Fanny Williams’ Football boots

Swindon Town Ladies football star

From: Museum & Art Swindon

Long before the Lionesses women’s football was popular.

Boots 4 & Swindon Museum & Art gallery/ Swindon Borough Council. fanny williams football boots

Football in the 1920s

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. 

Curator’s Insights

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. 

 

Sawfish are also called carpenter sharks...but they are rays, not sharks!

There’s also a species called a sawshark, but that’s, well, a shark!

What the heck is a lek?

Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.

Road Runner!

The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.

Belly Buster!

The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!

Skip to content