, 1905 in St Helen’s, England. During the First World War when most men were fighting, women took up the mantle of playing the beautiful game at home, often hosting matches which attracted large turnouts. Dick, Kerr Ladies emerged as one of, if not, the stand-out women’s team at the time. Lily Parr played with and against her brothers and other men at the time and was recruited for the Dick, Kerr Ladies side, while also taking up a job at Dick, Kerr & Co. She was only 14 years old at the time, and first played as a left-back. However, after playing left wing in a game against a Lancashire side in which she scored a hat-trick, she cemented her place on the flank.
She became a prolific goal scorer, netting 108 times in her first season and recording 986 goals in total for Dick, Kerr Ladies and Preston Ladies. She was also in the side that toured the USA, playing and defeating men's teams which created a real buzz for the Women’s game. Despite the ban put on Women’s football being played in FA grounds, Parr continued to play for Preston Ladies, largely playing in fields and greens. Outside of football, Parr was a trained nurse and worked at Whittingham Psychiatric Hospital.
Lily Parr lived to the age of 73, and died in 1978, seven years after the FA ban was lifted on Women’s football. She apparently had a harder shot than most male players and was part of the reason why Dick, Kerr Ladies were so renowned at the time. Her legacy still lives on today and in 2002, she became the only woman to be made an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame. In June 2019, she became the first female footballer to be commemorated with a statue.
In total, Lily Parr made 432 appearances for Dick Kerr Ladies, scoring 967 goals for them (according to records). It's worth noting that for many Women footballers from this period and until the turn of the century, many records will likely be inaccurate. These Women were playing through a ban, and by playing football they could be arrested or have their resources taken away from them. Therefore, many records either don't exist or have become lost. Lily Parr very well could have scored more goals (and we like to think she did!).
Anne O’Brien
Anne O'Brien (left)
Born on the 25th January 1956, in Inchicore, Dubin, Anne O’Brien would play football in the parks with other men, often being picked to play in their teams. One summer, the French club Stade de Reims Women's team were playing in Ireland. They came up against a Dublin side that had O’Brien playing in midfield. The Reim coach at the time was so impressed that he invited Anne over to a trial in France. O’Brien had a choice to make; she was only 17 years old at the time, and a Woman footballer from Ireland had never moved to play for a team abroad before. After discussing it with her parents, O’Brien decided to take the risk and make the move.
It was a great decision; she signed a professional contract with the Stade de Reims, making her the first ever professional footballer from the Republic of Ireland. After winning three league titles with Stade de Reims, she moved to Italy in 1976, joining Lazio. It was there she won three Scudetti and two Italian Women’s Cups. She also won the Scudetto with Trani (1984), Reggiana (1989-90, 1990-91) and Milan Salvarani (1991-92). She won another Italian Women's Cup in 1985. She was a pivotal part in each triumph, viewed as a midfield playmaker with a keen eye for a precise pass. When she retired as a player, she took up coaching roles with Lazio’s Women’s side and the Italian FA.
While being one of the best women footballers to ever come from Ireland, she only played for the national side on four occasions due to the lack of funding given to the National Women's Team at the time and travel costs. The games she did play in, she was usually player of the match, most notably in a 4-1 defeat to France in 1973. O’Brien was never picked for the Irish National team when living in continental Europe, and would only play when visiting home, meaning she would have paid for her own travel. On one occasion, she was picked to play in a World Cup qualifier against The Netherlands in Dublin, a game that ende, 0-0.
Anne O’Brien died on 29th August 2016 after a short illness. She is often referred to as Ireland’s Forgotten Sports Star, but our hope is that she will always be remembered for her talent, skill and haul of trophies from the continent.
Rose Reilly
Rosie Reilly was born on 2nd January 1955, in Kilmarkock, Scotland. Reilly played as a striker for several clubs in Scotland, France, and Italy. In 1974, Reilly joined Stade de Reims, leaving Scotland to pursue a professional career in football due to the SFA's ban on the Women's game. After spending just six months with the French club, she moved to Italian side A.C.F Milan. She won two league titles in the four years she spent with the club and would go on to win eight Italian titles in total with various other Italian clubs. Her honours include 8 Serie A titles, 4 Italian Cups and 1 French title. But none of these titles would define Rose Reilly’s career. It would be on the international stage that her name would be etched into history.
Despite being born in Scotland and representing her country of birth in the 1970’s, Reilly was banned from playing for a period for her criticism of the SFA. Keep in mind, at the time of the Scotland Women's National Team's first 'official' fixture against England in 1972, the SFA ban on Women's football hadn't been lifted - that wouldn't come until 1974. Coupled with her move to continental Europe, Reilly was called up to the Italian Women’s National Team. While representing the Italian National side, Reilly won the Mundialito in 1985, a precursor to the Women’s World Cup. Reilly, who captained the side that faced West Germany in the final, scored in the match which Italy won 3-1. To this day, Rose Reilly is the only World Cup winner to come from Scotland.
In March 2007, Rose Reilly was inducted in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, with a place in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame following later that year. Reilly was given an honourary doctorate degree from Glasgow Caledonian University and awarded an MBE for services to Women’s football, cementing her contribution to the women’s game as one of high significance.
While I could write about so many other brilliant women who have played the game, such as Pia Sundhage, Conchi Sanchez, Susy Augustesen and Alice Woods, I could also include modern pioneers such as American Superstar and Two-time Women’s World Cup winner, Alex Morgan, her United States team mates Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd, Scottish Real Madrid forward Caroline Weir, her countrywoman Erin Cuthbert while in England, players like Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo among others have influenced young women to play football and aspire to be the next generation of pioneers.
Though attendance records are being smashed every season across the Women's game, a lot of work still has to be done, particularly from men, to aid in the promotion and celebration of Women's football. Despite the opinions of some particular neanderthals, Women's football continues to grow at a rapid pace, and new pioneers are created each year, following in the footsteps of the Women who came before them.