My name is Steve Hall. I am a Brit who loves football and travel.

In 2010 I cycled to all the 92 football league clubs in England and Wales. I set off in May 2010 and finished on 23rd September. I was met with almost universal kindness, hospitality and friendship.

I had great plans for retracing the route in 2020/2023. Sadly Covid and then a long spell in hospital scuppered my plans. I started a new 90 day trip on 6th January 2024.

I am a seasoned traveller – 50 countries, 700 flights and tens of thousands of miles by rail – but that trip was unique. Was I back in the saddle and cycling? No. Running? No. Horseback/canoes? Dream trips but not this time. No, this one was a digital tuktuk  tour – virtually visiting the many football clubs in England l love so much! Yes, the motorised rickshaw much beloved of travellers in Thailand and India went visiting Old Trafford and Villa Park, Elland Road and St James …. and many, many more! It was a tremendous success. It was a beautiful virtual journey and we raised significant funds for Prostate Cancer UK and my local team here in London, FC Deportivo Galicia. 

Sadly my health is not up to running, cycling, or kayaking any longer BUT it is up to helping my friend O-M on his football project. 

O-M UPDATE

Many of you will know that I have been working with my Finnish friend, O-M Matihalti on his famous social media project that I featured here In a nutshell he is collecting ONE programme PER club PER season from 1967/68 to 2017/2017. This is being preserved as a huge project charting the social -economic, political and, of course, sporting life in England and Wales over those fifty years.

I thought it best if I added an update. We are making great progress although some clubs are much more difficult than others so far.

O-M comments, “Many moons ago I had this brilliant brainstorm of mine of collecting one programme per club per season. Little did I know what a project this would be. Without Steve, whom I got acquainted to back in March of 2024, getting anywhere near finishing the task would have been practically impossible. There’s been plenty of other people helping Steve. One of them is Stephen Morris. (Thanks, we shall meet one day.)

I am eternally thankful for all the help fellow collectors have been giving on the way to finalize the task. Getting back to Steve… he has swapped hundreds of programmes helping me to fill the gaps and scanned an enormous number of programme covers for me. One of the biggest challenges I have found is the high cost of postage to Finland. I can arrange postage to/from here via Steve. I have many thousands of programmes from Finland that l can exchange for my wants. Obviously you are most welcome to visit beautiful Finland …. probably best in Summer!!! Things to be done… are to meet Steve in person (I know he’s deaf but we will get by), to visit a West London programme fair (Hi, Mark, Barry, Lee and Les – Steve has told me a lot about you all so I’d love to visit) and anyone else in the UK who wants to say “hi.” Meanwhile, I will be pleased to help any collector who is interested in Finnish programmes.”

Thanks, O-M. I am really excited to get back to Finland. I was there in 1975 ….. I guess that makes me “old” or “urgammal,” as they say in certain parts of Finland.

Those who I would like to applaud publicly are:

Lee Hermitage of NWM Football

Brian at Brian’s Football Memorabilia

Mark Barnes the co-owner of Welling Collectables and of the West London Programme Fairs

… but the biggest, biggest (drum roll, PLEASE) shout out is for Stephen Morris. He has really engaged in the project and diligently searched for dozens of teams for O-M. He has huge stocks of most UK teams and I have always had hugely positive trades with him (both privately and for the project.) Everybody else I have spoken to speaks highly of him too.

He has a terrific offer on currently with a Super 50p Sale. He has tens of thousands of club programmes from the 70s to the 20s all at 50p. As my way of thanking him, if you take 50 programmes at 50p, I will double that with 50 random programmes from my own collection. Seem fair?

Any thoughts, questions, suggestions, kind wishes or, well, anything just get in touch with O-M or me.
Many thanks indeed, to everyone.

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I was talking to Lee at the Football Buying Network who said he was looking for constructive ideas for his new Football Buying Network. It would have been rude not to support, so here goes.

Football Buying Network Launches Pilot to Help Non-League Clubs Reduce Costs Through Collective Buying

A new initiative aimed at helping non-league and grassroots football clubs reduce costs
through collective purchasing has launched its initial pilot. Football Buying Network (FBN) has been created to bring clubs together around shared purchasing needs, allowing them to combine demand and potentially access stronger pricing and commercial terms from suppliers than they may be able to secure individually.

