England’s original Lionesses are finally being celebrated in their home city more than 70 years after they blazed a trail for women’s football. And their story is now a film
The Corinthians Ladies FC were formed in Manchester back in 1949, at the height of the FA’s ban on women’s football. And for three years, documentary maker Helen Tither campaigned to get their story turned into a film, with the support of the Mirror. Now their dreams have finally become a reality as the original rebel girls of football – now aged between 70 and 90 – walked the red carpet this week at their very own film premiere. Former Corinthian Monica Curran tells The Mirror: “The film really makes me see how what we did was a cornerstone for developing women’s football. It lays down an important historical marker. I am so pleased to see it getting out there into cinemas at last.”
The Corinthians Ladies FC were the globetrotting champions of women’s football that history forgot. Banned from playing the beautiful game from 1921 to 1971 by the FA – who declared it ‘quite unsuitable for females’ – these pioneering girls from Manchester defied the rules to win worldwide trophies.
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The first women’s team to tour South America in 1960, they beat Germany to an unofficial European Cup in 1957, triumphed over Juventus to bag a cup in Europe in 1970, and have been named as ‘one of the most successful women’s teams the UK ever had’ by the National Football Museum. Yet their story had been all but forgotten … until now.
But, at last, they will see their names in lights in their native Manchester as The Corinthians: We Were The Champions , is released in cinemas, following an award-winning film festival run. The premiere marks a huge moment for the Corinthians players and their families, who have spent decades fighting for recognition.
In the film, the team is represented by 10 players – Myra Lypnyckyj, Anne Grimes, Pauline Hulme, Marlene Cook, Freda Ashton, Monica Curran, Margaret ‘Whit’ Whitworth, Jean Wilson, Jan Lyons and Margaret ‘Tiny’ Shepherd. Despite their advancing years, they are fast becoming celebrities – receiving standing ovations wherever they appear to talk about the documentary.
Hailed by Mayor Andy Burnham as Manchester’s “football suffragettes”, The Corinthians Ladies FC were pioneers of the women’s game. Starting their team in 1949, ignoring the FA ban, after a 21-year struggle to be allowed to play, they survived to become one of the founding teams of the Women’s FA. Like many Manchester teams, The Corinthians were champions, but achieved this with no facilities, no other teams to play, and despite being banned from pitches in the UK.
They took their incredible show on the road – drawing huge crowds when they played abroad, in massive stadiums including Sporting Lisbon. Among many firsts and victories, The Corinthians beat Germany to a European Cup in 1957, and became the first women’s team to tour South America in 1960.
The Corinthians’ talent and resilience were instrumental in beating the ban – brought in by a male establishment after women’s football became popular during WWI, drawing crowds of up to 50,000. The Manchester team’s popularity and success abroad led to other women’s teams sparking up around the world and, finally, they could no longer be ignored and the ban was lifted.
Backed by the National Football Museum – who have no other films of women talking about playing during the ban in their archive – and supported by Lioness and Manchester United star Ella Toone, the film has been a real labour of love for the production team. Despite initially being told ‘nobody wants to watch women’s sport’, they started making the film anyway, raising money through crowdfunding and sponsorship from BT Group and Tech Mahindra. “The Corinthians Ladies FC were a proud Mancunian team,” says Director Helen, of Manchester-based production company Films Not Words. “With that rebellious Mancunian spirit, they refused to take no for an answer, so we had to do the same.”
Selected for six film festivals, as far afield as Orlando and Stockholm, it is already winning awards, including Best of the Fest at the North East International Film Festival. Now, the filmmakers are thrilled it will be receiving its major public launch in the team’s home city. Helen says: “We have had the absolute privilege of working with 10 surviving players – some of whom joined back in 1954 – to record their amazing stories, in their own words
“And we have always wanted the film to officially launch in their home city, where we believe they deserve to be remembered as one of our great teams, alongside United and City. We are thrilled to give these legendary players that red carpet moment they truly deserve.”
The Corinthians: We Were The Champions has won Best of The Fest (Feature) at NEIFF, is nominated for Best Documentary at the Northampton Film Festival and will have its London Premiere at the prestigious Women in Film & TV Festival, as part of their showcase event in Covent Garden in March. The film is being screened at Manchester’s HOME cinema, with further screenings across the country to be announced.
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