Girl Footballers (1961)

Whitley Bay, Northumberland. Opening shot (taken from Girl Police Cyclists - CP 281) shows women on police motorbikes weaving in and out of bollards. Commentator talks of the “so-called weaker sex“ and “how far they’ve invaded man’s territory“. C/U of a girl smiling; pan down to show she is wearing a white top and shorts; the latter have a red heart sewn on one leg. Nice shots of girls putting on their boots and shin guards as commentator tells us they are part of a football team called ’Heartthrobs’. M/Ss of their opposing team, some boys from Monkseaton County Secondary School. The condescending tone of the commentator continues: “At least there’s no risk to man’s prestige in a match like this; if the girls win there’s a perfect get-out - after all, they’re only schoolboys!“. Various shots of the game on a playing field; some boys on the sidelines cheer. M/S of the Heartthrobs’ manager, Miss Iris Mitchell (on the right), with unidentified female supporter. Nice M/S of some boys, one on a bike