The concept is simple: while one club may have limited negotiating power when purchasing
equipment, services or other essential products, a group of clubs requiring the same thing
can represent a much more significant opportunity for suppliers.
FBN plans to organise participating clubs into buying pools based on common requirements
and then approach suitable suppliers on behalf of the group.
The pilot is currently open to non-league and grassroots clubs, with FBN particularly keen to
hear from club owners, chairmen, secretaries, treasurers, commercial teams, volunteers and
anyone involved in purchasing decisions.
There is no membership fee for clubs taking part in the pilot, no subscription, no exclusivity
and no obligation to purchase through any agreement negotiated by the network.
Clubs remain free to continue using their existing suppliers and decide independently
whether any opportunity presented through FBN is right for them.
Founder Lee Holness said:
“Football clubs across non-league and grassroots football are often purchasing many of the
same products and services, but they are doing so independently.
“The idea behind Football Buying Network is to see what happens when we start bringing
that demand together.
“One club may not be able to influence the price of a product very much, but if ten, twenty or
fifty clubs have the same requirement, that potentially becomes a very different conversation
with a supplier.
“We are not trying to control how clubs spend their money or tell them who they should buy
from. The purpose of FBN is to create opportunities.
“If we can negotiate something that genuinely saves a club money or gives them better
terms, they can take advantage of it. If the deal does not work for them, they simply do not
use it.”

The Football Buying Network pilot will also be used to identify where clubs are experiencing
the greatest cost pressures and which areas of club spending are best suited to collective
purchasing.
Potential buying categories could range from football and training equipment through to
ground and pitch products, printing, signage, operational supplies and other services
regularly required by clubs. Holness added:
“One of the most important parts of the pilot is listening to clubs before deciding what thenetwork should become.

“I do not want to build something based on assumptions about what clubs need. We want
people who are actually running football clubs to tell us where the problems are, what they
are spending money on and where a network like this could genuinely help.
“Non-league football relies enormously on volunteers, supporters and people putting huge
amounts of time into keeping their clubs running. If we can build something that helps those
clubs keep more money inside the football club, that is worth pursuing.”
FBN says transparency will be a central part of the model.
Participating clubs will not be required to pay simply to access the network, while supplier
agreements, pricing and commercial arrangements are intended to be presented clearly so
clubs can make their own purchasing decisions.
The long-term aim is to build a network capable of representing demand from clubs across
different levels of non-league and grassroots football, helping suppliers reach groups of
genuine buyers while giving participating clubs greater collective purchasing power.
FBN is also interested in hearing from leagues, competitions, football organisations and
other groups working with multiple clubs where a collective purchasing arrangement could
provide wider benefits.

The pilot is now open.

Clubs interested in taking part, discussing their current purchasing requirements or finding
out more about the project can contact Football Buying Network directly.
Website: footballbuyingnetwork.co.uk
Email: lee(.@)footballbuyingnetwork.co.uk

About Football Buying Network

Football Buying Network is a UK-based initiative created to help non-league and grassroots
football clubs improve their purchasing power by combining shared demand

3 October 2026

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I saw this on a FB group this week and felt incredibly sad. I messaged the writer. He kindly gave me permission to share anonymously.

Read ….and weep.Please don’t forget the story behind the whole Shirt2010 project – UNHCR.

Epping 2026

Like most people in Epping, the Bell had no real relevance in my life for most of the time it was used for housing asylum seekers.

Then came the horrible incident with Kabatu*. Thankfully arrested and deported.

Epping went nuts. It was disturbing to see anyone from the hotel become fair game for some. We all saw the social media clips of lads from the hotel having things thrown at them, or being punched and kicked, spat at.

Me and the missus started having walks up the road with the intent to have a chat with anyone we came across from the hotel. Just to let them know there were people in Epping who didn’t feel the same way and were there to help and show compassion.

Initially everyone we came across avoided any sort of interaction, walking along, eyes down, worried for how people would treat them

Only after we reassured that we just wanted to say hello and see how they were would the lads even look at us. Always with relief, and a couple of times with real joy on their faces.

Long story short(ish), I thought I wanted to do something for these guys, just give them a bit of normality in their lives.

For quite a few years, I’ve managed a grass roots football team, and I know the power football has in breaking down barriers and bringing people together. So the easiest thing for me to do would be football sessions.

I asked one of my senior players (H) if he would help me and he was happy to get on board.

On our first day there we were shown to a very small courtyard inside the boundaries of the hotel. I mean tiny. Max 15 x 30 m. And about 35 lads turned up, so it was a squeeze. Not ideal.

What was interesting was how the lads grouped with people from their own country. Even within the hotel they were looking for some sort of safety.

