Hitchhiking to matches and bunking of work: Life as a Lioness 50 years ago

Hitchhiking to matches, sleeping in stations and bunking off work – this was the norm for ’72 Lionesses (Picture: Nancy Hurman/Getty Images)

‘Football’s coming home’ was belted out across Wembley – and much of England – after the whistle was blown at the end of England v Germany’s Euros 2022 historical final.

The 2-1 win, which saw the Lionesses crowned the champions of Europe, put women’s football at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

While huge crowds cheered for the likes of Chloe Kelly, Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo, another generation of Lionesses watched on with pride.

Jeannie Allott, Janet Clark, Maggie Pearce and Lyn Hale grew up in the shadow of the 50-year ban on professional women’s football.

From 1921 to 1971, the game had been deemed ‘quite unsuitable’ for females.

When the ban was lifted in 1971, women from up and down the country went from kickabouts in the streets to playing for club and country.

But they didn’t enjoy the same support as players today.

‘We could only imagine the kit and facilities the teams have today,’ Janet, 68, tells Metro.co.uk in a call with Jeannie, Morag and Lyn.

The women’s football ban had initially left England lagging behind their rivals on the international stage (Picture: Janet Clark)

But the Lionesses would soon pounce on their chance to build the women’s game (Picture: Lyn Hale)

‘Jeannie used to hitchhike to games. Our parents weren’t that well off, but my mum would still find money together to get me on a train to London or wherever.’

The ‘72 Lionesses didn’t play for money – the majority of players had day jobs – but were inspired by their pure love of the game.

Janet had grown up playing football with her three brothers on a Sunday morning, often leaving her caked in mud.

After a kickabout, her brothers would distract their mother to let her dash upstairs to take a bath.

Janet made it through the trials into Eric Worthington’s original England squad in 1972, and was branded by The Sun as ‘the Nobby Stiles of ladies’ soccer’.

She adds: ‘I had no holidays left at the first training I went to and told my boss I couldn’t go. He said “no, you’re going – I’ll clock you in and out for the week.’”

While Janet’s work and family were supportive, backlash was not uncommon for the ‘72 Lionesses.

‘You should be at home’ the players were told by jeering men. Others said they ‘should be wearing a pretty little dress’ instead of their England strips.

Players and coaching staff celebrate with a bottle of champagne after beating France 2-0 at Plough Lane in Wimbledon on November 7, 1974(Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Jeannie Allott leads out the Lionesses at Wembley Stadium in 1972 (Picture: Ian Showell/Keystone/Getty Images)

At one point, the entire squad was photographed for an article – but it was just their legs pictured in the paper with the question ‘Can You Guess The England Women Player By Their Legs?’

‘We learned to just focus,’ says Maggie, on not letting the outside world influence their performance as England players.

The 65-year-old adds: ‘When you walked on the pitch, you were football focused. You could have five people, 5,000 people around you – but all you could hear was teammates.

‘It was brilliant, I wouldn’t have changed the experience for the world.’

Jeannie, who was just 17 on her debut with England, echoes Morag.

‘We had a lot of barriers to break down, real barriers which no-one can imagine today, but it was fantastic,’ she recalls. ‘I never looked back and had a great youth.’

Jeannie, now 66, would later move to the Netherlands – where she still lives today – to further her football career.

She played alongside Dutch player Sarina Wiegman, and, even then, the quiet confidence of the woman who would become the future England coach was clear.

Southampton Ladies Football Club – featuring Lyn Hale – warm up with manager Norman Holloway on May 8 1971 (Picture: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

Lyn Hale, Sheila Parker and Jeannie Allott train at Wembley in 1972 ahead of the UK’s first official women’s football international against Scotland (Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

‘Sarina was a very good player. She used to play right half and was really technical,’ remembers Jeannie.

‘I take my hat off to her. She’s a quiet girl. You see her on the touchline and she’ll never rant or rage. Once the girls go on that field, it’s no use Sarina shouting at them. She gives the instruction before.’

When asked about the current crop of Lionesses, their predecessors are full of praise for the ‘great’ team devoid of any ‘cockiness.’

