A new exhibition about the history of women’s football opens at Annan Museum on Friday 28 August. The exhibition opens to coincide with the Pack up Your Troubles Festival in Gretna and Eastriggs which celebrates the founding of these townships to house the munitions workers at the World War One Gretna munitions factory.
Women’s Association football was first played in Edinburgh in 1881. Although further matches were played in Scotland throughout the 1880s and 90s, it was during World War One that the women’s game was propelled into the public consciousness like never before.This exhibition looks at the rise, fall and resurrection of Scottish women’s football from the factory teams of World War One to its place on the international sports stage today.
Girls working at the munitions factories of World War One formed football teams that played against each other and raised money for war relief charities. The Gretna factory was no exception, the most well-known team from this factory was the Mossband Swifts. They were captained by Annie Riddell from Galashiels and on 9 September 1917 played the Carlisle side at Brunton Park where the score was 1-1. One of the first recorded women’s football tournaments was organised in Maryport for 18 August 1917 as part of the ‘Alexander Day’ festival. Mossband Swifts took part in the event but they were beaten in the first round by Cockermouth. They played in a goal rich match in 1918 against wounded soldiers who eventually won 10-8.
“A game for girls?” is being officially opened by Councillor Ted Thomson, Civic Head of Dumfries and Galloway Council, at a special evening event on Thursday 27 August 7-9pm, all welcome. Football Museum curator Richard McBrearty will be present along with artist and women’s football historian Stuart Gibbs. Representatives of Queen of the South ladies and girls teams will be present wearing modern day strips alongside girls dressed in World War One women’s football outfits.
Following an appeal launched by Councillor Tom McAughtrie several members of the public came forward with information about the players in the women’s football team photograph which hangs in the Normandy pub in Dumfries. Mr Richard Cowan has loaned a print of the photograph to the exhibition. His grandmother, Kate Cowan, played in the team of girls from Troqueer Mills in Dumfries. Most of the girls lived in the Sandside area of Dumfries and worked in the tweed mills in the 1900s. The ball boy in the photograph, who appears to be dressed as a girl, was his mother’s uncle, Tommy Little. At the age of 26, Tommy Little was killed during World War Two and is buried on Gibraltar. There are still some of the players who are not named and any further information would be much appreciated.
Councillor McAughtrie said; “I would like to thank The Scottish Football Museum at Hampden for their support in lending historically important objects for this exhibition and artist and historian Stuart Gibbs for lending his paintings and for allowing Annan Museum to use his research in preparing this exhibition. It is good to see how local teams and personalities influenced the development of women’s football during the early 1900s and that more women than ever are taking up the sport today.”
Sally Hammond of Queen of the South Ladies and Girls Football Club also came forward with a collection of photographs of more recent women’s football in the region. Sally says that the current women’s and girls teams are thriving; “In the past we had only a u13 ,u15 and ladies team but since the start of this year we now have a u11 team with the potential of starting a younger squad. In all we have 70 girls and ladies registered and playing football this season.”
“A game for girls? The History of Women’s football” will be on show at Annan Museum during normal opening hours (Monday to Saturday, 11am – 4pm) until 31 October. Free family activities accompany the exhibition including; table football, World War One strips to try on, a “kicking” gallery trail, quizzes and colouring sheets. Further free drop in family activities will take place on Thursdays during the October holidays, 11am -1pm.
On 29 October Scottish Football Museum curator Richard McBrearty and artist and women’s football historian Stuart Gibbs will give a talk at Annan Museum beginning at 6.30pm – everyone welcome.
Photographic Opportunity: Thursday 27 August 7-9pm. The exhibition will be officially opened by Councillor Ted Thomson, Civic Head of Dumfries and Galloway Council. Scottish Football Museum curator Richard McBrearty will be present along with artist and women’s football historian Stuart Gibbs. Representatives of Queen of the South ladies and girls teams will be present wearing modern day strips alongside girls dressed in World War One women’s football outfits.
