At the beginning of the 20th century, South Yorkshire was a prosperous hub for women’s football. Thousands flocked to games between factory teams and neighbourhood clubs, especially towards the end of World War I, when women occupied men’s roles for the first time. However, just as it began to take off, a heavy blow changed the face of women’s football across England, and South Yorkshire was not exempt.
Women’s Football Booms
By 1917, the South Yorkshire towns of Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster were renowned for their women’s football teams, most of which had been formed in munitions factories. The matches were not a sporting leisure activity; they raised much-needed money for wartime charities. One match in Sheffield’s Hillsborough, for example, was attended by over 17,000 and raised hundreds of pounds for wounded soldiers. Clubs like Vickers Works and Barnsley Ladies were home heroines, proving that there was a demand for women’s football in the region and on the rise.
Though it was a success, women’s football also faced resistance from institutions. On December 5, 1921, the Football Association (FA) officially banned women from playing on league-affiliated grounds. Their justification? That “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.”
This move shocked players and supporters across South Yorkshire. Not only did it keep women’s teams out of big stadiums and grounds, but also effectively cut their link to funds, finance, and official structure. Short, it strangled the professional existence of the women’s game when it was booming.
South Yorkshire’s Quiet Resistance
While the FA ban halted national momentum, it did not end the passion of the sport in South Yorkshire. In Doncaster, this included the likes of Bentley Ladies and Woodlands Ladies continuing to play matches on minor pitches. Local passion was high- a 1921 fixture between the two purportedly drew over 4,000 spectators.
Women’s football continued in the region, not because of institutional support, but because of community resilience. Casual competitions, friendly matches, and charity games kept going through the 1920s and ’30s, keeping the game alive during difficult times.
Decades in the Shadows
The ban lasted 50 years, driving women’s football underground. Without finance or official sanction, many of the teams collapsed. Girls who were growing up in South Yorkshire and might have dreamed of playing professionally had no models or paths to aspire to. It wasn’t until 1971 that the FA at last abolished the ban, allowing women’s teams back on to league grounds – but the damage was already done.
The FA ban of 1921 is one of the darkest pages in English footballing history. It stemmed a healthy football culture in South Yorkshire that did indeed have the potential to grow into something genuinely nationally significant. Even though the region would later reclaim its position in the sport’s resurrection- with the advent of Doncaster Rovers Belles the most prominent- the ban saw the region suffer a 50-year absence that is felt to this day.
We honor the grit of those original trailblazers at SYWF. By highlighting that lost history, we hope to restore what was wrongly taken away and give future generations of women in South Yorkshire a chance to shine through- without hindrance.