‘Lucy Bronze is like me’, Maggie quickly says. 

‘Keira Walsh was a bit like me,’ muses Janet, while Lyn asks with a smile, ‘Can I be Beth Mead?’

For Jeannie, choosing a favourite within such a strong squad is no easy task.

‘They all got something, your good defender, your fast winger,’ she explains. 

‘I don’t think there’s one that outshines the other. They play as a team. This generation [of Lionesses] have ideas, they know how it works.’

Seeing the rise of women’s football is bittersweet for Janet, Maggie, Lyn and Jeannie.

They’re immensely proud of what they achieved, but there’s a twinge of sadness that their work went unnoticed for so long.

However, a new wave of support from the National Lottery has helped the stories of the ‘72 Lionesses garner the respect they deserve.

Their names are listed on the official England website and, after a valiant campaign, all the players post-ban have had their caps officially recognised.

The group enjoyed a lap of honour when England took on the USA at Wembley last year, when the country was still gripped by a post-Euros frenzy.

‘When England did so well last year, my dad said “you know, you were just born 50 years too early”,’ says Janet.

England star Leah Williamson with members of the 1972 squad (Picture: Naomi Baker/The FA/Getty Images)

Maggie Pearce with her personal favourite Lioness: Lucy Bronze (Picture: Maggie Pearce)

‘And I said, I wasn’t, as if he hadn’t been my dad, I wouldn’t have achieved what I did. He’s always been so supportive. 

‘He’s 93 and was able to come to Wembley and see me get my cap after so long.’

Today, the ‘72 Lionesses keep in contact over a Whatsapp group called ‘Party Animals 72’ and plan to meet up once a year.

They hope, as the rise of the women’s game continues, attention can be turned to both recognising the past and preserving the future.

‘It is unfortunate it took so long for us to be recognised,’ says Lyn, 68. ‘We were a little piece of history. Years ago, no-one even knew we played football. Only our close family. Sometimes workmates never even knew.

‘We had to muddle along [when we were playing football]. But now, thanks to funding from the National Lottery, communities and grassroots football is changing.

‘It’s become more visible on the television as well, which has made a huge difference.’

The 1972 squad before the USA took on England in a friendly at Wembley last year (Picture: Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Their story was also told to viewers of the National Lottery’s Big Bash (Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images for The National Lottery)

Future Lionesses won’t learn their craft in the same way as the original squad, Jeanne adds.

‘The streets can be dangerous at the moment, so sports facilities need to be up and running for these young girls,’ she explains. 

‘We’ve got a long way to go – at the moment a lot of the trainers are volunteers – but we need to put in the money and show them the way.’

Janet adds that the National Lottery funding has ‘transformed’ the women’s game in her lifetime, and that England’s recent success wouldn’t have been possible without it.

‘It’s amazing what they’ve done for girls and the future of women’s football,’ she says.

Today, the ’72 Lionesses will join hundreds of fans at Boxpark Wembley, to watch as England begin their World Cup journey with a match against Haiti.

They’ve got special t-shirts made with their legacy numbers on the front and ‘1972 Lioness’ emblazoned on the back.

Below is the line ‘yes, we were the first’, if the message wasn’t clear.

Anyone who spots the ‘OG Lionesses’ in the wild is encouraged to say hello and ask more about their playing past.

For the former teammates, they hope their legacy can be left in lights.

‘We want people to know the real story, of what really happened, what we really went through, and it’s about time we were recognised,’ says Jeannie.

‘We won’t be forgotten.’

Metro.co.uk spoke with Morag, Janet, Lyn and Jeannie thanks to the National Lottery – which has invested more than £50 million into the women’s game in the last decade.

The National Lottery’s Women’s Euro Legacy New Team Grant now means £1million has been made available to set up new girls’ clubs or teams since the Euros win last summer. 

So far, £200k has been issued to set up 170 new clubs / teams across the country.

Find out how your numbers make amazing happen at: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

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‘We were a little piece of history. Years ago, only our close family even knew we played football.’