A wide range of abilities, and a wide range of fluency in English meant it took time to get going, but we did.

Over the weeks, the sessions flowed much better. A couple of lads with very good English helped when complicated things needed explaining. And most satisfying, the groups broke down. Everyone was cool with everyone. We were told by hotel security that this had spilled out into general hotel life, and there was more bonding between lads that previously had nothing to do with each other.

The boys were having fun and our sessions had become a focal point for their week.

We also found we had some decent players.

The weeks went on. The lads continued to enjoy. Of course some were being moved on or rejected, so as the numbers in the hotel diminished, so did the numbers coming to training. But it was a pretty consistent 25% of the residents coming to train each week.

Word reached us of a mini 8-a-side tournament being hosted in Forest Gate (big up Clapton FC). The teams were all made up of people with the short straw; asylum seekers, refugees, homeless men, impoverished young adults.

We spoke to the lads and said we wanted to enter the tournament. This news lifted them so much. There was constant talk of it around the hotel. No one was late for training, everyone was taking it serious. A couple of the lads started arranging extra sessions during the week, mimicking the drills H and I gave them.

Some dared to venture out in the evenings just to play football in a field and get used to more space.

Bell FC was forming.

Even those who didn’t play were getting involved. Flags were made of all the nationalities within our squad.

A couple of lads put a bit of a dance together for entertainment !

Some local contacts reached out to friends, charities, even Premier League football clubs to get everyone kitted out.

The day of the tournament came. The boys were buzzing.

Local volunteers shipped all the lads- players and supporters – to Forest Gate, kits were presented, shin pads reluctantly worn and the English weather did its bit with rain, sun and hail storms all coming within the space of about 4 hours.

The teams were split to gauge their levels, a few short games played and then divided into two groups, each playing for a trophy.

The team was full of enthusiasm. They played well but their first time in a competitive match showed and they lost 2-0.

I’ve managed for years. I know the result doesn’t always reflect the performance. But for the lads it was different. This was the tournament, they didn’t have next week to enjoy, or a season ahead to look forward to.

“Today” meant everything to them.

Me and H had a chat with the team, pointed out some small improvements they could make and encouraged them they had played well and would see the benefit.

Lifted they went out again. And lost 1-0.

This was not how it was meant to go. To see the optimism drain was sad to see.

Then one of the residents ( Y ) who had come to support his friends got an email to say his asylum claim had been denied.

To be honest losing a game of football became less important.

We all hid from the hail for a bit, and tried to comfort Y.

The football didn’t need any discussion. The lads were playing well. We knew it would come.

But they didn’t have another chance, lose the next game and it was over for them.

When they went out for kick off, Y grabbed an old snare drum, and, banging it, started chanting “Bell FC” over and over.

I was amazed that at such a difficult time his priority was to support his friends.

The rest was like a film. The boys narrowly won their next game 1-0. But it was the lift they needed.

The next game they blew away the team they had lost their first game to, winning it 3-1.

The football was flowing, simple things were done right, tackles were won cleanly and the combinations were what we had spent weeks doing in our small courtyard.

They could not be beaten.

Bell FC progressed to the final, another 3-1 win but more nervy than it sounds with the final goal coming very late in the game. But they had won it. Champions !!

Having something to focus on, something so positive to look forward to was obviously a huge benefit for the lads.

The self motivation for exercise and the mental health aspect were massive.

When the Bell was emptied earlier this year, it obviously made organising things a bit more difficult, but we have managed to play a full 11-a-side friendly and hope to have some more throughout the season.

One of the lads from Bell FC played for my Sunday team last year, and is now playing and doing very well for a grass roots football team local to where he was moved to, and another has gone on to sign for a step 5 team.

I still speak to them all regularly, and meet up every now and then.

I can honestly say being involved with these lads has enriched my life incredibly.

I am forever grateful.

Coach

Edit* Kabatu

Seven Human Beings – What’s not to love?

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As always lots of great offers from quality, genuine traders.

See you all there. Rich Letts from Sporting Gold, Lee Hermitage and Les Easterbrook.

…and as always a big THANK YOU to the organisers Barry and Mark.

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FC Bayern Munich or FC Bayern München as it is is German.

I was delighted to get a newsletter from our friends at COPA today. They have expanded their Bayern Munich range and I thought you would like to see it.



FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN – A LEGACY WRITTEN IN RED

From the early triumphs in Munich to nights that shaped European football, Bayern’s red and white has come to represent ambition, belief and generations of success.

