Unplanned Success (Rachel Yankey)

A career interview with the first woman to sign a professional contract in England, later an OBE, host of the children’s programme Footy Pups and the first England player of either sex to reach 126 caps. The piece centres on 2002, when Fulham finally returned to the National Division after being made to climb two divisions, taking the Southern Division title with 234 goals and beating Doncaster Belles in the FA Cup final through Yankey’s curling free-kick before more than 10,000 at Crystal Palace and 2.5 million on the BBC. She recalls opponents looking deflated before kick-off and the job being to win the league rather than the game. An archive record-breaker Q&A covers the boot box she keeps for children at Gibbons Wreckers and Ted Copeland’s advice before facing Germany.