'We didn't feel like trailblazers,' says 1972 Lioness

A pioneering England women's football player has spoken of her pride over helping pave the way for future generations, ahead of the Lionesses' big Euros game this weekend.

Wendy Owen, from Slough in Berkshire, was one of 15 women who made sporting history in 1972 in England's first official women's international friendly match.

"We didn't feel like trailblazers at the time and we didn't really know that we'd be historically trailblazers but now we do," she said.

Millions of people across England will be cheering on the Lionesses in their final Euros group game against Wales, which will determine their qualification for the quarter-finals.

England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier this week in Switzerland.

But decades before crowds were cheering on Leah Williamsons and Lauren James it was the likes of Sylvia Gore, Lynda Hale, Jeannie Allott and Ms Owen paving the way for generations of women to play for their country.

Ms Owen said she began playing with her brothers and other boys "on the green on our local council estates" in about 1966, "inspired by the England Men's World Cup win".

"There were no female role models because there weren't any women playing football that you could see in those days," she said.

It was not until 1970 that the FA voted to rescind a controversial 1921 resolution that banned women's football for being "unsuitable".

Speaking to BBC Berkshire's Kirsten O'Brien, Ms Owen said: "My dad was a youth club leader at Beaconsfield Youth Club and he actually started a girls' youth club team just to be able to let me play.

"We were playing on factory pitches and youth club pitches to get around the ban.

"Then the women's FA was set up in 1969 and they lobbied to get the ban overturned, different leagues were formed leading up to the first England trials in 1972."

The 1972 team trained at Bisham Abbey before the match and Ms Owen said "it didn't feel as important as it clearly was", when they played.

The very first women's international to be played at a league ground was at Reading's Elm Park - England v the Netherlands in November 1973 - in front of a "record crowd of 2,000", she said.

Ms Owen said after the England women's 2022 final, she began receiving messages saying: "Well done, congratulations, you started it all off, without you it wouldn't have happened."

In October 2022, the 1972 team gained recognition for their achievement, receiving their caps at Wembley's England v USA match in front of 76,893 people.

Ms Owen said: "It was fantastic, we'd waited a long time for it but we were at last give recognition from the FA on the 50th anniversary of that first international match.

"We were presented with a legacy cap, a cap with our number on it - my number is 12 - and I got an England one as well."

She said they visited the 2022 team ahead of their final, arriving at the training pitch to applause.

"They came over to us, telling us that they were standing on our shoulders, it was just incredible," said Ms Owen.

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