When Football Banned Women

Dan Snow's History Hit

England’s historic Euro 2022 victory on Sunday night was the most watched TV programme of the year. It feels like it's the first time women's football is getting the attention it deserves. Well, a century ago, it was women who dominated the pitch, commanding crowds bigger than the men's games. But that changed on the 5th of December 1921 when the FA placed a complete ban on women playing professional football. That ban lasted 50 years.

In this episode from our archive, celebrated broadcaster Clare Balding joins Dan to tell the story of the factory girls who took on the world, why they were banned and the legacy of that ban over 100 years on.

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