I can thoroughly recommend the above book: Carmen Pomiès - Football Legend and Heroine of the French Resistance ... In fact, I would go as far as to say that it is necessary reading to understand the history of women’s football. To use footballing terminology, myself and historian Helge Faller have major ‘assists’ in this wonderful book. At the start of Chapter 6, I am quoted: “Carmen Pomiès was the glue holding together women’s football in Europe in the interwar years.”

Steve Bolton for Playing Pasts

Carmen Pomies was a figure I must admit to never hearing of previous to reading this interesting book. A woman of real character and who was you argue a forerunner for women in being able to achieve and doing what they wanted. I have to say at this point that the number of and standard of sporting books particularly football both women and men is very high and incredibly interesting, as a football, I fan I am loving all about these new sporting characters I have little or no knowledge of. They really show there was a time when sporting people were leaders and strived to achieve goals for others to follow.

It turns out that Carmen Pomies, a young woman from France was it seems a very good, high achieving athlete of note taking part in field events notably the javelin and athletics, and then, later on, she moved on to football playing regularly for Femina Sports and internationally as she was particularly well known in England too. We learn that during the outbreak of the Second World War she was having to live under German occupation but she then got involved with the French Resistance to support the French cause. What a fascinating woman and a very well written book, it’s a book that leaves you wanting to meet her and ask her lots of questions yourself.

Read the full review here

The History Fella

As featured in: 'This month's literary delights'

Lancashire and North West Magazine

'I'm literally blown away.... I'm pretty sure it will be one of the landmarks in the research of early women's football history.'

Helge Faller, Europe’s premier historian of women’s football

'From Paris to Preston: how 1920s French football superstar Carmen Pomiès kickstarted the women's game with Dick, Kerr Ladies' - full article here

Lancashire Evening Post

As featured in

The Bookseller