When a new face appeared at their football training session, Colleen O'Connor couldn’t help but think she looked familiar.
It wasn’t until she struck up a conversation in the pub afterward that she and Mandy Beach realized they were long-lost teammates who had played for Wales more than 40 years ago.
Now in their 60s, Colleen and Mandy are reliving their footballing days as part of the Caerphilly Castle FC walking football team. The pair were among the pioneering women who represented Wales after the ban on women’s football was lifted in 1970. They have only recently been given official recognition for their contributions to the sport.
Reflecting on their renewed passion for the game, Colleen said, “We did it 44 years ago, and look at us now—still playing. There’s hope for all of us.”
Growing up in the 1970s, Mandy and Colleen were part of the first generation of women allowed to play football. Both joined a club in Newport and made a handful of appearances for Wales between 1980 and 1981. Colleen was a teenager at the time, while Mandy was in her early twenties.
Four decades later, women’s football has grown enormously. The current Wales team is on the verge of history as they prepare for the Euro 2025 play-off final.
Mandy, now 65, reflected fondly on her early playing days. “It was absolutely fabulous,” she said. “Even though the crowd was small, it felt like such a big occasion. I remember our shirts were borrowed from Swansea—it was a crazy time, but we loved it.”
In those days, the team lacked official recognition from the Football Association of Wales (FAW), meaning players had to pay for their own travel and equipment. “I’d earn a wage, and it’d be gone by Friday,” said Colleen, now 62. “But if you love the sport, you’ll make it work.”
They also faced significant social challenges, particularly from men. Mandy recalled, “We trained hard and could kick a ball as well as anyone, but we weren’t taken seriously. People laughed at us, and it was disheartening. Eventually, I lost some heart and stopped playing.”
Since then, the pair have been training weekly with Caerphilly Castle FC and have even played for a Wales over-60s walking football team.