A Game for Rough Girls? : A History of Women's Football in Britain

A Game For Rough Girls? Is The First Text To Theorise Properly The Development Of The Game. Examining Recreational And Elite Levels, The Author Provides A Thorough Critique, Placing Women's Experience In The Context Of Broader Cultural And Sports Studies Debates On Social Change, Gender, Power And Global Economics.--jacket. Pt. I. A Game For Rough Girls? Women's Football In Britain -- Serious Fun: Contemporary Perspectives On Women's Football In England -- 1. A Brief History Of Women's Football In England -- 2. Competition And Community In English Women's Football -- 3. Memory And English Women's Football -- Oral History And Women's Football In England -- Pt. Ii. The Future Is Feminine -- The Rise Of The Women's Game In A Global And Professional Era -- 4. Bumbling Along: The Law And English Women's Football In A Professional Era -- 5. Women's Football: An International Comparison -- Conclusions: A Female Future For A Man's Game? Jean Williams. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [199]-210) And Index. Can we truly call football England's 'national' game? How have we arrived at this point of such clear inequality between men's and women's football? Between 1921 and 1972, women were banned from playing in football League grounds in the UK. Yet in 1998 FIFA declared that "the future is feminine" and that football was the fastest growing sport for women globally. The result of several years of original research, the book traces the continuities in women's participation since the beginnings of the game, and highlights the significant moments that have influenced current practice. The text provides: \*insight into the communities and individual experiences of players, fans, investors, administrators and coaches \*examination of the attitudes and role of national and international associations \*analysis of the development of the professional game \*comparisons with women's football in mainland Europe, the USA and Africa. A Game for Rough Girls is the first text to properly theorize the development of the game. Examining recreational and elite levels, the author provides a thorough critique, placing women's experience in the context of broader cultural and sports studies debates on social change, gender, power and global economics. Cover 1 A Game for Rough Girls? A History of Women’s Football in Britain 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Plates 8 List of Tables 9 Acknowledgements 10 List of Abbreviations 12 Introduction 14 Part I. A game for rough girls? Women’s football in Britain 28 Serious fun: Contemporary perspectives on women’s football in England 30 1. A brief history of women’s football in England 38 2. Competition and community in English women’s football 58 3. Memory and English women’s football 81 Oral history and women’s football in England 115 Part II. The future is feminine 124 The rise of the women’s game in a global and professional era 126 4. Bumbling along The law and English women’s football in a professional era 135 5. Women’s football An international comparison 165 Conclusions A female future for a man’s game? 198 Notes 206 Bibliography 216 Index 228 This is the first book to offer an academic account of the development of women's soccer, perhaps the fastest growing sport in the world