Historic Lionesses will not receive caps from FA

Mary Blake (front, second from left) praised her former manager Harry Batt

The Football Association (FA) is not planning to award caps to female footballers that represented England while women's football was banned.

Barbara Taylor, who played in the 1970 World Cup, said it would "mean the world" to be recognised.

Unofficial teams also went to a European tournament in 1969 and a World Cup in 1971 before the ban was lifted.

The FA said caps were reserved for "full England internationals", but it had plans to honour the "trailblazers".

Barbara Taylor lived in Luton when she played for England in 1970, when they came fourth in the World Cup

The Women's Football Association (WFA) had been working to create an official national team and the ban on women's football was lifted in 1971.

In 1969, bus driver Harry Batt formed unofficial England sides to play in international tournaments, mostly made of players from his Luton team Chiltern Valley Ladies.

When the British Independents returned from Mexico in 1971, they received bans from the FA for attending the tournament without permission from the WFA.

Mr Batt, who received a lifetime ban from coaching, died in 1985.

• The full story of 1971's Lost Lionesses

Mrs Taylor, whose side placed fourth in the tournament in Italy, said: "We played our hearts out in those grounds and did everything we could with limited support."

Speaking of her hopes for official recognition, she said: "If the day ever comes I shall be in tears."

Mary Blake was 16 years old when she represented England in the 1969 European Competition for Women's Football.

She said she had already given up hope on ever receiving official recognition, adding: "Whether they give us a cap or not, we're in the history books and that's all we could ask for really."

Mary Blake watched last week's World Cup final in The Bailie pub in Luton

The FA said there were plans to celebrate Chiltern Valley Ladies, the British Independents "and the role of their founders, Harry and June Batt" in the coming months, but no further details have been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Ms Blake said she was still full of praise for her former manager.

"Harry Batt was way ahead of his time in women's football," she said. "He was the leader and inspiration for all women's football."