England women's footballer hopes new 1971 documentary will inspire

A footballer who played in the rebellious England side that competed in the 1971 Women's World Cup said she hoped a new documentary would inspire young girls.

Leah Caleb, from Bedford, was only 13 when she played in front of 90,000 football fans in Mexico City.

The side competed despite opposition from the Women's Football Association (WFA).

Venus and Serena Williams have produced the new documentary, Copa 71.

The film includes previously unseen footage, and Caleb, now 65, said the involvement from the tennis legends was "incredible".

"They also had to face adversity while they were doing sport and now they are supporting us," she said.

"I believe this film will cut across generations and young girls and women will be inspired by it."

The former Lioness found watching the film inspirational as it "shows how the journey for women playing football has been a long one, but the future is the brighter".

In 1971, a 50-year Football Association ban on women's football had only just been lifted.

The WFA said it was still in the process of creating an official England team and banned the teenagers from competing upon their return.

Former striker Chris Lockwood, 67, from Silsoe in Bedfordshire, watched Copa 71 with her sister, who was a child when the tournament took place.

She said: "My sister saw it for the first time and she actually hugged me and we've never hugged in our lives.

"Until she saw the film she didn't realise the magnitude of the whole thing."

Lockwood admitted that when she was first approached by filmmakers, she felt "cagey".

"We had to put our trust in it, which is hard when you've been let down, you don't want to be let down again," explained Lockwood.

She praised New Black Films which made Copa 71, especially the Williams sisters.

"I can only imagine what Serena and Venus had to go through in their young lives and now they're supporting what we went through in our young lives, it's fantastic," she said.

Gill Sayell, from Milton Keynes, said it was "nice to finally have the accolades and recognition" the team never received in the past.

The 67-year-old enjoyed seeing footage of her teenage self, wearing a number seven shirt, kicking off in the centre circle of the Azteca Stadium

She joked: "It was funny; there is a little clip of me taking a throw and it's a foul throw so I'm a little embarrassed about that."

The former Lioness will watch the film again at the Leicester Square premiere in London on Friday and then again with her 95-year-old father on Saturday.

Sayell admitted starring in a documentary being shown in cinemas was still hard to process.

"How does that happen to anybody? It's totally crazy. We can't believe what is going on."

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