CYMRU HISTORY FEATURE
John Carrier takes a closer look at the first women's international between Cymru and Scotland back in 1975.
Cymru's third manager was appointed in 1975. His name was Billy Daniels, an experienced and well-trained football coach born in England, and relocated to south Wales working as a representative for Mitre sports. His first game in charge was across two borders away to Hamilton, Douglas Park to be precise, on Saturday 26th April for a friendly international against Scotland. The event was to be a part of the Hamilton District Council's quincentennial (500 year) celebrations.
This was the Cymru national teams fourth game since their formation in 1972. The programme, priced at 5p and produced by the Scottish Women's Football Association, listed a 15 player squad with a couple of exlcusions. The actual squad on the day was as follows - Dianne Totty (Capt. Prestatyn), Gillian Rowlands (Newport Nightingales), Linda James (Cope Chat), Gillian Maskell (Courthope), Ann Jenkins (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jayne Angove (Cardiff West End), Lesley Judd (Newport Nightingales), Shelley Walters (Cardiff West End), June Houldey (Cardiff West End), Mai Griffith (Prestatyn), Karen Wells (Prestatyn), Michele Adams (Port Talbot), Gloria O'Connell (Newport Nightingales), Debbie Pearson (Newport Nightingales), Julie Yale (Prestatyn).
This would be the last time the team would play in the red shirts with the three feathers, while Scotland played in an all white kit and included five players from Motherwell AEI who at the time were Scottish League champions along with various cup titles to their credit. With Bill Cranston as their manager, whose appointment was allegedly for one game and surrounded some controversy with the life-time ban of two of their most talented players in Edna Neillis and Rose Reilly (who was the most successful British player to venture abroad to France and Italy) from playing for Scotland.
Regardless, the Scottish team would go on to compete in a lively encounter against Cymru with an attendance of around 500 people. Scotland took the lead from Diane McLaren (Dundee Strikers) and would lead 2-0 at half-time. After lemon time, Cymru came back with two goals from Gloria O'Connell and Shelley Walters. However, the game ended in a 3-2 win for Scotland with Mary Carr (Motherwell) one of the other scorers, but the missing goalscorer remains lost in time. The winners received gold medals and inscribed tankards, while Cymru received similar but in silver.
