itstargetnews
The Women’s Super League Hall of Fame celebrated its latest inductees at an event on Monday evening as four more trailblazers’ contributions to women’s football were recognised.
Established in 2021 to mark the league’s 10th anniversary, the Hall of Fame is the world’s highest individual honor. WSL and recognizes players, coaches and officials who have left a lasting legacy and positively impacted the game. Previous inductees include luminaries such as Jill Scott, Emma Hayes and Farah Williams, who were among those who paved the way for the WSL’s growth as the world’s best women’s football league.
Steph Houghton, Gilly Flaherty, Alex Scott and referee Rebecca Welch are the latest to be honored as they join an elite group. Speaking on a panel organized by 90 minutes and presented by Betty Glover, the four reflected on their own induction and gave insight into their contribution to the development of the sport.
For former England captain Hughton, who announced his retirement from the game at the end of last season, the honor is deeply emotional. “It means the world, to be honest,” she said.
“When you start playing football, you never envision being inducted and inducted into the Hall of Fame. With Gilly, Alex and Rebecca, to be involved tonight with some really impressive people across the league over the last 10 to 12 years, that’s pretty impressive.
The central defender won three league titles, five The FA Cup And seven League Cups during her career as the chosen one she represented Armory And Manchester City. She spent 10 years between 2014 and 2024, helping to establish the Manchester club as one of the elite forces in the WSL.
Houghton also fondly remembers her playing days with Flaherty and Scott at Arsenal, another club synonymous with the early dominance of the women’s game in England. “Arsenal is probably the biggest (memory),” she added.
“I went to Arsenal and Gilly was there, Alex was in America but came back. To play with these two, Gilly was young and coming up but played a lot for Arsenal and Alex was the best right back in England and he scored the winning goal for Arsenal in the Champions League so it was a huge honor to play with them. Two
“I really think we pushed each other but we also had fun at the same time. You look at it as football and it’s serious but I think if you can enjoy it, be with your mates and push each other well, success comes and it certainly came at Arsenal.
For Flaherty, who won the UEFA Women’s Cup with Arsenal in 2007 and later represented ChelseaThe induction was also a special moment, before West Ham and Liverpool retire in 2023. Now working as a PE teacher, she admits she’s underappreciated by her peers and students.
“They (the kids) love it, but I don’t talk about it (being inducted into the Hall of Fame),” she said. “My mum also works at the school and my sister, so it’s a family thing, but everyone in the office was talking about it. I was trying not to talk about it, but they (the kids) know about it today.
The Scot, an Arsenal legend and former England international, is highly regarded as one of the best right backs of his era. She retired from playing in 2018 and has since become one of the most recognizable faces in sports broadcasting.
“For me, to be here with all the girls, it takes me back to those moments every day going to training, being in the changing room and being part of that family and that sisterhood,” Scott said. “I’m loving every moment of it. It is really special because I believe many people now look up to me for what I have achieved in my broadcasting career.
“But, I’m doing it because of what I’ve been able to achieve in my football career, so it’s a full circle moment and a very proud moment for me to share with my mum as well.”
Rebecca Welch’s induction was a significant milestone as she became the first referee to be honored in the Hall of Fame. She is undoubtedly a trailblazer in officiating as she made history in 2021 by becoming the first woman to be appointed as a referee in a Men’s English Football League game between Harrogate and Port Vale.
She did so again a few years later in 2023, becoming the first woman to officiate a Premier League match, on this occasion between Burnley and Fulham. Welch hung up her whistle at the end of last season and is now serving in a managerial role at PGMOL.
“When I was told I was going to be inducted, I was thinking Jeremy Beadle was going to walk through the door because I think it’s unheard of to induct a referee into the league’s Hall of Fame,” admitted the former referee. “I think it just shows how different the women’s game really is, and we should embrace that.
“I’m the first, but hopefully, I won’t be the last.”
The evening was not only about celebration, but also an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of the four inductees to the progress of the game and its unprecedented growth in recent years. Scott rightly highlighted the need to keep up the momentum and accountability, which he still feels, even though he’s no longer playing himself.
“He needs to improve,” concluded the former Arsenal star. “I say, yes it’s here and we’re celebrating all the wonderful moments, but I also think it’s a responsibility, especially in the chair I’m sitting in and with the platform I have to continue to push in all the other areas inside. . Certain parts of the game.
“I take that responsibility as well and I will never stop shouting about that side, as well as celebrating it all. I remember when we were watching the Lions lift that trophy (Euro Trophy in 2022) at Wembley and I said in that moment that the train has finally left the station and you’re either on board or you’re not in that moment.
“Yes, the journey (of the women’s game) has been amazing, but we know how far the game can go.”
