About this artwork

This photograph shows a match between the amateur teams Edinburgh Girls FC and Rutherglen Ladies FC from South Lanarkshire. The match took place on Saturday 13 May 1939 at the Gymnasium (now King George V Park), in the Canonmills area of Edinburgh. A press report details the action: ‘the Rutherglen goalkeeper dashing out to clear her lines during an attack on her charge’; a teammate shields the ball from the Edinburgh player in the striped top behind her. Rutherglen FC was founded in 1921 and during the 1920s and early 1930s was one of the most successful female football teams in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The team toured Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, playing matches against women’s teams but also mixed and men’s teams. The ticket sales from these matches raised a huge amount for charity. The final score was Edinburgh Girls 7, Rutherglen 0. After this game, Rutherglen only played a few more times before disbanding later in 1939.

Published August 2022

  • artist:
  • title:
    Women's Charity Football Match, Edinburgh
  • date created:
    1930s
  • materials:
    Gelatin silver print
  • measurements:
    20.00 x 25.00 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    The MacKinnon Collection. Acquired jointly with the National Library of Scotland with assistance from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Government and Art Fund
  • accession number:
    MMK.00855
  • gallery:
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