This official retro collection celebrates the shirts, players and moments that helped build that legacy, from the rise of a legendary team in the 1970s to the unforgettable eras that followed.

Different generations. One Bayern.

To learn more and order visit the official COPA website

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Well, “Oh, Italy,” if you insist but I defy anyone over the age of 50 not to be singing a few words of it a la Pavarotti. The only words would be “Oh, Italeeeee, Italeeeeeee, Italeeeeeeeeeee in an incredible crescendo.” You now smile self-indulgently and look out at your audience of the household pets and bow from the waist. “7 Acacia Avenue is not La Scala.

Apart from everyone’s favourite Italians Pavarotti and Maldini, Bocelli and Baggio, Italy has an important place in the evolution of women’s football globally. Clare McEwen spills i fagioli …

How organised women’s football began across Europe, part 4: Italy

Part 4 of an ongoing series of how competitions and leagues began to form.

Women’s football grew in pockets: players formed teams, teams created small competitions, and those competitions slowly began to join the dots across each country.

They are stories of resilience, determination, and playing without permission.

Today, I’m looking at Italy who played a major role in the development and organisation of women’s football not only in their own country but across the world.

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Much like other nations in Europe, early teams in Italy were halted by bans or governing body interference.

But the formation of the Federazione Italiana Calcio Femminile – FICF (Italian Women’s Football Federation) in 1968 changed what was possible for women in Italy, and those across the world.

FICF women’s league

The first FICF Italian championship was played in 1968. It included 10 teams playing as two groups of five.

The standings at the end of the season were:

Group A standings (Northern group)

• Real Torino
• Genova
• Ambrosiana Milano
• Piacenza
• Viareggio

Group B standings (Southern group)

• Roma
• Cagliari
• Fiorentina
• Napoli
• Lazio

Roma beat Real Torino in one semi-final and Cagliari beat Genova in the other.

The final was played in Pisa, and Genova beat Roma 1-0.

The following season – 1969 – Roma got their revenge by beating Genova in the final by the same scoreline (in the replay).

UISP women’s league

But there was also a rival league – the Unione Italiana Sport Popolare league.

The FICF was set up purely to organise and legitimise women’s football in Italy. The UISP, however, wasn’t a football specific body but was (and actually still is) a multi-sport organisation promoting “sport for the people”.

In 1968, UISP organised a women’s football competition, amongst its many other sporting outlets.

Its first league included five teams:

• Bologna CF
• Abano Milano
• Internazionale Vimodrone
• Pilastro Parma
• Juventus Val di Lanzo

Bologna CF won the league with eight wins out of eight games.

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FFIGC League

By 1970, there was a third body organising a league – the Federazione Femminile Italiana Giuoco Calcio or FFIGC.

Ten of the teams in the FICF broke away to form this new league and four more clubs joined. The FFIGC began with:

• Gomma Gomma Milano (that’s a great name, another story for another day though)
• Piacenza
• Genova
• Roma
• Juventus
• Ambrosiana
• Fiorentina
• Cagliari
• Bologna
• Zucchet Lazio
• Napoli
• San Basilio (Rome)
• Lazio
• Reggina

Gomma Gomma Milano won the FFIGC league in 1970. Real Torino won the FICF league and Pordenone won the UISP league.

Note: there seem to be multiple teams named Juventus – in case you’re as confused as I am as you read on. There seems to be three “Juventus” teams – none were affiliated to the men’s team as far as I can tell.

Standing from the left: Vincenzi (trainer), Epicoco, Boll, Ferrara, Varone, Romano, Zoli and Rocchi.
Kneeling from the left: Cottini, Cannone, Cunzolo, Vignotto and Pessina

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Real Torino and Silvana Cittadino

Real Torino was founded by the Rambaudi brothers. It was based at a ground in Alpignano, not far from the outskirts of Turin.

Scouting for players was of course not what it is now and often happened via newspaper reports of calls for players.

In 1967, Silvana Cittadino read about the team and turned up at the team’s ground. She was told they had a friendly game the next day and to go along and watch to see what it was all about.

Cittadino dutifully made her way to Stradella in Pavia as a spectator.

She watched the girls from the sidelines.

Sometime during the match, the ball came towards her part of the touchline. She did what we’d all do and kicked it back onto the field.

Shortly after, another one came her way.

Having loved football from a young age, Cittadino had spent her time on her hometown streets playing with the boys.

