'Who could imagine that finding a suitable pair of football boots would prove almost impossible for women and girls in the 1970s?
'The focus of the women’s liberation movement was fought in the streets, in universities, in workplaces and in the home. We add the football field to these sites of protest and empowerment for individual women. We follow the Australian and New Zealand national players – schoolgirls, factory workers, university graduates and professionals – as they navigate the male-dominated world of football. This book never shies away from the uncomfortable aspects of their journeys, uncovering stories of vulnerability and strength, sexual harassment as well as sexual awakening, personal vilification as well as celebration, giving voice to a silencing in sport.
'Written by historian Dr Marion Stell, in collaboration with football identity Heather Reid AM, this enlivened account is told with honesty, pain and humour.'
(Source: publisher's blurb)
'In Women in Boots, Marion Stell and Heather Reid use the inaugural Trans-Tasman Cup competition of 1979-80 as a lens to examine the emergence of women’s football in Australia and New Zealand during the 1970s. This innovative book, which is co-authored by a sports historian and an experienced sports administrator, is based on extensive interviews with players from the Australian and New Zealand teams, complemented by surviving scrapbooks and newspaper coverage from the time. The illustrations, many sourced from players’ photo albums, are a rich primary source in themselves. The book has a loosely chronological structure, charting the development of women’s soccer in New Zealand and Australia, interspersed with thematic chapters on feminism, funding, media and sexuality. In this way, Women in Boots provides a social biography of the players and the game they played that is informed by gender and social history and focuses on the human experiences of the players. It is a rewarding read and a valuable addition to scholarship in the field.' (Introduction)
'In Women in Boots, Marion Stell and Heather Reid use the inaugural Trans-Tasman Cup competition of 1979-80 as a lens to examine the emergence of women’s football in Australia and New Zealand during the 1970s. This innovative book, which is co-authored by a sports historian and an experienced sports administrator, is based on extensive interviews with players from the Australian and New Zealand teams, complemented by surviving scrapbooks and newspaper coverage from the time. The illustrations, many sourced from players’ photo albums, are a rich primary source in themselves. The book has a loosely chronological structure, charting the development of women’s soccer in New Zealand and Australia, interspersed with thematic chapters on feminism, funding, media and sexuality. In this way, Women in Boots provides a social biography of the players and the game they played that is informed by gender and social history and focuses on the human experiences of the players. It is a rewarding read and a valuable addition to scholarship in the field.' (Introduction)
