Inspiring Sporting Women

Inspiring Sporting Women in St Helens - Plaque Recognition Scheme

The Inspiring Sporting Women plaque scheme has been established to recognise outstanding females in St Helens, who have excelled in their field of sport. To be recognised, women would have to meet the following criteria:

Eligibility Criteria

• Been born and / or educated within the borough of St Helens 
• Play a sport whose National Governing Body is recognised by Sport England 
• Represented their country at an international competition, Commonwealth or Olympic Games.
• A maximum of two plaques will be awarded each year

The application process is open until 31st December each year, with successful recipients announced in March. Decisions are final, although previous submissions can be re-nominated if unsuccessful. St Helens Borough Council retain the right to remove a recognition plaque if necessary. 

To nominate a person, please complete the Nomination Form

Inspiring Sporting Women in St Helens - Plaque Recipients 2025 

Ann Griffiths - For recognition in the sport of athletics

As an 11 year old watching the Montreal Olympic Games on the TV, Ann was inspired, and her Dad took her to the athletics club at Ruskin Drive. Joining Sutton Harriers a couple of years later, Ann competed over cross country and middle distance on the track and started to win races.  Aged 16 she won the Senior Girls 400m with a championship best time of 55 seconds.

Three years later, Ann joined Sale Harriers, where she began to train with an elite group of middle distance athletes. She won another major UK title at 800m and went on to win a Silver Medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. Over the next few years Ann achieved 7th place in the 1991 World Championships in Japan, 5th at the European Championships and competed at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.  She also competed in the Diamond League every Summer, before retiring from International Athletics in 2001.

A Great Britain regular for a number of years, Ann had the distinction of appearing in every major championships event, including Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World and European Championships, along with almost every Grand Prix meeting.

Ann became only the sixth British woman to break the 800 metre two-minute barrier, running in 1:59:88 and later a career best of 1:59:81. Her dedication and hard work helped her to remain at the top of British athletics for more than a decade and she is still only a handful of women to run 800 metres in under two minutes!

In the run up to London 2012, Ann toured local schools, helping to inspire the next generation with her memories and achievements and sharing her passion for sport.

Lily Parr - For recognition in the sport of football

Born in 1905 in St Helens, Lily challenged gender roles from a young age. With the encouragement of her brothers, she began honing her football and rugby skills and by age thirteen she'd developed a seriously strong left foot and began to play for her local team St Helens Ladies. It was in a match against Dick, Kerr Ladies, a team representing a munitions factory in Preston, that Lily caught the eye of their manager, who offered her a position on the team as well as a job in the factory. She scored 43 goals in her first season.

Lily proved to be a fearsome opponent with a reputation as a formidable attacker. A teammate later said, "She had a kick like a mule. She was the only person I knew who could lift a dead ball, the old heavy leather ball, from the left-wing over to me on the right and nearly knock me out with the force of the shot." A local newspaper went as far as saying there was "probably no greater football prodigy in the whole country".

A highlight of Lily's career was the Boxing Day match of 1920, where over 53,000 spectators came to watch the Dick, Kerr Ladies play at Everton's Goodison Park. Several thousand disappointed fans were stuck outside. This was by far the largest crowd that had ever gathered to watch women's football, a record that remained unbeaten until almost a century later at the London 2012 Olympics.

Lily scored close to 1,000 goals during her prolific three-decade-long career, eventually retiring from football in 1951. In 2002, she became the first ever woman to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum in Manchester. In 2019 the museum erected a statue of Lily to commemorate her contributions to the sport - the first in the country to be dedicated to a female player.

Lizzy Ashcroft - For recognition in the sport of football

Lizzy, a lifelong friend of Lily Parr, was born in 1905 in Parr. Lizzy grew up with her 3 brothers and 5 sisters in a house on Broad Oak Lane, picking up her footballing skills and her lifelong love of the game. Lizzy joined St Helens Ladies FC, making her debut on 20th April 1921 in a 2-2 draw with Stoke Ladies at St Andrews (Birmingham City Football Ground). The crowd was reported as 30,000 and she had just turned 16! Nicknamed 'Tommy' by her friends, Lizzy was a naturally gifted football player, playing mainly in defence and was highly rated as the best defender since Alice Kell. She was versatile and could also play up front when needed, scoring some crucial goals.

