| 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 | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1937–? | Dick, Kerr's Ladies | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Joan Whalley (18 December 1921[1][2] – 10 January 1998[3]) was a femalefootballer who played forDick, Kerr's Ladies F.C., making her debut for them aged just 15 in May 1937.[3]
Whalley was born inPreston and was encouraged by her father to play football and join the local team.[1] She was compared with male footballerTom Finney and described as one of the "two greatestright 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 buses 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 aNike national advertising campaign, alongsideMichael Jordan,Ian Wright andEric Cantona.[4][2]
In 2007, Whalley was inducted into theEnglish Football Hall of Fame.[2]
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