Edna Neillis (15 April 1953 – 13 July 2015) was a Scottish women's association football player, who represented the Scottish women's football team and played in the French and Italian championships.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edna Neillis | ||
| Date of birth | 15 April 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 18 July 2015 (aged 62) | ||
| Place of death | Cumbernauld, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970-1973 | Westthorn United | ||
| 1973–1975 | Reims | ||
| 1975–1977 | A.C.F. Milan | ||
| 1978–1982 | Gorgonzola | ||
| 1983 | Piacenza | ||
| 1984 | Gorgonzola | ||
| 1985–1989 | A.C.F. Foggia | ||
| 1989–1990 | A.C.F. San Pietro in Lama[1] | ||
| International career | |||
| 1972–1975 | Scotland | 5 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Neillis was born in Glasgow, and raised in the east of the city, playing football in the streets as a child and for Ruchazie boys' team.[3][4] She went on to play with Westthorn United, a women's team based in Glasgow.[4] She earned her first cap with the Scotland national team as a teenager and played in the team's first international match against England in 1972.[3] Previously, women's football was banned for over 50 years.[5]
Neillis and her teammate Rose Reilly received a lifetime ban by the Scottish FA after speaking out against the national team's amateur-level coach in 1975.[6][7] She continued to play professionally in Italy.
Honors and awards
- Serie A title: 1975 (with Milan)[7]
- Italian Cup (3): 1975, 1976 (with Milan); 1980 (with Gorgonzola)[7]
- Inducted into Scottish Women in Sport Hall of Fame in 2018.
In popular culture
In 2013, Neillis was featured in the BBC documentary Honeyballers, focused on the pioneers of Scottish women's football.[8][9] In December 2015, a motion to induct Neillis into the Scottish Football Hall of Famewas proposed.[10]