Pat Firth
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Birth name | Patricia Firth | ||
Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Fodens Ladies F.C. | |||
Rowntrees L.F.C. | |||
Bronte L.F.C. | |||
International career | |||
1973–1977 | England | 12 | (9[1]) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Pat Mitchell-Firth (née Firth) is a former England women's international footballer.[2] She represented the England women's national football team at senior international level and spent her early career at Fodens where she won the Women's FA Cup.[3][4]
Club Career
[edit]In 1974 Firth won the WFA Cup with Fodens after they beat three times defending champions Southampton 2–1, with Alison Leatherbarrow scoring both goals in Bedford.[2]
After initially retiring aged 21 following a knee injury, Firth later worked as a player coach at Rowntrees LFC. She played as a goalkeeper and they reached the semi final of the 1984 WFA Cup where they lost to Howbury Grange. In 1984 she also earnt an FA preliminary coaching licence. She later moved to North West League side Bronte where she again took the role as player-coach and helped the team reach the semi finals of the WFA Cup in 1989 where they lost to Friends of Fulham.[5]
International career
[edit]England
[edit]Firth was the scorer of England Women's first ever hat-trick in an international when she scored three goals against Scotland on debut in an 8–0 win at Manor Park, Nuneaton on 23 June 1973. It was England's first official home fixture.[6][1]
In November 2022, Firth was recognized by The Football Association as one of the England national team's legacy players, and as the 16th women's player to be capped by England.[7][8]
Honours
[edit]Fodens Ladies F.C.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Official cap a women's game milestone, says 'original Lioness'". BBC News. 7 October 2022.
- ^ a b c Laverty, Richard (29 November 2021). "When Fodens Ladies won the FA Cup".
- ^ "Up the Boro | Ron Bradbury Interviews Lionesses Legend Pat Firth" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Live with former Lionesses England women's footballer Pat Mitchell-Firth | #SheCan Episode 22" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Pat Firth". Womens Football Archive. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Original Lioness: 'It would be nice to have an FA cap'". BBC News. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "ENGLAND PLAYER LEGACY AND RESULTS ARCHIVE" (Press release). The Football Association. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". Mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.