Analysis: A snowstorm delayed Ireland's first ever clash against England, but the message nearly didn't reach the team
By Helena Byrne, British Library
Tonight the Republic of Ireland WNT take on England in Norwich in front of a sold out crowd, in their fifth and penultimate Group A3 match in the UEFA EURO 2025 Qualifier. Although they have not taken any points away from the matches so far, the Girls in Green still have a shot at qualifying for UEFA EURO 2025 through the playoffs. England are currently ranked third (France superseded England last month) while the Republic of Ireland remains 25th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings. This is the ninth time that the sides have faced each other, but so far we haven’t beaten England, and have only managed to score one goal against them, at the first meeting in 1978.
In its inaugural year, the Republic of Ireland WNT played four international matches: one at home against Northern Ireland and three away against Wales, France and Northern Ireland in 1973. The following year they played Scotland, but it was not until 1978, almost five years since their first international match, that they faced our near neighbours, England.
There has always been a close connection with the football community in England as Dundalk Ladies were founding members of the Women's Football Association (WFA). So why did it take so long to organise a match between the two sides? We don't have all the answers to that as many of the people involved in organising these matches have passed away. Nevertheless, we can infer from the club matches that took place between the countries, as well as snippets of correspondence and documentation that has survived, as to why this might have been the case.
From FAI TV, meet Marie McKenna (née Brown) - the first WNT player to captain our country against England in 1978
İn 1970 Dundalk Ladies, managed by Kevin and Nan Gaynor, travelled to Wales to take on the Manchester club Corinthian Nomads in a friendly match. As neither country had a UEFA recognised international team at this stage, this meeting was dubbed England v Ireland even though it was a club match. Dundalk Ladies travelled with three guest players from the Dublin club All Stars to strengthen their team, but although they played well they lost the match 7-1.
The gulf in standards between the two sides was notable but this was still a respectable score, as it wouldn't have been uncommon for Corinthians to score as many as twelve goals in a game. The following year, Dundalk Ladies played a home and away tie with Prestatyn Ladies from Wales. This time the team had the guest players from All Stars as well as two players from Mayfair Ladies, based in Portadown, Northern Ireland. The score lines were not as high as their previous foray into international club football.
It is likely that with Kevin Gaynor's first-hand knowledge of the level of play in England, he was hesitant to organise an official international match during the early years of the WNT. Instead, it seems he tried to organise a joint team with one of the neighbours to face England. The March to April 1972 Women's Football Association newsletter mentions a potential forthcoming international match of a combined Wales and Republic of Ireland team against England. It is not clear why, but this match never took place.
It's a scanning morning! Digitising some more of our brilliant women's football collection pic.twitter.com/ezVHEY2qVK
— Dr Alexander Jackson (@DrAlexJack1) October 11, 2023
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