The Match (PAPERBACK)

As the First World War rages, the women of the Dick Kerr Ladies football team fight for wounded soldiers in the only way they can – on the pitch.

When best friends, Florrie and Alice, apply for jobs at the Dick Kerrs munitions factory, Alice, the clever one, is sent to work in the drilling shop, while Florrie finds herself ramming explosives into an endless row of brass shells.

Soon Alice hears her soldier boyfriend has been sent home injured and begs Florrie to go with her to visit him. The young women are horrified to find the hospital overwhelmed, with patients lying on stretchers still caked in mud from the trenches, and exhausted nurses struggling to cope without even the most basic necessities.

Alice is distraught, and in an attempt, to comfort her, Florrie vows to find a way to raise money for the hospital. Together, they plan to arrange a charity football match and recruit other women from the factory to join them.

But not everyone wants them to succeed.

To Florrie’s surprise, they face opposition from their families, their workmates and their neighbours.

Determined not to give up, the women are delighted when help comes from an unexpected source.

It seems their goal is within reach, but as the number of wounded soldiers increases, will the women be able to raise enough money to keep the hospital open?

This book has been inspired by the true story of the Dick Kerr's Ladies Football team.