FLYING THE FLAG by Carrie Dunn
The footballing heroines of the Home Nations who made history abroad
From the author of Unsuitable for Females, shortlisted for The Sunday Times Football Book of the Year 2023
‘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 turn pro and pursue their dreams.
This book uncovers the untold stories of those pioneering British women who paved the way for today’s stars. Through their reflections, we explore their extraordinary journeys, the evolution of women’s football, and the dreams they still hold for the future.
Praise for Carrie:
'One of the most talented and considered minds working in women's football today' Carl Anka, bestselling author
'Shedding light not only on generations of struggle and often unheard of victories and success, but on the issues that women still face today' Christy Lefteri
'It may reflect on some of the most irritating traditions of the game – like disrespect for its female Olympians and World Cup winners and the absence of suitable kit for girls – but you still leave feeling uplifted and optimistic about the future of the sport' Kate Mason
'Absolutely fascinating book' Tracy Edwards MBE
'Brilliantly informative, immaculately researched and completely essential for all women and men involved in the game' Kelly Cates, Sports Broadcaster
ISBN (Paperback original): 9781917163538
ISBN (E-book): 9781917163545
Price: £14.99 (pb with flaps), £11.99 (Ebook)
Pub date: 5th June 2025
Extent: 320 pages
Format: 216x138mm
Rights Held: World
Genre: Sport/History/Gender Studies
Carrie Dunn is a full-time writer. Her recent books include The Pride of the Lionesses (Pitch, 2019), nominated as Football Book of the Year in 2020, and a sequel to The Roar of the Lionesses: Women’s Football in England (Pitch, 2016), one of the Guardian’s best sport books of 2016. Her most recent book Unsuitable for Females (Arena, 2022) tells the stories of the people who have kept women’s football blazing a trail over the last century. She has covered the last three Women’s World Cups for the Times and Eurosport, and is a regular voice on BBC radio as well as The Athletic’s Women’s Football Podcast.
Carrie 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 Snowdonia National Park with her actor husband and their rescue lurcher, Spring.