Joan Whalley (18 December 1921 – 10 January 1998) was a female

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

who played for

Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C. Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. was one of the earliest known women's association football teams in England. The team remained in existence for over 48 years, from 1917 to 1965, playing 833 games, winning 759, drawing 46, and losing 28. During its early ye ...

, making her debut for them aged just 15 in May 1937. Whalley was born in

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

and was encouraged by her father to play football and join the local team. She was compared with male footballer

Tom Finney Sir Thomas Finney (5 April 1922 – 14 February 2014) was an English international footballer who played from 1946 to 1960 as a winger or centre forward for Preston North End and England. He is widely acknowledged to have been one of the spo ...

and described as one of the "two greatest right wingers in the world", with him as the other. Whalley played in rare international matches, once for England against Scotland and one for Wales against France. Whalley also worked full-time as a nurse and then as a bus conductor. A disagreement with the Dick, Kerr Ladies manager Alfred Frankland after oversleeping from a late shift on the busses led to Whalley leaving for Manchester Ladies in 1953, only returning when he died in 1958. She then retired a few years later. In 1992, Whalley reunited with former team-mates to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dick, Kerr Ladies. In 1996, she became the first female footballer to feature in a

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

national advertising campaign alongside

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport. Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...

and

Eric Cantona Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (; ; born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer, and former professional footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Cantona is credited as having made Manchester United a d ...

. In 2007, Whalley was inducted into the

English Football Hall of Fame The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and m ...

References

1921 births 1998 deaths English Football Hall of Fame inductees Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C. players Women's association football wingers English women's footballers Footballers from Preston, Lancashire {{england-women-footy-bio-stub