Three teams. One tournament. A forgotten footnote in football history.
In 1976, Britain hosted a World Cup that never was. Not the men’s event, you understand. This was the Women’s World Cup. Unofficial. Ignored by the FA. But played nonetheless.
The hosts? A curious trio: England, Scotland, and Wales. But also Canada. Yes, Canada. It’s a thread connecting Ottawa to Wembley, a story of rebel organisers and FA indifference.
The tournament was the brainchild of the Martens family. They ran an independent women’s league. They got tired of waiting for FIFA. So they did it themselves. Eight teams. Three venues. A World Cup without sanction.
The final was at Wembley. England beat Scotland 4-1. But the real legacy? It forced a conversation. The FA finally took women’s football seriously. By 1993, they were running the women’s game. Then came Euro 2022. Then came the Lionesses’ triumph.
But Canada? Their inclusion was a lifeline. They faced England in the group stage, losing 5-0. But they played. They were there. And it paved the way for their own World Cup success in 1999, when they hosted the Women’s World Cup for real.
The forgotten hosts of 1976 linked Canada, the UK, and global football. They were ignored then. They should be remembered now.
Behind the scenes, there’s a lesson for today’s game. Power structures don’t change easily. They need a push. Sometimes from the outside. Sometimes from a group of women in a muddy field in Hertfordshire.
This is the inside story of that push. The deals that weren’t cut. The letters that weren’t answered. The game that went ahead anyway.
For those in the know, 1976 is a touchstone. It’s proof that change doesn’t come from the top. It comes from the bottom. From the forgotten hosts who dared to dream.
Today, women’s football is a global phenomenon. But its roots are in that rebel tournament. And the link between Canada and the UK remains strong. The current Canada captain, Christine Sinclair, has spoken about the debt she owes to those pioneers.
So next time you see the Lionesses roar, remember the rebels of 1976. The forgotten hosts. The ones who linked continents. And changed the game.
