Today marks International Women’s Day and AFC Wimbledon is proud to recognise the successes of women who have contributed to the success of the club on and off the pitch.
To mark their achievements, the club’s owners, the Dons Trust, is today delighted to announce the official launch of “The Women of Wimbledon”.
The project is the brainchild of Lou Carton-Kelly and Hazel Potter, who have been working with the Dons Trust Diversity and Inclusion working group.
The project is launching with an article that captures and recognises the work and value of Women of Wimbledon including their memories and anecdotes.
Lou explained her motivation:
“The story of football clubs is often told through the those who are recognised as shaping their history and more often than not that is a predominantly male viewpoint.
“Thinking about this was the starting point for our project, as we realised that there was a whole other side to the story and began to seek out the women who have been integral to Wimbledon FC and AFC Wimbledon.
“The Women of Wimbledon is designed as a living work, the idea being that it will be added to and expanded through new stories as they come to light: we want to celebrate all of those women who have played a role in the club’s history and those who continue to shape the future.”
Lou and Hazel have already spoken to dozens of women connected to the club’s history and are looking to expand the project and pull in stories from the last 20 years.
Lou added:
“The women we spoke to were often unseen or working in the background but, listening to their stories, you can see that the roles they have played have been hugely important to the club. They range from working in the boardroom to manning phones, organising events, developing women’s football and, in one case, playing a hugely significant role in players’ fitness.
“Most of the women we spoke to were introduced to football by friends or family, something that will be familiar to many reading this. Some went from a young age, some were older, some had a period of watching, drifted away and then came back.”
Among those women who have shared their memories are Margaret Adam, Vicki Lowndes, Maureen Batsford, Anne Eames, Eileen Samuelson, Noella Manns, Kathryn England and Jenny Archer.
The launch article is available on the Dons Trust website.
We know that there are many more stories out there and we’d love to include them. Contact hazelpotter@blueyonder.co.uk. We’d also love to see any photos, clippings or articles that you may have.