International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality, recognise the work that still needs to be done, and celebrate the accomplishments of women around the world.
Stewarton-based Elsie Cook was the Scotland Manager for the women’s team and secretary for the Scottish Women’s Football Association. She played a key role in institutionalising the Scottish Women’s FA through her various endeavours.
Elsie, 76, said: “I first fell in love with football in 1960 at the age of 13, after going to watch my first game at Kilmarnock FC’s Rugby Park. As soon as I saw captain Frank Beattie dictate play in the middle of the park, I was hooked.”
After that, Elsie decided she wanted to play for herself. Coincidentally, her mother, who was a keen humanitarian in her own right and had received an MBE from the Queen, was asked if she could set up a girl’s football team for a charity football match.
Elsie’s mother and netball coach, Betty Bennett, asked Elsie, aged 14, to help her form Stewarton Thistle Ladies Football Club.
Elsie said: “Our first match was with Holyrood Bumbees of East Kilbride. We borrowed strips and begged for boots, but this match was a real eye opener. I played centre half, my mother was the right half, and both my aunties as fullbacks.
“We were also told about a girl called Susan Ferries who was 17. Her technical ability was outstanding, and it showed people women and girls could play football. We ended up winning the game 7-0, and Susan scored all 7.
“Because of Susan I made this my life’s mission to expand the game of football for girls and women of all ages from Under 9s to adults. I became a football Suffragette from 1961 until 1993.”
Women had been banned from playing football officially for almost 40 years. The sport was deemed unsuitable for females and their participation wasn’t to be encouraged. As a result, Elsie and her teammates weren’t allowed to play on any proper pitches or use any referees or other officials.
She said: “I remember the other boys my age would tell me I was being stupid and that girls couldn’t play football, but I was determined to prove them wrong. We didn’t let the pitch ban stop us either.
“My local team Stewarton Thistle would sneak onto the council-run grounds on Sundays when nobody was playing because of the Sabbath. If we got lucky, the caretakers would even slip us the changing room keys if we promised to clean up after the men’s weekend games. We didn’t have proper referees, coaches, or kit, we’d make our kit from what we could, and we got on with it.”
Elsie spent the next 33 years advocating for the acceptance of women’s football. After being the Scotland representative in the English Women’s FA in 1969, she helped others found the Scottish Women’s Football Association in 1972, in which she was the Secretary, and worked tirelessly to help reverse the ban on women’s football, which was lifted in 1974.
The day after the ban was lifted, Elsie received a call from legendary Scottish manager Jock Stein. He asked Elsie to select top players to provide pre match entertainment at the Celtic v Olympiakos European Cup tie at Celtic Park which was a monumental moment at the time for women.
Throughout her football career, she met professional football player Pelé and the Brazilian men’s team who arrived to Troon for a game.
She said: "I am a massive fan of Pelé so I grabbed my friend and two dozen Tammy’s and raced down to hopefully meet him.
"I started crying and Pelé came up and put his hands on my shoulder, kissed me on the cheek, and asked if I was okay. It was amazing. Then, they realised we didn’t have tickets for their friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park, so they brought us on the bus with them and we got to watch the match. They gave us tickets for the posh part, so we could watch the game from a box.
“After meeting Pele at Troon, we were invited to follow Brazil to the 1966 World Cup in Liverpool. We were treated like stars and invited to meet the entire Brazil squad.”
Elsie’s love for football is still at the forefront of her life. Now aged 76, she spends her time following Kilmarnock home and away, as well as taking buses for children to go and watch the Scotland team play for free at Hampden Park.
She added: “That’s how I enjoy the game these days, through the children. It’s exhilarating to watch kids see a packed Hampden Park for the first time. The game today is everything I’ve dreamt about and I’m really happy with how far it’s come."
This was an interview conducted with Elsie by Nationwide Building Society, as part of its ongoing Mutual Respect programme with England Football and its home nations.
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