AS women's football grips the nation with England's massive semi-final against Japan tomorrow (July 2), the fascinating story of one of the town's female footballers has been uncovered.

Lily Parr, born in 1905, became one of the early stars of women's football having a foot described as “like a Division One Back”.

By the age of 14 was already establishing herself as a standout footballer at St Helens Ladies.

Her performances caught the eye of Albert Frankland, manager of the dominant Dick Kerr's ladies team from Preston, who had a vision of an England ladies football team.

And Lily, from Pocket Nook, who had never left St Helens before, signed for Dick Kerr's team team and headed off to Preston.

While there, she scored 43 goals in her first season and also went on to tour in France.

However, her career was played amidst a backdrop of opposition to women's football, with the FA Council declaring "the game of football is quite unsuitable for women”.

In 1921, women’s football was banned from all FA grounds.

However, Lily and the Dick Kerr team refused to give in and Frankland took his team on tour to Canada and the US.

On arriving in Canada, they found that the association had boycotted them but America welcomed them, despite the surprise of learning their opponents would be men.

Of the nine matches they played, they won three, drew three and lost three.

Lily died in 1973 of breast Cancer and buried in St Helens Cemetery.

In 2002 she became the first woman to be named in the FA Football Museum's inaugural Hall of Fame.

Sue Williamson, head of the St Helens library service, has been researching Lily's story.

She said: "As we celebrate the success of our women’s team, how better to celebrate than to honour the name of what should have been one of St Helens' most famous daughters, Lily Parr, whose talent was immense and who demonstrates a sporting excellence which we so often see in our borough."

A book outlining Lily's story called The Dick Kerr’s Ladies, by Barbara Jacobs, can be found at St Helens Central Library.