Female Football Week - Elaine Watson OAM
Everyone will know of the Elaine Watson Cup, the premier cup competition for Football Brisbane's women's players - but how many people will know of the woman who's name is on the trophy?
As part of the FFA's Female Football Week, we look into her past and just how important she was in establishing women's football in the region.
Perhaps every female player should know her name as Elaine Watson is considered Australia’s “matriarch of women’s football” and is the only woman in FFA’s Hall of Honour.
Elaine Watson was a pioneer of women’s football in Australia, beginning her career as a team manager more than 50 years ago.
During these early years she was involved as a referee where she bacame the first fully qualified female referee in Australia.
FB Media interviewed her during the 2016 Elaine Watson Cup Final:
She has also been a coach before gaining valuable administrative skills whilst serving in national and state positions as treasurer, finance director, manager and a tour leader. In 1975 she became the foundation president of the Queensland Women’s Association, later serving as national president and then Oceania President for eight years.
She was the manager of the first Australian Matildas team to attend the Women’s 1978 World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan. She also served as tour leader for the first Oceania Cup and tour leader for the 1988 pilot World Cup in China.
Elaine was the first person to be awarded life membership of the Australian Women’s Soccer Association and she has an extensive list of personal honours, of which her most prized is the Order of Australia Medal she received in 1993 for her services to the sport. Also prized is her place as the sole female in FFA’s Hall of Honour – the highest recognition offered by the governing body for services to the game.
In 2010, Football Brisbane named the Women's Premier Cup after her in recognition of her services to the women's game within the region.
