{"id":3932,"date":"2023-09-08T08:30:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T08:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/?p=3932"},"modified":"2023-09-05T11:27:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T11:27:33","slug":"womens-sport-in-dorset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/2023\/09\/08\/womens-sport-in-dorset\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Sport in Dorset"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summer’s highly successful Women’s World Cup followed hot on the heels of this summers highly successful Women’s Ashes, which followed last summers highly successful Women’s European Championships. Everywhere we look, women’s sport is flourishing. In today’s blog, our Community Engagement Officer, Maria, has taken a look at some of the history of women’s sport in Dorset…<\/p>\n

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First a confession \u2013 I never was a very sporty girl! Although I enjoyed my high jump in the garden, riding my bike and a \u2018ball in the scoop\u2019 game on the beach or at a camp site, the sort of organised, competitive games which both of my sport-mad schools offered turned me right off physical exercise. In fact, it wasn\u2019t long before my tricks for avoiding sweating in a gym kit were Olympic standard!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, we all know how important exercise is to a sense of well-being, and that the camaraderie of a team game is unparalleled. So, hats off to those women and girls who embrace the challenges of sport. The Lionesses journey to the World Cup Final this summer was brilliant, but to follow some of the coverage you\u2019d think women had only just taken up footie! In fact, women and girls have been booting a ball (and an old-style heavy leather one at that) for just about as long as the men<\/a> \u2013 albeit without the \u2018benefit\u2019 of raucous fans, huge transfer fees and wall-to-wall media coverage with sponsorship deals to match.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In DHC\u2019s collections there is plenty of evidence of women enjoying sports from lacrosse to shooting. In 1921 the women workers of Carter\u2019s tiles in Poole formed a football team \u2013 but only got to play two matches! Elsie Warren (nee Hookway), former left back, told the Bournemouth Evening Echo in 1972<\/a> that it was the attitude of male players, spectators, boyfriends and coaches that led to the team being dis-banded after their 2-0 defeat by Southampton\u2019s team. The women had to wear hats \u2013 rather like the mop caps of a previous generation \u2013 but that didn\u2019t dampen their enthusiasm and Elsie remembered the team as being \u2018great fun whilst it lasted\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

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D-PPY\/E\/40<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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In 1989 the Dorchester Ladies Football Club was founded by Nicky Heron<\/a> and played in the Southwest Region\u2019s League \u2013 division 2, which suggests that a good many teams were competing, although the league was only formed in 1990. They\u2019ve had better luck than Elsie and the team and are still going strong, with plenty of Dorset teams in the league. Interestingly, all the teams seem to be sticking with the \u2018ladies\u2019 moniker except Weymouth who were perhaps enticed into a change by the alliteration of Weymouth FC Women.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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RON\/2\/2\/Dorchester\/Sports\/8<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Of course, football is not the only sport, and perhaps not the one which has been the most popular with women and girls over the years. <\/span><\/p>\n

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D-HBT\/5009<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These pictures show the Weymouth Grammar School girls\u2019 hockey team in 1964 and the tennis squad in 1969 \u2013 please do let us know if you recognise yourself, we\u2019d love to make a note of your memories.<\/span><\/p>\n

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D-HBT\/6042<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These images come from the Graham Herbert collection \u2013 Herbert photographed many sport teams in the Weymouth area from the 1950\u2019s \u2013 the 1980\u2019s and you can find out more about his collection here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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School experiences are often the making or breaking of our enthusiasm for games and exercise. At DHC we work in partnership with the Windrose Rural Media Trust<\/a> and this fun film from 1952 shows the pupils at Westbury School enjoying all areas of the curriculum including swimming, cricket and handy craft \u2013 it is interesting to see what activities are mixed, boys only or girls only. It seems that cricket was very much a male stronghold!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n