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Meet the original Gregory’s Girl!

Twelve years before the Scottish coming-of-age comedy about a schoolgirl who starred in a boys’ football team was released, Morecambe teacher Elizabeth Altham was already scoring a goal for equality.

And watching the recent Lionesses’ success at the Women’s Euros brought back memories for Elizabeth and her short-lived footballing career more than 50 years ago.

While teaching at Lancaster Road School in 1969, Elizabeth Altham, now Finley, volunteered to take part in a teachers versus school boys match in Morecambe.

Elizabeth Altham (now Finley) with one of the photos that appeared in the Lancaster Guardian and Visitor.

“There weren’t many male teachers in primary schools then and the team was one man short so I jokingly said that I’d play and the next day, I was presented with a football kit,” Elizabeth explained.

“In those days, women didn’t play football so the match was news in the local paper.”

Indeed, Elizabeth, now in her seventies and living in Hest Bank, still has the cuttings and original photographs from her 15 minutes of fame in the Lancaster Guardian and The Visitor.

Joining her on the field on the staff team were games masters and guests including Eric Ball (ex-Bolton Wanderers) and the assistant Morecambe FC trainer.

One of the photos of Elizabeth that appeared in the Lancaster Guardian and Visitor. Second from right is Brian Gordon, then deputy head of St Peter's in Heysham. Third from right is Mr Middleton, who was head at St Peter's. The goalkeeper is Ron Meadows, and to the left behind Elizabeth is Brian Capper. Next to him is Eric Bell.

Elizabeth’s father Thomas Altham, who was Morecambe chairman as well as a member of the well-known Morecambe butchers family, even brought a crowd of supporters to watch Elizabeth play when they should have been watching the Shrimps play Clitheroe at nearby Christie Park.

"I think my father was very proud of me,” she said.

Despite never having played football before, Elizabeth did score – but it was an own goal and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Afterwards she told the papers: “There has been quite a bit of leg pulling but I enjoyed the game very much.”

One of the photos of Elizabeth that appeared in the Lancaster Guardian and Visitor..

After leaving Lancaster Road, Elizabeth taught at numerous primary schools across the district including Ryelands, where she was in charge of PE.

Although she’s never played football again, Elizabeth watched all the Lionesses games during the Euros and cheered so loudly that her partner could hear from the garage.

Now retired, she keeps active by cycling and playing tennis at Slyne-with-Hest Tennis Club.

In her youth, she thinks she was the first girl to water-ski in Morecambe Bay.

Quite a sporting pioneer on land and water!

Morecambe’s very own Gregory’s Girl was a footballing pioneer in her day