A plaque to commemorate the first ever international women’s football match between Scotland and England was unveiled recently by Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, Minister for Health, Sport and Wellbeing.
The fixture which Scotland won 3-0 took place on May 7, 1881 at what was then Hibernian Park but is now the club rooms and car park of the Hibernian Supporters’ Association in Sunnyside.
The Scotland women’s team head coach Shelley Kerr, and Hibernian Ladies’ captain Joelle Murray attended the event along with Ian Young, Chairman of Hibernian Historic Trust and Tom Wright the Hibernian curator and club historian.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: “I’m so pleased to be able to join everyone here today to celebrate the first international women’s football match here in Edinburgh.
“Our women’s football team have come on so far in recent years and they did really well in the World Cup and they are doing really well to progress to the next championships in 2121 in England.
Joelle Murray said: “It’s absolutely massive, and with women’s football growing so fast at the moment there’s no better time to have a plaque.
“It’s great to see the club supporting this and so many people going along as well.
“I’m proud of the women who played that day – they were pioneers of the women’s game and their passion, dedication and commitment at a time when women’s football was widely looked down upon is admirable.
“There were a lot of hurdles and challenges that those women faced back then.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
