Till Dawn and Fresh Base Celebrate the ‘Lost Lionesses’ of the 1971 England Women’s Team

The 1971 England Women’s Team known as the ‘Lost Lionesses’, were last night celebrated in an event at the National Football Museum through a fan-led initiative, originated by Craig Stronach of Till Dawn and supported by Fresh Base and Ballers Models.

The team, managed by Harry Batt, travelled to Mexico for a World Cup in 1971 - launching them to fame and stardom as they played in front of crowds of up to 90,000.  

On their return to England the players were subsequently banned from playing football, some never to play again - and until the event, the team from ‘71 was yet to be officially recognised and presented with international caps.

To celebrate the team and commemorate the event, designer Sophie Hird created 14 bespoke England Caps to present to the team whilst Jon-Paul Wheatley created a hand-crafted Mitre football to present to Keith, Harry Batt’s son.

The ball and caps were presented to the team by Lola Ogunbote, Burnley FC Women’s 1st Team Head Coach. The public event took place at the National Football Museum in Manchester last night, including a round table discussion with current Burnley FC players about the experiences Women faced in 71, in comparison to today’s game. 

Craig Stronach said: “It’s with great pride that we launch this fan-led initiative that truly celebrates the trailblazers of 71. We acknowledge the difficulties around officially recognising this team and therefore sought after a solution that had fans at the heart of it, giving back in appreciation for their bravery in 71 and the impact it’s had on the Women’s game today. It’s been so inspiring to work with such creative designers who have shared the same passion as me for this project which comes through in these truly unique pieces.”