"Las Fútbolistas" Ángel Zárraga (Mexico, 1886-1946)
A friend recommended this painting to me - amazing, given the year it was painted and the commonly
held view that women's football is a recent phenomenon spearheaded by post Title IX generations of
American women. By chance, I happen to be just finishing Barbara Jacobs's incredible portrait of
perhaps the most successful and famous side in English women's football, The Dick, Kerr's Ladies
(see also this recent Guardian story).
Having edged into the fourth round of the Carling Cup, albeit with an ultimately monotonous
performance, the Premier League returns for United on Saturday and a somewhat tricky trip to the
Britannia Stadium awaits.
Stoke have started the season in a pretty decent fashion having picked up seven points already
and been extremely unfortunate not to have come away with something more last weekend against
Bolton and previously against Chelsea too.
