An almost forgotten footballing legend

Time for a history lesson, courtesy of Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Trust Board member Jack Spearman.

Nowadays there are a number of OUT & PROUD footballers in the womens' game...but imagine how difficult it must have been almost a hundred years ago to be an out lesbian footballer? LILY PARR was such a player.

She may be almost unheard of today, but she would certainly have been well known back then, as the 'ladies game' grew in popularity, much to the chagrin of the national governing body, the Football Association, who soon banned it, seeing it as a threat to the male dominance of our national winter sport.

It's a fair bet to say that she would have been such a household name in her heyday as a player that our very own legendary Edgar Kail, and his fellow Hamlet team mates of the era, would certainly have heard of her.

Here Hamlet fan Jack Spearman, a Supporters' Trust Board member, explains who she was, as part of his trio of articles for the official Dulwich Hamlet Football Club website, to support the 'Football V. Homophobia' campaign during this month...

The first known LGBT footballer was Lily Parr way back in the early 20th Century. She was an English professional women's football player who played as a winger and is best known for playing for the Dick, Kerr's Ladies team, which was founded in 1917 and based in Preston, Lancashire.

From a young age Lily had been recognised as a special talent. In 1920 a local newspaper wrote about her at just 14 years old: "There is probably no greater football prodigy in the whole country. Not only has she speed and excellent ball control, but her admirable physique enables her to brush off challenges from defenders who tackle her. She amazes the crowd where ever she goes by the way she swings the ball clean across the goalmouth to the opposite wing."

Lily played in the first ever recognised women's international football tournament between England and France in London in 1920. There were four games in total, and a crowd of 25,000 saw the Dick, Kerr's Ladies who represented England, win 2–0 at Deepdale, home of Preston North End.

In 1921 The FA banned women from playing at any of their grounds, however this did not stop Lily and the women's game advancing. In 1950 it was estimated since the Dick, Kerr's Ladies team were founded they had played over 643 games and lost just 9, with Lilly playing the majority of these games. In that time they raised over £140,000 for charity. Lily was aged 45 when she played her last game on 12th August, 1950. She scored a goal in an 11-1 victory over Scotland. During her long career she had scored more than 900 goals. Preston Ladies unfortunately folded in 1965 just five years before the Football Association agreed to lift its ban on women's players.

Lilly went on to live out the rest of her life in Goosnargh, near Preston. She lived openly as a lesbian with her partner Mary. Sadly, Lily Parr died of cancer in her home in St Helens on 24th May 1978. However her legacy lives on, she became an LGBT icon and In 2002, was the first women's player inducted into the Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum in Preston. In 2007 during LGBT history month the Lily Parr exhibition trophy was founded to be held in her memory.

If you would like further information on Lilly Parr's life and career books by Barbara Jacobs (The Dick, Kerr's Ladies) and Gail Newsham (In a League of their Own).