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From the author of Unsuitable for Females, shortlisted for The Sunday Times Football Book of the Year 2023'One of the most talented and considered minds working in women's football today' THE ATHLETIC
'The perfect person to guide us through the constantly changing landscape of women's football' KELLY CATES
'One of the most prolific writers about women's football in the UK' EVENING STANDARD
Before Mary Earps, Jess Fishlock, and Lucy Bronze, there were the trailblazers who defied the odds.
In 1921, the FA banned women from playing football, but these rebels refused to quit. Leaving behind jobs, families, and their homeland, they sought opportunities abroad, where they could fulfil their footballing potential.
This book uncovers the untold stories of those pioneering women who paved the way for today's stars. The original Lioness who started a new life in the Netherlands as a teenager, the first woman of colour to play for England, the girl who gave up the chance of international recognition to play in Italy - through their reflections, we explore their extraordinary journeys, the evolution of women's football, and the dreams they still hold for the future.
About the author
Carrie Dunn is a writer. Her recent books include 'Flying the Flag: The Footballing Heroines of the Home Nations Who Made History Abroad' (Hero, June 2025), and ‘Woman Up – Pitches, Pay and Periods: The Progress and Potential of Women’s Football’ (Hero, October 2023), which tells the story of the game through an exploration of the challenges its players continue to overcome.
She is also the author of ‘Unsuitable for Females: The Rise of the Lionesses and Women’s Football in England’ (Arena Sport, 2022), shortlisted for 2023 Football Book of the Year.
Her other books include ‘The Reign of the Lionesses’ (Pitch, August 2023), the third in a trilogy, following 'The Pride of the Lionesses' (Pitch, 2019), nominated as Football Book of the Year, and 'The Roar of the Lionesses: Women's Football in England' (Pitch, 2016), one of the Guardian's best sport books of 2016.
She has covered England at international tournaments since 2005 and is a regular voice on radio as well as podcasts. She has a PhD in sport sociology, and her particular research specialism is in women’s experience of sport. Her own footballing career began - and ended - with the Junior Hatters' supporters' club in her hometown of Luton.
She lives in the beautiful Eryri National Park with her actor husband and their rescue lurcher, Spring.
