She Kicks Back: From The Dugout With Wembley’s John Jones

Part of the She Kicks Back 25th-anniversary feature, in which former Wembley Ladies manager John Jones recalls his side, featuring the teenage Kelly Smith, beating Doncaster Belles on penalties to win the 1996 League Cup. He describes facing the Belles in a final as intimidating and the shoot-out win as the best feeling. The story began in the 1980s when he was coaching London Transport works team District Line and they were beaten 17-2 by the Belles, after which he told his players they had just had a lesson from one of the greatest teams in the country and could match them. With player and club secretary Gill Jones playing her part, District Line rose to the National Division by 1993 before merging with Wembley FC. Jones called Smith one of the most technically gifted players he had seen.