So when the airborne ball came to her a second time, she volleyed it back.

The masseur (I’m amazed they had one but Cittadino herself tells this story) spotted her technique and called Coach Cavicchi over.

The coach asked her onto the field – fortunately, like any self-respecting young footballer, she was dressed in tracksuit and trainers – and asked her to take a couple of shots.

Next minute, she was on the field making her debut for Real Torino.

She scored two goals and so began an illustrious football career.

The centre-forward was described as quick, strong in the air, with a lightning-fast right foot.

Some success and then a split

As we saw above, in 1968, they topped their league group before losing to Roma in the semi-final.

And then it began to fall apart.

Cittadino herself spoke in an interview about the crowds they drew. Every game was packed with paying spectators.

But the age-old struggle of bosses and workers reared its head. The Rambaudi brothers made financial promises to the players but didn’t follow through on them. The players received very little in the way of cash and got fed up with it all.

Twelve players, including Cittadino, left Real Torino to form a new team, which they named Juventus (presumably after the men’s team).

One of their teammates worked at a factory owned by a man called Teresio Signoretto.

Somehow, connections were made and Signoretto agreed to fund the team. He kept every promise he made and covered all expenses.

Cittadino described him as a lovely man.

And even then, culture was everything.

Despite multiple opportunities to move to other teams, Cittadino remained with the black and white stripes of Juve until 1975, when she hung up her boots.

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Expansion into the 1970s

There’s no doubt that Italy led the way in women’s football organisation during the years where many countries had banned or severely restricted it.

And they continued to do so into the 1970s and 1980s, leading the way with semi-pro contracts way before it was happening in England.

International

Italy didn’t just go all-in on their domestic organisation. They also organised international tournaments alongside them.

In 1969, a small European competition was organised by the Italians. Four teams competed.

The event was successful so they planned the next one.

This time they went global and organised a world cup. The final between Denmark and Italy was watched by around 40,000 people.

It was so successful that they expanded their vision. In 1971, they played the event in Mexico.

It was organised on the same scale as the previous year’s men’s World Cup (Pele and all that). The Mexican football association and the fans were amazing.

The Azteca Stadium was rammed with 110,000 spectators for the final between Mexico and Denmark.

It was an enormous success and panicked both UEFA and FIFA into taking more control over the sport.

Ultimately it helped lead to the 1984 UEFA Euros.

Spread the fascinating stories found in women’s football to a friend. She’ll thank you…probably.

Previous articles are here, here and here

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Football Writers, where are you?

Obviously, I have spotlighted dozens of football writers over the years, likewise many people who make a living from football art. Well, amigos, I have something for you. Stephen at Stephen White Books just pinged me with this ….

UK Bookfest ·

If you’re a local author then get in touch! I’m thinking about running a local author fair in Bradford and one in Birmingham. So tell me if you want to have a table at an event like this or if you’re interested in coming to this sort of event! Make sure you spread the word and let’s try and get these authors in touch with their future fans! info@stephenwhitebooks.co.uk #ukbookfest#stephenwhitebooks#booktok#bradford#birmingham

Stephen organises mega bookfests and there has been almost ten thousand visitors each at Birmingham and Bradford recently for second hand books. He has now started to do brand new books too and the next is at BIRMINGHAM on 25/27 September. All others are listed below. He has a huge collection of sports books (well over 1000 just on football) as well as 20,000 programmes!

Hopefully see you at one of the bookfests soon. Stephen’s direct email is above but if you want an introduction, just let me know.

Birmingham

25th to 27th September

Brand New Book Weekend
• Located at National Conference Centre, Coventry Rd, B92 0EJ
• All books £5 (excluding special editions)
• Open 8am to 8pm (Sunday 1-4pm)
• Free Entry
• No secondhand stock at this event

For further details, see www.ukbookfest.co.uk

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How organised women’s football began across Europe, part 3: Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Part 3 of an ongoing series of how competitions and leagues began to form.

Women’s football grew in pockets: players formed teams, teams created small competitions, and those competitions slowly began to join the dots across each country.

They are stories of resilience, determination, and playing without permission.

Today, I’m looking at three more of those beginnings: Big Molly Seaton drawing crowds in Northern Ireland, an Irish Benfica, and the Prestatyn Ladies’ scrapbook.Subscribe

Northern Ireland

A British Ladies FC tour in 1895 introduced football to the women in Northern Ireland but the first swell of interest came during the First World War.

