The Lost Lionesses:
The incredible story of England’s forgotten trailblazers
by Gail Emms MBE
The unfairness experienced by the players and the impact it had on women's football as a whole are both covered in this engrossing and poignant story of the first England women's football squad to compete in the 1971 World Cup. The story was written by the primary striker's famous daughter, and it was told by the squad.One headline after the 1971 First Women's World Cup read, "Don't laugh; one day there may be a female Arsenal." The first lionesses, a mixed bag of schoolgirls, bank clerks, and telephonists, were the focus of attention. Most of them were from the Chiltern Valley football club, which was directed by Harry, a bilingual, sixty-year-old bus driver. During the 1971 World Cup in Mexico, these amateur girls became England's first women's football team, but when they got back home, they were met with ridicule. Their accomplishments were undermined by the press's mockery of them. Players may receive a three-month to two-year suspension if they tried to play for another team. The heroes had received their just desserts. Now, fifty years later, is the right time to reveal their truth. This multigenerational story, which is told by Janice Barton, the daughter of one of the team members, offers unprecedented access to the secrets and insights of the first-ever woman's team. It celebrates the strength of a group of women who refused to accept the status quo and reveals how the events of 1971 shaped the lives of mother and daughter on a personal and professional level.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Retired English badminton player Gail Emms, MBE, has won doubles championships across the globe. After being selected to play for England in 1995, Gail went on to win a silver medal in the mixed badminton doubles competition at the Olympics in Athens, along with Nathan Robertson, to become a world champion. 2008 saw her leave the sport. Since then, Gail has built a prosperous media career and established herself as a regular on prestigious shows like Question of Sport and Fighting Talk (5 Live). In addition, she manages events and public relations for her own prosperous business.
Publisher: Cassell
Published: September 26, 2024
Price: £22.00
ISBN-10: 1788404963
ISBN-13: 978-1788404969
Hardcover: 336 pages Dimensions: 234 x 153mm
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