SOUTHAMPTON is due to take part in a summer of celebration as one of nine host city’s for this year’s UEFA Women’s EURO.
In partnership with the FA, Southampton City Council has joined the project to uncover the hidden history of women’s football in a summer of celebration of the game, its players and communities.
With England set to host the tournament this summer and the Lionesses marking their 50th anniversary, the National Lottery funded project aims to challenge the common perception of women’s football being ‘new’ and change the nation’s understanding of ‘the English game’.
In addition to £500,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The FA and host cities have contributed nearly £600,000 to the project, making a total of £1,060,580.
For the first time, information about every England player, captain, goal scorer and match score since 1972 will be researched, recorded and shared alongside the information that already exists about men’s football.
The project will particularly explore the role of the LGBTQ+ community.
Southampton is one of nine UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 host cities taking part and Cllr Spiros Vassiliou, the city council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture & Heritage, said: “We are very excited that Southampton is a host city for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and we are proud of our rich football heritage, such as our Women’s team winning the FA Cup eight times between 1971 and 1982.
“The City’s ability to host large scale events and use key milestones to explore its culture and heritage, also makes it perfectly placed for our current bid to become UK City of Culture 2025.”
Founded in 1970, Southampton Women’s F.C. won the FA Cup eight times between 1971 and 1982 and remain the most successful women’s team in Southampton.
As part of the celebrations surrounding the tournament, SeaCity Museum will create an exhibition exploring the history of women’s football in Southampton, which goes back at least to the First World War, when teams were formed by women workers in the local factories.
The exhibition will open on June 25.
Professor Jean Williams, who will be leading the historical research to support the programme, said: ‘We are finding new artefacts and stories all the time, and are excited to share how women, and girls have historically pioneered football.”
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