The England women's national football team represents England in international women's association football. Since 1993 the team has been governed by the Football Association (FA), having been previously controlled by the Women's Football Association (WFA) from 1972 until 1993. England played its first international match in November 1972 against Scotland. Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, England is one of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, meaning that it is permitted by FIFA statutes to maintain its own national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
England has qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup three times, reaching the quarter final stage on each occasion in 1995, 2007 and 2011. They reached the final of the UEFA Women's Championship in 1984 and 2009. In May 2009 central contracts were implemented, to help players focus on full-time training and playing, without having to fit it around full-time employment. Initially 17 players signed contracts.
Hope Powell became the team's first full-time head coach in July 1998, succeeding Ted Copeland. As of June 2012, England is ranked No. 9 in the FIFA Women's World Rankings.
Famous quotes containing the words football team, england, women, national, football and/or team:
“You can’t be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)
“Our king went forth to Normandy,
With grace and might of chivalry,
The God for him wrought marvellously,
Wherefore England may call and cry
Deo gratias, Deo gratias Anglia
Redde pro victoria.”
—Unknown. The Agincourt Carol (l. 1–6)
“... feminism is the attempt of women to grow up, to accept the responsibilities of life, to outgrow those characteristics of childhood—selfishness and unworldliness—that we require our boys to outgrow, but that we permit and by our social system encourage our girls to retain.”
—Henrietta Rodman (1878–?)
“[The Republicans] offer ... a detailed agenda for national renewal.... [On] reducing illegitimacy ... the state will use ... funds for programs to reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, to promote adoption, to establish and operate children’s group homes, to establish and operate residential group homes for unwed mothers, or for any purpose the state deems appropriate. None of the taxpayer funds may be used for abortion services or abortion counseling.”
—Newt Gingrich (b. 1943)
“People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies stewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)
“Is my team ploughing,
That I was used to drive
And hear the harness jingle
When I was man alive?”
—A.E. (Alfred Edward)