It’s no shock to any of us that walking around any town or city, the vast majority of commemorative statues are of men. Only last year was the first female statue in Parliament Square of Millicent Fawcett was unveiled after a campaign lead by Caroline Criado-Perez. 

It’s probably long overdue then, that the first statue of a female footballer has been commissioned by Mars ahead of the England women’s team heading to France this summer for the World Cup Finals. The pioneering piece has been created by sculptor Hannah Stewart (below).

The statue, of women’s football trailblazer Lily Parr, will be unveiled next month at the National Football Museum, and will be the first female statue of a footballer after 110 of men. 

Lily was the first female footballer to be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, and began playing in 1919 for Kerr’s Ladies in Preston aged just 14. She was also part of the England squad in the first recognised women’s international game in 1920 against France, and scored an astonishing 890 goals over a 32 year career. Definitely statue worthy.

Mars Brand Director Gemma Buggins, said “Lily Parr was the heroine of her time in the sporting world. It’s an honour to be able to recognise her and commemorate the inspirational woman that she was.”

The England women’s squad was announced this week with the FA releasing a video of the squad being named by a group of excitable celebrities, including David Beckham and Emma Watson;

You can get involved and support the lionesses in the World Cup, which starts next month on 7th June, using the Mars hashtag #SupportHer. 

Images: Mars Ltd