The Women's Football Show on Sky Sports shines the spotlight on the black pioneers of the women's game; Black History Month special feature salutes Emma Clarke, Kerry Davis, Mary Phillip
Monday 9 November 2020 13:32, UK
They are the 'Lost Lionesses' - the black pioneers of the women's game whose achievements are finally brought into the spotlight in the latest edition of The Women's Football Show on Sky Sports.
In a special piece to celebrate Black History Month, we explore the stories of Kerry Davis - the first BAME women's footballer to play for England and second in the list of leading goalscorers behind Kelly Smith - and Mary Phillip, the first black player to captain the women's national team.
We ask: why don't we know more about their contributions to the women's game in this country?
Football Historian Professor Jean Williams said: "The FA didn't take full control of women's football until 1993.
"So we have a whole generation of Lost Lionesses who have not been documented, celebrated and promoted.
"In terms of the England team, the person who we should really be celebrating is Kerry Davis - who debuts in 1982 against Northern Ireland and makes an instant impression by scoring two goals.
"Kerry was born in '62 and her father is of Jamaican heritage, her mother is white-British, and Kerry was born in Stoke."
Davis herself said: "My generation and the generation before me did blaze a trail because, without those generations, the FA would not have been able to take over a reasonably successful England team."
Mary Phillip was the first black player to captain the England side - in 2003.
She said: "It was an amazing honour to be awarded that armband and lead England out on several occasions.
"I was the first female to have children and play, not just at club level, but also reaching international level.
"You don't realise the significance of it, because you are just going out and doing your thing."
The Football Association says "BAME engagement will be at the forefront of our [women's football] strategy over the next four years".
The tribute feature, which also hears from Anita Asante and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, also examines the case of Emma Clarke and hears from a historian that the player recognised as the first black British female footballer may actually be the subject of mistaken identity.
Click play on the video at the top of the page to watch our special report in full.
Keep across all our features, news stories and video content on Sky Sports News and our Sky Sports platforms. Check out the latest Black History Month content here