A pseudo international game between Ireland and England at Windsor Park attracted 10,000 spectators. The game was a testimonial in honour of Mrs Walter Scott – not even afforded her own first name in the record books – who set up a Ladies Football Guild in 1916.

It was the appeal of Irish woman “Big Molly Seaton” who brought wider attention to the game in Northern Ireland when her Scottish side Rutherglen toured the area in the late 1920s. Molly was a superstar of her time and always drew a crowd.

Although the Irish Football Association didn’t ban women from playing football like other FAs, there was no support for the game making it hard to organise.

During the 1970s, the Northern Ireland Ladies Football Association formed and became affiliated to the English Women’s Football Association (WFA).

By summer 1973, Northern Ireland had an eight-team league. Seven of these teams were:

• Mayfair (Portadown)
• Albion (Ballymena)
• Minerva
• Berkshire
• Comber
• Millisle
• Glenavon

The eighth team wasn’t listed in the IFA source I found.

Mayfair were a clothing factory team from Portadown. Seven members of Northern Ireland’s first international squad came from the team. The other six clubs above were all represented too.

This original league was reorganised only a few years later.

In November 1976, representatives came together to form the Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association. They met at the Post Office Youth Club in Belfast to hold their first meeting.

They established league rules, the constitution, how they would recruit clubs and players, and elected their first chair – Mary McVeigh.

They began a summer league in 1977, and 18 teams were divided into three divisions of six. Unfortunately, the names of the teams seem – so far – to be lost in the sands of time. Three early teams who may well have been amongst the 18 were: Blue Birds, Dynamos, and Buzby Babes.

Republic of Ireland

It was Molly Seaton and the Rutherglen team who also brought women’s football to the Republic of Ireland. But it wasn’t until much later that it began to catch on.

One of the oldest clubs in the Republic of Ireland was Benfica of Waterford. Formed in 1965, they were apparently part of a women’s league of 22 teams, but I’ve found limited information on this so far.

A Dublin Ladies Football League was established in 1971 and one of their first champions (possibly the first) was Jeyes.

Jeyes of Figlas

Jeyes was a works team formed in the Jeyes factory in Finglas. Having won the league, they toured France making a strong connection with French side Reims. In 1973, Reims made the return trip to Ireland.

It was during that tour that Irish legend Anne O’Brien was spotted by Reims boss Pierre Geoffroy. He was so impressed he offered her a contract to join the semi-professional Reims. She was only 17 at the time and had to wait until she turned 18 before she could move away to France.

The Dublin Ladies Football League built momentum around the game in Ireland – although I’m yet to find a good record of anything beyond the success of Jeyes.

Whatever its story, it helped spark the Ladies Football Association of Ireland in 1973. Independent of Football Association Ireland (FAI), it began to organise the regional and workplace leagues that were forming.

At the same time, the Ladies League of Ireland was formed. This was a national league, organised by FAI.

Twelve teams were invited to the first league:

• Dundalk
• Finn Harps
• Cork Celtic
• Limerick
• Sligo Rovers
• Benfica (Waterford)
• Evergreen (Kilkenny)
• Avengers, formerly Jeyes (Dublin)
• Cahir Park (Tipperary)
• Beejays (Galway)
• Happy Wanderers (Galway)
• Wasps (Galway)

Later Elms United – also of Galway – joined.

By 1979, only seven teams competed and the league was discontinued in the 1980s. It was relaunched in 1987 but only survived for three more seasons.

Thanks for reading She Can Kick It! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Editor’s note: for anything and everything about the Republic of Ireland, I defer to my great friend Bobby Power of www.GoWildMagazine.com I have asked him if he can add any background information and I look forward to sharing that with Clare.

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Wales

Much like other parts of the British Isles, the First World War provided the backdrop for women’s munitions teams. The first known league in Wales formed in 1917-18. The South Wales Women’s Munitions League had three silver cups as prizes.

Newport Ladies won the league in its first season and the National Shell Factory Swansea won the Munitions Cup in 1918.

There were also some games in North Wales during the wartime period, but it would be decades before a sustained league structure emerged in the region.

In 1969, Prestatyn Ladies was formed by two sisters : Mia and Eleri Griffith. Wonderfully, they kept scrapbooks of their games, which have been preserved.

