Euro 2022: Lioness from 1971 World Cup 'playing every tackle'

One of the 1971 "lost Lionesses" said she has been "playing every tackle" during England's Euro 2022 run.

Hosts England play Sweden at Bramall Lane in the semi-final of the women's football tournament at 20:00 BST.

Lillian Taylor, originally from Silverstone, was part of the unofficial England team that took part in a women's World Cup in Mexico in 1971.

"I just hope they get through and, you never know, we might get invited to the final," she said.

At the time of the 1971 tournament, a 50-year FA ban on women's football had only just been lifted.

England went out at the group stage, and on their return home were banned for three months by the WFA, which was in the process of establishing an official England team.

Mrs Taylor, formerly Lillian Harris, was 18 years old when she started playing and was England's goalkeeper.

"There was an advert in the Chronicle and Echo [Northamptonshire newspaper] 'Brixworth ladies want lady football players' - I phoned them up and played that Sunday," she said.

One of the teams she played against was Chiltern Valley, whose manager Harry Batt also managed the England team.

"He said would I like to go to the World Cup with him, and you don't turn that down," she told BBC Radio Northampton.

The team, many of whom were teenagers, played in front of 90,000 fans at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a year after Brazil won the men's World Cup and England went out in the quarter finals.

"The noise was incredible," she Ms Taylor.

"When we came back from Mexico nobody was there whatsoever to greet us, which was totally different from when we got to Mexico, they were all over us, which was fantastic, but scary.

"Everyone was taking our photo, asking for an autograph."

Mrs Taylor, who now lives in Lincoln, said she had been following England during Euro 2022, saying: "I was playing almost every kick; I was certainly playing every tackle."

But her experience was very different from the current squad.

She said "when we started there was nothing" and they would have to play on park pitches.

The first official England women's team from 1972 are due to get caps from the FA, but there were no plans for similar recognition for the 1971 team.

She said she would "certainly" like a cap and an invitation to the final.

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" she said.

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