11.52°C Long before packed stadiums and Euros glory, women’s football was already drawing crowds, and one of its most remarkable teams came from Dagenham.
Formed in 1917 while men were away fighting in the First World War, the Sterling Ladies were factory workers who built an extraordinary record. Between 1917 and 1919, they did not lose a single game. They became known as the Dagenham Invincibles. Then, when peace returned, they were told to stop playing, and their story quietly faded from view.
Now it is being told again in Colchester.
As part of Creative Colchester’s First Thursdays, the monthly mini festival held on the first Thursday of each month, football historian Steve Bolton will share the real story behind the Sterling Ladies. Bolton has carefully archived their history and served as a consultant on the original stage production of The Invincibles. There will be archive material, period props, and a chance to ask questions about the team and how these early Lionesses are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
The story continues on stage at the Headgate Theatre’s upcoming production of The Invincibles by Amanda Whittington.
And there is a strong Colchester link.
Members of Colchester United Women FC are involved in the production, bringing today’s local women’s game directly into a story about those who helped shape it more than a century ago. The club described the project as “something brilliant” coming to Colchester, and said they love seeing women’s football celebrated on a local stage.
The Invincibles On Stage at the Headgate
Whittington’s play moves between 1917 and the present day, placing the factory girls alongside a modern academy footballer following England’s progress at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The parallel feels deliberate. The visibility may be different now, but the determination is the same.
The Lionesses did not start in 2022. And thanks to this production, Colchester audiences can meet the ones who came first.
The First Thursdays talk is free to attend, with booking via Eventbrite.
Tickets for The Invincibles at the Headgate are available now via TicketSource.
From Dagenham’s unbeaten factory team to today’s Lionesses, this is a piece of football history that feels more relevant than ever.