They give a long list of their opponents, who included:

• Dyserth Ladies
• Llanrwst Ladies
• Rhyl High School Girls
• Mostyn Ladies
• Deeside Firebelles
• Connah’s Quay Firebelles
• Modo Marvels
• South Caernarvon Creameries
• Point of Ayr Ladies
• Halkyn Ladies
• Wrexham Ladies

As a side note, the current Wrexham Women’s team played in the Champions League qualifiers this season, although unfortunately didn’t make it through. But they’ve come a long way because, in the Griffiths’ scrapbook, Wrexham were once beaten 25-0 by Prestatyn.

Despite the number of teams around in North Wales, there doesn’t seem to have been anything resembling a formalised league. So Prestatyn joined the Merseyside and Wirral League in the north west of England.

In South Wales, a 10-club league formed in 1972. It mainly consisted of factory and workplace teams, including Johnson Rangers of Port Talbot and Maurice Cohen, who were sponsored by a local lingerie manufacturer.

A couple of years later, around eight clubs were reportedly affiliated to a short-lived “Welsh League”, but little else is known.

By 1976, some of the leading South Wales teams began moving into England’s Western League.

These included:

• Cardiff West End
• Newport Nightingales
• Llanedeyrn, who later became Cardiff City Ladies

Regional leagues continued to come and go and it wasn’t until 1992 that a more sustained league – the South Wales Women’s and Girls’ League formed. It still exists today and may be the start of a more lasting structure in South Wales.

Since North Wales teams often crossed the border into England to join their leagues, it wasn’t until 2003 that a modern North Wales Women’s Football League was formed.

And it was only in 2009 that Wales had its first national league. The Welsh Premier Women’s League is now known as the Adran Premier league.

This is part of a series on the formation of early leagues in women’s football.

Here’s part 1click and 2 click:

Editor’s note : thanks to Clare for the background information on Jeyes

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“I wandered lonely as a cloud,” well it felt a bit like that as I was well and truly lost on Google Maps as I searched in vain to find my bank in Middlesbrough town centre. Those with more patience would probably have looked more carefully at the screen and seen that the quickest way involved walking THROUGH an entire shopping centre. So, there I was walking through the Dundas Centre when I saw a thing of beauty, ASB Football Shirts Yes, there among the charity shops, and the discount home furnishing stores was an image/ a mirage of pulchritude/ a genuine football shirt shop!

Wanting not to appear ungrateful for the improvement in my day, nor abuse the bank manager further (too aggressively), I walked into this Aladdin’s Cave. Yes, I know he was probably on the planet before the Founding 12 but this Aladdin was fronted by the ever affable Mark who kindly showed me the biggest Boro collection I have ever seen. “But there’s more”….yes, a huge selection of EFL, EPL, non-league and foreign club and internationals. HUGELY impressive.

Mark told me that his biggest focus currently is increasing ever further his stock levels as he has a ready trade for all quality shirts (as opposed to the skanky knock-offs from the vape shops or weekly markets!)
He travels extensively in search of nice single items and collections. So, if you have anything of likely interest please contact him via his website of even WApp/phone etc 07714 190606

As I type this up I am beginning to realise that all Smoggies are good people. There is Mark and let’s not forget Barry and Steve who welcomed me so effusively when I was last in Middlesbrough in 2010. I note I also got lost that day too! See here

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A very interesting update from Clare McEwen on the All New Subway Players Cup
Thanks, ma’am!

Last season’s Subway Women’s League Cup will now be the Subway Players Cup for 2026-27. And the format has been tweaked too.

Oh yeah, and last year’s winners – Chelsea – won’t be part of the competition this season.

The League Cup has had a major overhaul for 2026-27.

Here’s what you need to know.

How does it work from 2026-27

From this season, the three teams competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League will not take part.

That means no Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal.

Rather than a group phase and a knockout phase, there will now be a league phase and knockout phase. The league phase will see all 23 participating teams from the WSL and WSL2 playing in a single league.

Each team will play three home and three away games against teams who are geographically nearby. This new regionalised league phase aims to cut down on travelling time, reducing the burden on players.

There will be 69 games played between September and December. Winners get three points but there will be no draw. Which can only mean one thing: penalties.

If scores are level after 90 minutes, it goes straight to penalties. Two points will be awarded to the winner, and one point to the loser.

It’s exciting from a fan perspective because now every game feels like a knockout game. But it’s also exciting from a development point of view because all the teams involved get a chance to feel that excitement and pressure and revel in it. That can only be a good thing for the future of the game.

After the league fixtures, the top eight teams will go on to the knockout phase, culminating in the final, which will be played sometime during the weekend of the 13th/14th March 2027.

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Benefits

As well as plenty of games and extra excitement, there are multiple benefits to the restyled competition.

