The forgotten history of women’s football, traced in a comic book: in Le Match du Siècle, the writer Julie Billault and the artist Seb Piquet go back in time to World War I. A time when women replaced their husbands who had gone to the front, not only in factories but also on football fields. The practice garnered public enthusiasm. Yet, at the end of the war, it was banned, lasting until the 1970s. An unknown story yet symptomatic of the advances in women’s rights in the last century.
RFI: Julie Billault, you co-sign with the artist Sébastien Piquet the comic book Le Match du Siècle. What is this book about?
Julie Billault: The idea is to narrate how football became popular among women in England during World War I, as they took over men’s positions in factories and how the enthusiasm for this sport grew stronger. Until the men returned and shortly after, the English Football Association imposed a ban, essentially prohibiting women from playing football. This ban lasted for 50 years.
The match of the century, from which the comic book derives its name, is the encounter on March 23, 1920, between the women’s team from Liverpool and their Scottish opponents. In reality, after this match, the female footballers continued to play, and the comic book extends into the 1970s. Why choose this date of March 23, 1920?
It was on this day that the largest audience for a women’s football match in 100 years was recorded. It took place at Goodison Park, a stadium where Everton currently plays. The match was played to full capacity, with over 50,000 spectators inside and 15,000 outside. It was crucial for me to show the enthusiasm, almost six months before it was completely banned. It was not a ban due to declining interest; rather, it was because of too much competition.
Where did this ban come from?
Initially, there was competition with men, which was unforeseen. It was not expected that these women would continue playing after the war ended. During the war, these teams were not in a professional context. They played charity matches where proceeds were donated to soldiers on the front line. Naturally, after the war, these charity matches became less relevant. It was also a time of intense economic crisis in Europe, especially in England. Therefore, these women, who were also factory workers, played matches to raise money for strikers. From that point, the FA essentially signaled the end of the game and said it was over. Thus, they issued this ban, which did not really marginalize the players.
The FA decreed that from then on, women could no longer use FA facilities, and no one could assist them in playing. This effectively barred them from accessing almost all the stadiums in the country and nearly all available coaches.
This ban lasted until the mid-1970s, for 50 years. How do you explain that it lasted so long?
It was part of a broader movement. Following that, other bans were enforced in Europe. Gradually, the practice fell into obscurity. Before the pirate World Cups of the 1970s, there were few teams, a slow revival, still on the fringe. Therefore, there was no real need to address the ban. When the World Cups arrived, it became evident due to the significant public interest, genuine anticipation, and participating players.
What is also interesting in this comic book is that, beyond the sporting aspiration, this opportunity led to a real social struggle for women workers’ rights.
As they entered factories, women became laborers, discovering and embracing a new status. They, like men, dealt with significant issues. So playing football, an incredibly popular sport with its roots in the people, was a way to belong to the labor movement.
Moreover, what intrigued me in this comic book was to show that these women were not necessarily activists. There was more a sense of feminism through practice, not always overtly assumed or claimed; there was simply a desire to play. That was also appealing to me: to show that these social and women’s rights struggles were not solely the domain of the educated. These women managed to advance causes by doing.
Today, women’s football teams have grown, but it took several decades. Reading your comic book, we realize that this path was already tread by other women a century ago. Can we say things have changed today?
The question arises. In France and England, when a little girl wants to play football, it is easier to achieve now. There are team formations, some space in almost all clubs. However, progressing to a higher level remains a path filled with challenges. When we consider that the current leaders of associations were 20 years old when the ban was lifted… They grew up with the idea that women were not part of the landscape. From there, it is challenging to have a completely inclusive action.
To learn more: Women’s football
