Helen Matthews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Matthew
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Helen Matthew in 1895
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| Born | 1871, London (according to birth records), or 1872–73, Montrose, Angus, Scotland (according to interview) |
| Died | Unknown |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Footballer |
| Years active | c. 1890–c. 1896 |
Helen Matthew (born around 1871 or 1872 – died around the 1950s) was a Scottish footballer, artist, and a suffragette. She was also known by her nickname, Mrs Graham. Helen Matthew was a very important player and team captain in the 1890s. She is also famous for finding and bringing in the first black woman footballer, Emma Clarke.
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Helen Matthew's Early Life
Helen Matthew was likely born in London in 1871. Her parents were William and Eliza Matthew. She also had a sister named Florence. Later, Helen said she was born in Montrose, Scotland.
She probably lived in Montrose and Littleham, Devon, before moving to Lancashire, England, around 1880. Her family lived in Walton, Liverpool, which was close to where Emma Clarke grew up. Helen mentioned in 1896 that she had lived in Lancashire for twenty years.
Football Career Beginnings
Helen Matthew probably played her first football match around 1890. This was part of a tour by Alec Payne, who organized football games and entertainment in towns across England and Wales.
Some newer reports have incorrectly said that Helen founded the first women's teams in 1881. However, there is no old evidence to support this claim.
Helen Matthew as an Artist
From 1891 to 1895, Helen Matthew worked as an artist for newspapers. She wrote articles with her sister Florence, and they called themselves "The Lothian Lasses". They were big fans of the football team Preston North End.
Helen's drawings and their articles were printed in several newspapers. These included the Cricket & Football Field, Liverpool Echo, Lancashire Evening Post, and the Cardiff Evening News.
Playing for the British Ladies' Football Club
In 1895, Helen Matthew moved to London. She might have played for a team called Midland Ladies Football Club in Birmingham before that.
A new football club was started by Nettie Honeyball, who was a suffragette, and her manager Alfred Hewitt Smith. This club was called the British Ladies' Football Club, or sometimes "The Lady Footballers". They often played matches as North v South or Reds v Blues. Helen, using the name "Mrs Graham", played as a goalkeeper and sometimes as a team captain for this club.
Leading Her Own Teams
From late 1895 to June 1896, Helen Matthew started leading her own football teams. At first, her teams were also called Reds v Blues. Later, they became known as the Original Lady Footballers or Mrs Graham's XI.
Her teams played many games, including against men's teams in Scotland. In one match against Irvine, Helen got a black eye but kept playing!
Emma Clarke, who was the first black woman to play football, was part of Mrs Graham's XI during their tour in Scotland. Emma Clarke continued to play with her sister until 1903. Emma's real identity was not fully known until 2017.
Later Life and Recognition
In an interview in 1896, "Mrs Graham" said that all the players on her team were from Lancashire, just like her.
Helen Matthew became a racehorse owner in the 1900s. She got married in 1915. Even in her 70s, Helen was still a big fan of the Preston North End team. She followed their 1954 FA Cup Final match from a hospital bed in Newton Abbot.
She passed away in Devon in 1963.
In 2018, Helen Matthew was honored in the first ever Scottish Women in Sport Hall of Fame. She was recognized under the name Helen Graham.
