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Joan Whalley (18 December 1921[1][2] – 10 January 1998[3]) was a female footballer who played for Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C., making her debut for them aged just 15 in May 1937.[3]

Joan Whalley

Personal information
Full name	Joan Whalley
Date of birth	1921
Place of birth	Preston, England
Date of death	10 January 1998(1998-01-10) (aged 76–77)
Position(s)	Winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1937–?	Dick, Kerr's Ladies
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Whalley was born in Preston and was encouraged by her father to play football and join the local team.[1] She was compared with male footballer Tom Finney and described as one of the "two greatest right wingers in the world", with him as the other.[1]

Whalley played in rare international matches, once for England against Scotland and one for Wales against France.[1]

Whalley also worked full-time as a nurse and then as a bus conductor. A disagreement with the Dick, Kerr Ladies manager Alfred Frankland after oversleeping from a late shift on the busses led to Whalley leaving for Manchester Ladies in 1953, only returning when he died in 1958. She then retired a few years later.[1]

In 1992, Whalley reunited with former team-mates to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dick, Kerr Ladies. In 1996, she became the first female footballer to feature in a Nike national advertising campaign alongside Michael Jordan, Ian Wright and Eric Cantona.[4][2]

In 2007, Whalley was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.[2]

References

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