Joan Whalley (18 December 1921[1][2] – 10 January 1998[3]) was a female footballer who played for Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C., making her debut for them aged just 15 in May 1937.
[3] Whalley was born in Preston and was encouraged by her father to play football and join the local team.
[1] Whalley played in rare international matches, once for England against Scotland and one for Wales against France.
[1] In 1992, Whalley reunited with former team-mates to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dick, Kerr Ladies.
In 1996, she became the first female footballer to feature in a Nike national advertising campaign, alongside Michael Jordan, Ian Wright and Eric Cantona.