Our Fosters Solicitors Community Hero for Sunday's fixture against Blackburn Rovers is Mary ‘Rusty’ Blake.
Rusty served with the Women’s Royal Army Corps from 1970 to December 1974 in Aldershot and Hong Kong, attached to the Royal Corp of Signals.
Before joining the army at the age of 16, Rusty was selected to play football for England, the unofficial 1969 Lionesses team.
Before the team went to Turin, Italy to play in the first ever Women’s European Cup tournament, they toured Czechoslovakia playing matches in Prague, as women’s football in Europe received more recognition than at home in England.
The great stadium of Juventus FC hosted the European Cup, watched by approximately 15,000 supporters. England came third and Rusty received a bronze medal.
Rusty and her teammates are currently waiting to be awarded bespoke caps in recognition of their pioneering contribution to women’s football.
She is very proud to see the progression of the England women's game and was honoured to have been in the stadium when the current England Lionesses won the European Cup final.