IWD 2025 - Looking back to move forward: 8 facts you may not know about Women’s Football

By Liz Jones, Women in Sports Physiotherapist

Women’s football has faced adversity, but its future is brighter than ever. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, here are 8 key moments and issues that have defined the game you may not know about!

LDN PHYSIO proudly sponsors Leon FC! @leon.fc

Women’s football was labelled as “unsuitable”, and “too much for a woman’s physical frame"

During World War One, Women took on jobs that were considered as male jobs. This included factory work. Many of the factories started their own factory football teams. After the war ended, some people questioned whether football was damaging women’s health, including a Harley Street Doctor, describing it as the “most unsuitable game, too much for a woman's physical frame” (The FA Heritage Website).

Women’s football was banned on the 5th of December 1921

The ban meant that women could not play at professional grounds and pitches of clubs affiliated to The FA, saying that “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.”

As the suppression continued, a referee was suspended in 1947 for managing the Kent Ladies Football Club. They claimed that “women's football brings the game into disrepute" (The FA Heritage Website).

Gill Sayell was a trailblazer of women’s football in England

Gill Sayell represented England at an unofficial Women’s World Cup tournament in Mexico in 1971 (Lee, 2025). The tournament was a glimmer of hope as she recalled being “respected” as footballers and “treated really well”.

However, on their return they were banned for three months and the team’s manager was banned for life, Harry Bratt.

Gill Sayell then became a founding member of Arsenal’s first women’s team and the first female player of the year in the 1987-1988 season. They wore a “hand-me-down” men’s kit.

She is a role model for female football players who are paving the way for a more equal playing environment and attitude towards women’s football.

Reasons for optimism: goals for doubling participation, fanbase, and success

‘The Gameplan for Growth’ strategy by The FA highlighted these goals for women’s and girls’ football in England in 2017. Currently one million girls (aged 5-15) and 1.9 million women (16+) in England play football.

The number of fans continues to grow: England women played in front of 87,192 at Wembley in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 (The FA Heritage Website).

Our physio Dani in his previous role as Crystal Palace Women's team principle Physiotherapist

Mechanisms of injury for female football players differ to male football players

Severe knee injuries and head injuries have been highlighted as a concern (Jung et al, 2007). Further research into the ways in which these injuries are sustained in women’s football would help in establishing injury prevention strategies (Jung et al, 2007).

ACL injury may present the highest burden in Women’s football

One study evaluating the 2018/2019 to 2021/2022 football seasons in elite-level women’s football, suggests that in a season one elite women’s football squad may experience 35 injuries that cause time loss, with ACL injury having the highest burden and thigh muscle injury being the most common (Hallén et al, 2024).

Lower limb injuries have been highlighted as a significant issue in senior women’s football

Due to lower body injuries sustained during matches, the importance of prevention has been highlighted. The lower body, including ligament, muscle and tendon injuries, are important when considering injury prevention strategies in women’s football at club, elite, and international level (Horan et al, 2022).

The focus on women’s football by sporting academics around the world is growing, though not yet comparable to men’s football (Kryger, 2021).

Women’s football boots are increasingly available however this wasn’t always the case with female players wearing men’s or children’s boots

Dr Katrine Okholm Kryger is an expert in the field and states that, “female players have a higher risk of things such as stress fractures of the metatarsals, the five small bones just before your toes in your foot.” She highlights that women’s feet tend to be wider and therefore when they have to squeeze into an ill-fitting boot, there are higher injury risks to women associated with this (Garry, 2021).

Women’s football has come a long way, but to shape its future, we must remember its past. From battles for recognition to ongoing challenges in player welfare - let’s continue to push for progress, equality, and recognition in the game. ⚽❤️

Walk the talk: Our physio Vera on the pitch ⚽ @veraphysio

_____________

References:

Garry, T. (2021) Why footwear gender gap must be tackled, The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/04/23/footwear-gender-gap-must-tackled/ (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

Hallén, A. et al. (2024) UEFA Women’s Elite Club Injury Study: A prospective study on 1527 injuries over four consecutive seasons 2018/2019 to 2021/2022 reveals thigh muscle injuries to be most common and ACL injuries most burdensome, British Journal of Sports Medicine. Available at: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/3/128 (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

Horan, D. et al. (2023) Injury incidence rates in women’s football: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Prospective Injury Surveillance Studies, British Journal of Sports Medicine. Available at: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/8/471 (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

J;, J.A. (2007) Injuries in female football players in top-level international tournaments, British journal of sports medicine. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17646248/ (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

Kryger, K.O. (2021) Research on women’s football: A scoping review. Available at: https://research.stmarys.ac.uk/id/eprint/5778/3/Manuscript_Blinded_Clean.pdf (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

Lee, S. (2025) ‘Trailblazer’ for women’s football in England painted by David James, BBC Sport. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd0nz8m59g3o (Accessed: 07 March 2025).

The FA Heritage. (no date) Kicking down barriers, www.thefa.com. Available at: https://www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football/heritage/kicking-down-barriers (Accessed: 07 March 2025).