About Women's Soccer
Western Australia
and WomenSoccer.Com.Au
Years of soccer history was dormant until Women’s Soccer WA emerged with its Facebook Page and the Administrators took up the task of collecting women’s soccer material to preserve the history of the game. WomenSoccer.Com.Au established in 2005 off the back of the Western Australian Women’s Soccer Association (Women’s Soccer WA) merging into the Soccer Association of Western Australia in 2004. Along with every other football code in Western Australia, 2004 and 2005 was a time of great change in the handing over of information and adapting to new leadership and organisation. In 2005 the unified association renamed to Football West and women’s soccer found its feet as a Women’s Standing Committee under the Football West Association. We hope you will find everything you need to know about Western Australian womens soccer and womens football, here. The website is a growing moving beast with history always being created! We welcome your comments and contributions to complete the story of the sport we love. The website will grow again after the WWC Grand Final 2023.
Author, Penny Tanner Hoath
About Penny Tanner Hoath
Penelope Hoath (nee Tanner) - "Penny Tanner Hoath"
Women’s soccer Archivist, Documentarian, Collector and Women’s Soccer Passionado
Business owner – Gate and Fence Hardware WA and Auswest Fencing and Wrought Iron (family businesses).
Mum, daughter Rose Maree is 16 years old and the official photographer for the Women’s Soccer WA Project.
Murdoch University Melville Football Club
Life Member (MUMFC and Football West), Player, Coach since 1983 (Melville Alemannia), Mentor and Role model.
Football Hall of Fame Western Australia (2019 – present)
Secretary, Heritage Committee, archiving and collections.
Penny Tanner Media MVP Award
The Women’s Game Media MVP Award was named after Penny Tanner.
See article
Host and Coordinator – The World Football Programme, 107.9FM Fremantle (1987 – present)
- Honour Roll Radio Fremantle 107.9fm as long serving radio commentator
- Longest running World Football radio show in Australia
- One of two female hosts through the 2000’s along with Ann Odong (now working with Football Australia and the Matildas).
History Projects
Women’s Soccer, No Longer A Gentleman’s Game - 1991
A report on Women’s Soccer in Western Australia: Past, Present and Future
Commemorating 20 years of women’s soccer in WA.
Written and researched by Penny Tanner Hoath.
Available at the State Library of Western Australia – Penny Tanner Hoath Collection
Western Waves Media Book - 2004
Media book for the Western Waves. The WA women’s team in the Women’s NSL, a precursor to Perth Glory’s Women’s Team.
Melville City FC Historical Video Project - 2019
Producer, Penny Tanner Hoath. A Historical Video Project to celebrate 50 years of Melville City FC.
Watch Video
Women’s Soccer WA Project - 2023
Project Coordinator, Penny Tanner Hoath. A project bringing the history of women’s soccer in WA together.
Acknowledgements
The Legends that helped make this website happen and are all a part of the foundations of football in Australia. Thank you.
Andrew Howe and Greg Werner, Football Australia Statisticians, Co Authors, Encyclopedia of Matildas (2023)
Andy Arena for keeping the facebook page and website going in the early years
Brenda Bennett, South West Soccer Association Life Member and South West Hall of Fame Inductee
Brett Klucznik, Historian
City of Vincent
Diana Reeves (Naja), Western Australian State Team Representative
Dominic Italiano, Coach, Bunbury Tricolore (1970’s), Hall of Fame Western Australia Inductee
Football West website https://www.footballwest.com.au
Hall of Fame Western Australia https://footballhalloffamewa.com.au/
Heather Reid, Advocate for women’s football
Janette Spencer, Visionary, former President Women’s Soccer WA and Board Member Football West and Australian Women’s Soccer Association
Jill Mateljan (nee Walsh), Curtin University and Western Australian State Team Representative
Jill Gray (nee Syson), Ascot SC and Western Australian State Team Representative
Jude (Jae) Pettitt, State Team Representative and Matilda
Julie Clayton (Gorton), State Team Representative and Matilda
Kerry Harris (Smith), former Executive Officer Women’s Soccer WA and Board Member Australian Women’s Soccer Association
Lisa Ward Murphy, Bunbury Dynamos Legend and South West Soccer Association Life Member 2009
Neil Bennett, Women’s Football Sports Writer, Northern Redbacks and Perth RedStar Media
Nicholas Templeman, Web Guy Extraordinaire
Pat O’Connor, Pioneer and Matilda
Perth Glory https://perthglory.com.au/
Peter Rickers, President, School Sports WA, former Coordinator and founder of Specialist Football Programme, John Curtin College
Rachel Pepper, Graphic Designer for WomenSoccer.Com.Au logo
Richard Kreider, Author, Paddocks to Pitches and A Soccer Century (amongst others!)
Sandra Szopski, Western Australian State Soccer Representative and former Committee Member Women’s Soccer WA
Sara King, former Arsenal Goal Keeper, Matilda and Referee
Selina Holtze, Western Australian State Team Representative and Co-Chair for Australia on the FIFA WWC 2023 Cultural Panel
State Library of Western Australia
State Museum of Western Australia
Stephen Firns, for backing me all the way
Steve Ireland, for urging me on and converting the hard copy of my book into an electronic copy
Suzy Harwood, Soccer Mum and women’s football advocate, with an extraordinary eye for detail
Vince Caratozzolo, Fotoenzo https://www.fotoenzo.com/
Our Partners
