New BBC documentary to look at legendary ladies football team from Lanarkshire

They toured Scotland and beyond, dazzling crowds and beating both men and women's teams across the country.

Now a new BBC documentary is to look at the history of Rutherglen Ladies, who flourished during the 1920s and early 30s.

The women regularly played to large crowds while raising thousands for charity, and famously defeated the team considered the unofficial world champions of the women's game, Dick Kerr’s Ladies, 2-0 in 1923.

The team eventually faded away the late 1930s, when the Scottish Football Association clamped down on women's football.

However, Glasgow Caledonian University academic Dr Fiona Skillen and football historian Steve Bolton have been working on a project about the team, which has since brought them into contact with production company Purple TV, who expressed interest in a full documentary about the team.

Filming began last month, including in the Royal Burgh, and the show is expected to be broadcast on the BBC next year.

Among those taking part in the project is Scottish singer Eddi Reader, who's grandmother Sadie Smith captained the team, and who will be the focus of the TV project.

Dr Skillen told Lanarkshire Live: "Steve Bolton is the grandson of Lizzy Ashcroft, who played with Dick Kerr's Ladies - the most well-known female team of the time.

"He contacted me to ask if I knew about Rutherglen Ladies, as my research looks at women's sport in Scotland during the interwar period. We did a bit of digging, and found there was a really rich story to tell.

"Over the last six months we have been piecing together a lot of information, and there is probably a lot more to still find. Very early on we found Eddi Reader, who's grandmother was Sadie Smith, and we have found a few more relatives of players as well.

"We are looking at an exhibition at the Scottish Football Museum, and that's the end game for the overall project.

"I was working on a documentary about Scottish golf, and mentioned this research while doing that. They were interested, and have now commissioned the documentary about it. "

During the team's heyday they even toured Ireland, drawing crowds of 12,000 for fixtures. The team was managed by James Kelly, and drew players from throughout the Royal Burgh and the surrounding areas.

Dr Skillen is hopeful that the forthcoming documentary will bring the story of Rutherglen Ladies to a wider audience.

She added: "It's hugely exciting. Both Steve and I are passionate abut sharing these women's stories because they have been forgotten, but these were pioneers. It's wonderful to know that this story is going to be out there.

"They see the value in it as a women's story, a national story and something that is very important. That's wonderful to see."

Filming is continuing on the documentary, and it should be broadcast in the New Year.

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