Thibault Rabeux is the name behind the up-and-coming account, Women’s Soccer Stories, which features forgotten or rarely reported stories in the history of women’s soccer. Today, Rabeux talks about his time as a historian of the women’s game, as well as future projects and his list of the most unappreciated players of all-time.
For clips and stories of monumental moments in Women’s Soccer, you can find Women’s Soccer Stories on Instagram (@women.soccer.stories) and YouTube (WSS Channel). For more history on the game itself, Rabeux’s book on the beginnings of women’s soccer can be found on Amazon, “Women's Soccer: The Official History of the Unofficial World Cups”.
What was the starting point that first got you interested in women’s football history?
I got interested in the history of women's football in 2014 when I was working for a specialized website called Foot d'Elles. I had discovered by chance that the French club of Reims had won a tournament in Taiwan in 1978. At the time, there were only a few lines on Wikipedia devoted to this tournament. So I interviewed the captain of the Stade de Reims at the time, Renée Delahaye, who told me the incredible story of this tournament in Asia. The story was so amazing that I incorporated it into my book. It was after doing this interview that I realized there were incredible little-known stories to tell.
Renée Delahaye (middle) in 1978 in Taiwan
You’ve done an excellent job digging up old clips on your YouTube and Instagram, as well as writing a book chronicling the major tournaments before the World Cup in 1991. Out of all the decades in women’s football, what event is criminally overlooked in your opinion? What makes it so important and intriguing to you?
Without a doubt, the history of the origins of the United States National Team (USWNT). When I was doing research to write my book, I found out about the Xi'an tournament that took place in China in 1984.
I found out that it was an American team that won the tournament: the Sting Soccer Club, a U19 team from Dallas. I contacted Alicia Tannery Donelan, a former player who participated in the Xi'an tournament. What she told me was amazing! As a Frenchman, I didn't understand why no American website had ever told the story of the Sting SC, which is in fact the first women's football team that represented the US around the world before 1985 and prompted the creation of the first official USWNT. I realized that without these young girls from Dallas, there probably never would have been Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe. I have told this amazing story in my book, as well as on my YouTube channel.
A reporter from Sports Illustrated contacted me about the history of the Sting SC. He wanted to make an article about it, but the article’s rights were bought by producers. I believe that a film or a documentary about this story is in preparation.
Every time I’ve spoken with a former player, I’m always shocked at how humble they are and how quickly they downplay their accomplishments when, from my point of view, they’ve accomplished so much. Have you had similar experiences in your conversations with former players?
I agree with you. Former players don't want to compare eras and tend to downplay their exploits. Renée Delahaye, the former captain of the Stade de Reims who won the World Cup in Taiwan in 1978, told me this:
"You can't really compare it with modern soccer. We didn't train as often back then, we didn't earn any money. Soccer was just a hobby for us. You need to look at our performances in relative terms and keep your feet on the ground. Yes, we were world champions, but that's no reason to get carried away with what we did.”
There is something I love about women's football, it is the fact that it is "easy" to contact the players. It is possible to chat with Hall of Famers without difficulty. The players are approachable and it's very pleasant. It would be impossible to contact male players so easily.
What are some future plans that fans can look forward to?
I am currently working on the development of a new book dedicated to the history of women's football. I'm collecting ideas and will start writing soon. This new project takes a lot of my time, so I'm a little less active on my YouTube channel. I'm trying to compensate for this by posting on my Instagram account that I created at the beginning of 2021. So don't hesitate to follow me on Instagram and YouTube :-)
For our last question, although this may be a long answer, give us your all-time *underrated* starting eleven. What players were great but, for whatever reason, have had their accomplishments and talent overlooked?
This is a very complicated question because one of the major problems with "vintage" women's football is that matches cannot be viewed. To answer this question objectively, you would have to do the same work you did for your Goalkeeper Hall of Fame. However, I would like to name three players who deserve more recognition:
Susanne Augustesen (Denmark): She scored three goals in the 1971 World Cup final in Mexico at the age of 15. She played in Italian Calcio for several seasons and scored over 600 goals. In 2017, she was inducted into the Danish Hall of Fame.
Rose Reilly (Scotland): She played the Scottish team's very first official match in 1972. She was, however, banned by the Scottish Football Association and eventually played with the Italian national team with which she won the 1984 edition of Mundialito. She played 10 matches with Scotland and 22 with Italy. In 2007, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Scottish Hall of Fame.
Sissi (Brazil): She is certainly the second most famous player in Brazil behind Marta. But while a lot of people know his name, I don't think everyone knows his story. She was top scorer at the 1999 World Cup and was voted second-best player in the tournament. I recently learned that Sissi's short hair was a tribute to a young child who died of cancer. This story was very touching.