La Coupe du Monde Féminine
#OurGirlsOurGame. Inclusive and supportive, yet assertive and unapologetic; the hashtag adopted by the Scottish Football Association for the Women’s World Cup was well-pitched and used widely throughout the tournament. It’s also directly at odds with the shameful history of that organisation’s treatment of the women’s game. Perhaps the nadir in this ignominious record was in 1971, when UEFA’s 32 members voted on a motion to incorporate women’s football within their associations. Only one country voted against. Wha's like us? Rose Reilly didn’t wait for anyone’s permission or blessing to play the game she loved. Shunned by her homeland, talent and single-mindedness took her to Italy and she won the World Cup. As midfielder Leanne Crichton tweeted in the aftermath of the lassies’ inaugural appearance at the competition 35 years later, “We don’t play this game for acceptance, we play this game because it’s ours.” When the team took to the field for their final group match v