Fanny Williams' football boots
Swindon Town Ladies football star
From: Museum & Art Swindon
Long before the Lionesses women’s football was popular.
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Long before the Lionesses women’s football was popular.
Fanny Williams played for the Swindon Town Ladies Football team in the 1920s. She was born in 1894, lived in the St. Margaret’s Road area of the town, and worked for a greengrocer.
In the 1920s women’s football was a thriving sport with approximately 150 teams attracting thousands of spectators each week. The growth was spurred on during the Second World War when men went to France and women had took on their roles in industry and in sport.
On December 5th, 1921, the Football Association banned women from playing at any FA affiliated pitches. This cut off access to large grounds with the capacity for spectators and doomed the game.
What is surprising about the story behind these boots is not only how well they have survived, but also the fact that women were playing football so long ago. It’s surprising that women’s football was so popular. This wasn’t a sport where women were excluded from the very beginning, but one where jealousy of their successes led the Football Association to take active measures to sabotage the game.
The boots are size five and are made of brown leather with leather studs.
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!
