Obituary - Susan Newlands, pioneer of women's football

Died: May 19, 2016

SUSAN Newlands, who has died aged 71 after a long illness, was a pioneer of women's football in Scotland. As Susan Ferries, she was one of the stars of the Stewarton Thistle side of the 1960s and 70s and took part in the early Scottish and FA Cups.

The daughter of the Auchinleck Talbot star Bill Ferries, she first became interested in football from the age of six and honed her skills in kickabouts with the boys in Kilmarnock’s Riccarton Park. By the age of 17, she was working in the town’s Saxone’s shoe factory and was selected to represent the area for the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives Personality Girl Contest staged in London.

Football, however, was her main interest and in the autumn of 1960 she spied a prize pair of football boots in the window of a second hand shop and wore the same boots throughout her career. Armed with her second-hand footwear, she took the field for Stewarton Thistle in their 1961 debut match against Holyrood Bumbees and scored all of Thistle's goals in a 7-1 thrashing.

She left Saxone’s to work in Johnny Walker’s bottling plant and occasionally turned out for the works XI but it was with Stewarton Thistle that she made the most impact and by 1963 she was already attracting the attention of the press.

An early success came in a charity event at St Roche, which had veteran sports columnist Alex Cameron on hand to present the trophy, and in 1969 she took part in the Butlins Cup, losing out to Westthorn United in the regional final. Also that year she was part of an unofficial Scotland XI which took on the famous Manchester Corinthians at Stewarton’s Strandhead Park and there were further unofficial internationals in the following years.

Along with bright new star Rose Reilly, Susan Ferries would play a central role in Stewarton’s golden era, taking part in the inaugural Scottish Cup competition. She contributed goals in early round wins against Airdrie Ladies and a semi-final with Wishaw Jags to progress to the final where they met Aberdeen Prima Donnas. The match played on April 18 1971 at Dundee’s Riverside Park with Stewarton 4-2 winners to take the cup.

A few weeks later, they took part in the Mitre Trophy, a forerunner of today’s FA Cup. Susan Ferries was the star of an early round 5-2 defeat of the Manchester Corinthians and a 9-2 thumping of Nuneaton Wanderers and was described in the press as the Bobby Lennox of the female football world.

The final itself was on May 8 1971 but eneded up mired in controversy. Southampton fielded a league select side to compete in the competition and although found guilty of misrepresentation and fined £25 at a WFA tribunal they were allowed to keep the trophy.

Thistle did not have to wait long for revenge as the sides met a few months later in the final of the Deal International Competition, the Champions League of its day. With the two sides deadlocked in extra-time, Margaret McAuley nipped in to slot home the decider to take the trophy back to Stewarton. A charity shield win rounded off a treble for the season.

The Stewarton side, re-branded Stewarton Lees, made another attempt at the Mitre Cup and at 3-1 down in the final against Southampton Susan beat two defenders to fire home and set up a grandstand finish. Southampton hung on but the sides met again in the Deal International in the 3rd/4th place play off. And with the game goalless after extra-time Stewarton edged it in the penalty shoot out.

Susan had played in unofficial Scotland matches but she was part of the squad for the first official international in 1972 between Scotland and England played at Ravenscraig Park.

This was no mean feat as we found ourselves up against a Southampton League Select team specially got together with the aim of winning the FA Cup. Found guilty of misrepresentation, Southampton were fined £25 by the WFA committee but allowed to play the final. This was no mean feat as we found ourselves up against a Southampton League Select team specially got together with the aim of winning the FA Cup. Found guilty of misrepresentation, Southampton were fined £25 by the WFA committee but allowed to play the first official international in 1972 between Scotland and England played at Ravenscraig Park.

Elsie Cook commenting on her former team mate and friend said: "Susie was the reason Stewarton stayed together and went on to reach great heights in UK Women’s football, winning the first Scottish Cup, League Cup and Deal European Cup. Susan was not only a great player but a truly amazing character with a sense of humour which she bravely retained throughout her illness."

Susan Ferries continued playing until 1977 and in later years saw some recognition for her achievements on the football field. In 2012 she was reunited with many of her former team mates at the opening for an exhibition of the game’s history at the Scottish Football Museum and is also featured in a display of the woman’s sides of the 1970s at the Hampden venue.

For her memorial service, held at Holmsford Bridge Crematorium, a football floral designed tribute adorned the casket along with those boots bought 56 years earlier. It is hoped that a match might be played at Rugby Park between the Kilmarnock senior and U17 sides as a tribute to Susan’s legacy.