NewsNatasha Dowie and Becky Easton attend St Helens Ladies FC blue plaque unveiling

The new blue plaque recognises St Helens Ladies FC, who were honoured by St Helens Borough Council at the site where they played 100 years ago.

Unveiled outside Queens Park Leisure Centre, the blue plaque is to commemorate the team as part of an initiative by St Helens Borough Council to honour and acknowledge the individuals, places and events that have contributed to the unique heritage of the borough.

The blue plaque acknowledges the St Helens Ladies’ squad from 1919 to 1923 and celebrates “the women of this pioneering football team played on during the Football Association’s 1921 ban”. St Helens Ladies AFC famously beat the Dick, Kerr Ladies team, who at the time helped to break down barriers in sport for women.

Dowie, LFC women’s ambassador, said: “It was great to be here and to see this important plaque unveiling for women’s football. I’ve met some of the Dick, Kerr players and they motivated me as a football player and helped inspire the next generation.

“We need to keep talking about the pioneers of the women’s game and keep their memory alive, and this is a great way to do it.

“We’re excited to be coming to St Helens next season and bring more fans to the games. What we have now with the pitch, the stadiums, it makes me proud to have been one of the first to play professionally and to see now that girls can have a dream to be a professional player.”

Dowie and Easton joined a number of special guests, including the Mayor of St Helens Borough, Jeanette Banks, representatives from local grassroots girls’ football teams, and Stephen Bolton, grandson of player Lizzy Ashcroft.

The St Helens Borough Council Leader, Councillor Anthony Burns, said: “These plaques are terrific – they really are an important thing for us to do across the borough because our heritage is so, so important.

“It’s important that we have markers like this to mark our heroes and the people who have gone before us that have built the town we live in today, but no more so than this one, which is quite a long time overdue.”

In May, Liverpool FC confirmed the next exciting milestone in the ongoing growth of its women’s first team, with an agreement reached for a new home stadium in St Helens from the upcoming season.

The recent pitch upgrade is part of the new agreement for LFC Women to share the stadium with St Helens R.F.U., whose women’s and men’s teams will benefit from the pitch work.

To watch the Reds in action next season at St Helens Stadium and Anfield, go here to buy a season ticket, Anfield Hat-trick package or match-by-match tickets for each Barclays Women’s Super League and cup fixture.

Tuesday also saw the unveiling of the LFC third kit, part of the Nike ‘Together We Rise’ campaign celebrating the women’s game and its acceleration in world sport, which has been uniquely represented through a distinct vertical double Swoosh across the jersey, shorts and matching socks.