First ever female “international” football game in England May 1881

The third match in the first ever tour of female football International games between England v Scotland. The first 2 games had been played in Scotland so Blackburn hosted the first ever female game in England on the 21st May 1881.

FEMALES IN THE FOOTBALL FIELD.- Woman’s mission, according to some authorities, is to compete with man in every department of life, and some enterprising per-son has organised a team of “Lady” football players, who are understood to hail from Glasgow. On Saturday afternoon these “Ladies” played a match on the ground of the Blackburn Olympic Club, at Hole-i’th’-wall, where some 4,000 people assembled to witness their exploits. The Ladies did not play well as a team, not perhaps, having been trained to run in harness. There was no half-backs or any halves whatever about the game, each lady being in full possession of her position, and playing her own game whenever she got a chance, without much regard to the result. Neither side scored up to the call of half-time, but subsequently each side made a goal though neither was allowed to count. Shortly before the time of closing there was an excited melée in front of the goal of the Scotch- it should be stated that the game was an international one- and a goal, was neatly reckoned by the English team, who were declared the victors. Both sides soon afterwards scampered from the field.
Blackburn Standard – Saturday 28 May 1881