Member-only story
When Female Athletes Outdrew the Men
World War I and women’s sports
On Boxing Day in 1920, 53,000 spectators crowded into Goodison Park in Liverpool for a football (soccer) match. It was a sellout; 14,000 more people wandered around outside the stadium, having been turned away. It was a stunning crowd, drawing more spectators than the FA Cup final had earlier that year.
A big crowd at a game on a holiday; nothing unusual about that. But one thing stood out about this contest: the spectators weren’t there to watch Everton Football Club, the stadium’s usual occupants; they were there to see a contest between two women’s teams.
The game, an unofficial women’s national championship, featured the powerhouse teams of Dick, Kerr Ladies and St. Helens Ladies. On the day, Dick, Kerr dominated, winning 4–0. The team’s star was Lily Parr, who had recently transferred from St. Helens to Dick, Kerr.
A newspaper enthused over her potential:
There is probably no greater football prodigy in the whole country. Not only has she speed and excellent ball control, but her admirable physique enables her to brush off challenges from defenders who tackle her. She amazes the crowd where ever she goes by the way she swings the ball clean across the goalmouth to the opposite wing.