The three Champions League teams are relieved of some of their playing load – it’s either the Champions League or the Players Cup, no more having to juggle both.

For the rest of the WSL and WSL2 there are multiple benefits: more meaningful game time, a better chance of silverware, and a chance to develop players and make the leagues even more competitive.

It could also help reduce injury risk.

The reduction in playing load for the top teams is an obvious benefit when it comes to managing injury risk. But did you know that not playing enough games can also increase injury risk?

A FIFPRO study in 2025 found that players who were “underloaded” with playing time – rather than “overloaded” – also had an increased injury risk.

The disparity in playing time between the top and the bottom teams in the WSL is stark. In the 2024-25 season, the average Arsenal first-team player played the equivalent of 13 more matches than the average Crystal Palace player (across club and international football). Many players either played too many minutes or too few – both increasing injury risk.

The new format of the Players Cup will help to reduce this playing time gap.

And this leads us nicely into the new name.

Why the name change?

So the Women’s League Cup has now become the Players Cup – without an apostrophe, which is giving me a nervous tic as a type, but I’ll adjust (Champions League does the same to me, btw).

The name change is essentially to reflect that the changes to the format have been built around player welfare and put the players at the heart of the competition.

There is now no “women’s” qualifier, which maybe shows WSL Football’s intent to steer away from the men’s model and build something fresh for the women’s game. The name change obviously helps make it distinct from any men’s competition too.

After talking with clubs, players, and fans, WSL Football recognised there was an opportunity to rewrite the rules for the secondary cup competition.

The player-centric focus addresses calendar congestion and player welfare, creates more opportunity for player development, and ultimately gives different teams a chance to win a major trophy.

In turn, that can strengthen player pathways, deepen the pool of homegrown talent, and perhaps give more opportunities for international call-ups.

Because the players are at the heart of the redesign, the Players Cup seems like the perfect name. I wonder how long the discussions were about whether to include an apostrophe…

Just me?

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My thoughts

I think this is a really good change. Taking the top three from the WSL out of the equation gives other teams a better chance for silverware, as well as opportunities to develop players more quickly. For the majority, who rely on funding from the wider club, this could generate more interest in their women’s team and maybe, just maybe, lead to more investment.

For the players, it means more chances to develop, experience what it feels like to regularly go deep into a Cup competition, and have something realistic to fight for every season.

For managers, it means more opportunities to develop players, test ideas, and build their vision more quickly. And of course, a better chance of putting something in the trophy cabinet.

For fans, it’s no longer another game to worry about player welfare but a chance to celebrate our teams in more exciting matches. A chance to embrace a new format – where every game produces a winner and there’s no playing for a draw. A chance to see more competitive matches and watch players grow and develop. A chance for a different set of supports to celebrate what it feels like to win silverware.

I’m excited to see what it brings.

Are you?

If you enjoyed this article, you can support my research and writing with a virtual tea on Ko-fi. Or Subscribe here for free, leave a comment below, or share the article. All help and are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Editor’s note. I see nothing but positives. I especially like regionalising as many matches as possible. In the men’s game, I have for many years pleaded for League One and Two to be split North and South. A radical thought is to add the National League and have a North, Central and South. Gillingham would be going to Orient and Wimbledon instead of Fleetwood and York. Dream on, Steve!

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One of the upsides of becoming involved in O-M’s programme project was that I met many great people along the way. O-M introduced me to Stuart Eyre from the East Midlands who had helped him from his early days collecting the 92 clubs’ programmes over the 50 years.

Stuart and I traded and he told me this week that he has started a new Facebook Community for football memorabilia collectors. Nothing new so far but Stuart has added a nice turn on it and programmes are NOT for sale but rather for exchange. He explains it, ” This group has been created to assist collectors of football programmes to obtain their ‘missing’ programme or programmes without having to pay out.

Just like many of us did as kids in days gone by with football stickers, this group will enable collectors to exchange their football programmes. Connections with like-minded collectors can be made via this page.

Whether collectors have duplication they want to ‘breakdown’, two of the same programme that they’re happy to exchange one of them or after a particular programme and feel that they can ‘entice’ a fellow collector that has that ‘wanted’ programme to exchange.

The rules are simple:-

No sales allowed, only exchanges

The admin take no responsibility for any transactions other than the transactions participated in

Be kind, honest and courteous to each other.”

So, here you are Football Programme Exchange Community

As an example, here is what Stuart is looking for himself:

You can catch him here

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