Lionesses in Japan: the 1981 Mundialito

With the Lionesses looking to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia & New Zealand, Dr Alex Jackson looks at a major event in the team’s history – the 1981 Mundialito Cup in Japan. This was an historic tournament for the official England team, who had never played outside of Europe.

We can explore it through some amazing photos loaned to us by Angela Gallimore and items donated to us by Liz Deighan, both of whom played for England in the 1970s and 1980s.

What was the Mundialito Cup?

Mundialito means ‘little world cup’ in Spanish and was the name given to the forerunner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Leading teams were invited, rather than competing in qualifiers. It was first held in Japan in 1981, and then in Italy in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988. England played in every tournament apart from 1986 and won it in 1985 and 1988. The first FIFA Women’s World Cup was then launched in 1991 with China hosting the tournament.

1981 Mundialito programme cover

Why did Japan host it and why were England invited?

As Professor Jean Williams explains in her book, The History of Women’s Football (2022), women’s international football in East Asia began to develop in the 1960s. In 1968 the Asian Ladies Football Confederation was founded and in the following years Japan sought to improve domestically and internationally.

A suggestion was made by several journalists that Japan should host a tournament. One of them came from Kobe City and suggested that the Portopia Exposition, an event to celebrate the construction of the world’s largest island, would form a good backdrop. Officials went to England to see them play and were impressed by what they saw. As a result, England, Italy, and Denmark accepted invitations to visit Japan.

1981 Mundialito opening ceremony

Who can we see in these photos?

These photos appear to capture the opening ceremony. At the front of the England squad, we can see two important figures in English women’s football at this time – WFA Secretary Patricia Gregory and England manager Martin Reagan. Patricia held several positions at the WFA from 1969 into the 1990s. As an administrator and spokeswoman, Patricia was heavily involved in organizing and promoting the WFA’s activities at both club and international level.

1981 Mundialito Patricia Gregory and Martin Reagan

Martin was a former professional footballer and Second World War veteran who was the manager between 1979 to 1990. Martin’s responsibilities were much broader than the senior England team though. He was also involved in promoting and developing the broader women’s game, especially coaching. With today’s growing interest in women’s football, Patricia and Martin’s achievements are now receiving greater recognition.

What was it like for the players?

It required a lot of sacrifice and commitment. The players did not get paid to play then, so they had to use holidays or take time out of work to participate. But it also offered a rare opportunity to travel to Japan. As England captain Carol Thomas told Jean Williams, “Japan was a place that only existed in films. In 1981 a girl from a Northern backwater could only dream of visiting there. To me it was not just another country or another world, it was another planet!”

Carol also explains that for the first time they decided on an official uniform of skirt, blouse, and blazer, which they paid for themselves. The only things they did receive for playing were boots from a Japanese manufacturer, Asics Tiger. Liz Deighan has kindly donated a pair of the boots that the players received. Today, leading players might receive boots from leading brands, but then this was very rare.

1981 Mundialito Angela and Terri Wiseman

What’s happening in this photograph?

Here we can see goalkeeper Terri Wiseman and Angela Gallimore signing autographs for some young fans. It’s a particularly lovely photograph as it shows the time that England players took to engage with fans and promote women’s football. Given the historic prejudices against women’s football, being involved in such efforts have, and still are, an important part of being a leading player.

1981 Mundialito Lionesses team photo

How important are these photographs?

We are fortunate that Angela has shared them us. Images of the England team are quite rare, especially for a tournament on the other side of the world. Early photographs also tend to be black and white. These are perhaps some of the earliest colour images of the team and help bring this wonderful story to life. In these photos we can see both the full England squad, and a smaller photograph of the northern players in the team.

1981 Mundialito Lionesses smaller team photo

If you look carefully at Liz Deighan (standing, far left), you can see she is wearing one of her international caps, which she decorated with badges from the countries she visited. If you want to see it in real life, it is on display in the museum.