Good morning everyone,

Thank you to Margo for the sterling newsletter last week, I enjoyed it a great deal and I hope you did as well.

Onto the topic of the day, here is something that women might sincerely be better at than men; it's winning a football world cup for England.

Banter.

Really though the football world cup does start today and I have been enormously enjoying reading about the history of women playing football. Because "footballer" was one of the many jobs that women did in place of men during the First World War! The most successful team was the Dick, Kerr Ladies, who were all from the Dick, Kerr munitions factory in Preston. The best player on that team was Lily Parr, an openly gay woman who scored over a thousand career goals and broke a man's arm by putting a penalty past him. Let's meet her:

In 1920, the local newspaper wrote about Parr: “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.”

https://thefword.org.uk/2013/03/international_w_4/

Obviously I would not have chosen this topic (a) if there were not also women now who are excellent at football and (b) if I did not also enjoy watching supercuts of goals. Including Australia's Sam Kerr who is… maybe… a descendent of a WWI munitions factory owner in Preston? Probably not but we can enjoy thinking about it. GOALS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYYOpLAtwgY

Or how about Ada Hergerberg of Norway who won the Ballon D'Or last year? LIQUID FOOTBALL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dta5QJVWjU

Here is one for my Scottish friends and subscribers, it's the sensational Erin Cuthbert. I would be happy if England won, but to see Scotland win a World Cup would be extremely special. So here you go. BOSH:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j59B24tBaHo

Have a super weekend,

Alex.