In 1923 Lizzy joined the Dick, Kerr Ladies, teaming up with her fellow St Helens mates Lydia Ackers and Sue Chorley. Her first game away at Carlisle, saw 5,000 spectators turn up to watch them defeat Dumfries Ladies 16 - 0. This was the start of a magnificent 13-year career - she became vice captain in 1933 and in 1935 took over the captaincy from Lily Parr, when she took a two-year break from football. Lizzy led only the second ever tour to France by the Dick, Kerr Ladies in their 48-year existence. Lizzy remained a life-long lover of football and would watch Match Of The Day on the BBC every Saturday.

Both Lily and Lizzy were affected by politics on the pitch.

The popularity of women's football was rising against a backdrop of major social unrest. In March 1921, miners were hit with a pay cut due to the privatisation of coal mines after the war. Those who refused to accept this were locked out of their jobs and forced to go without pay for months. With many of the Dick, Kerr Ladies coming from working-class backgrounds, they chose to raise large amounts of money to support the miners, playing charity matches in hard-hit industrial cities.

Outraged by their involvement in the labour movement, the Football Association announced in December 1921 that 'the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged' and subsequently banned women from playing on their grounds - this ruling affected both Lily and Lizzy.

It was a further 20 years before the FA lifted the ban on women's football, with the first women's FA Cup final taking place that same year. Decades later, in 2008, the governing body issued an apology for their treatment of women footballers during the time.

Lucy Renshall - For recognition in the sport of judo

Growing up in Eccleston, Lucy tried every single sport throughout school. Aged just 8, after trying a taster session of Judo in primary school, Lucy joined SKK Judo Club in Earlestown. As a teenager she etched her Olympic dreams in pencil on the inside of a cupboard at her parents' house.

Working hard to see those dreams become a reality, Lucy was subsequently selected to train at the British Judo Centre of Excellence in Walsall, and made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Tokyo Games, representing Great Britain in the women's 63 kg category.

Lucy has a formidable record on the biggest stage in her sport, racking up 15 Grand Slam medals!

She is a four-time British Champion winning the half-middleweight division at the British Judo Championships in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021, a European Championship bronze medallist and six-time Grand Slam Champion.

Lucy revisited the inscription on her parent's cupboard in June 2022, when she became the first British judoka in five years to reach the top of the world rankings.

Lucy's achievements are even more impressive considering that she had been battling a shoulder injury for two years, aggravating the injury just days before the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and requiring immediate surgery. Thankfully after surgery, the pain disappeared, allowing Lucy to train without any limitations, pushing herself even harder.

Lucy became a double Olympian, representing Great Britain at her second Olympics in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris and collected the 'Sportsperson of the Year' title in December's Pride of St Helens Awards.

The current British Champion, Lucy is also now a Level 2 Coach, coaching at the Stewart Judo Academy, passionate about giving back to the sport by creating an environment that provides equal opportunities for everyone to fulfil their individual needs and goals within the sport, she wants to make as many happy judoka as she can, dedicated to developing the next generation of judoka!

Naomi Williams - For recognition in the sport of rugby league

Born in St Helens, Naomi is a back rower who has played rugby since she was 13. A season ticket at Knowsley Road, it was a dream to one day play for the Saints.

Starting out at Thatto Heath Crusaders, Naomi jumped at the chance to play for Saints when the club created a Women's team. Described as a stalwart of the Saints team, Naomi played her part in the historic Challenge Cup victorious run between 2021 and 2024 including playing in the unbeaten treble-winning season of 2021 with the League Leaders' Shield and Women's Super League title. She has added a further Shield to her record in 2024 as well.

Naomi's skills saw her selected for the 2022 England Performance Squad, she has since represented her country on tours of France, Australia and Papa New Guinea.

Naomi has also started coaching the girls under 16's at Saints and is hopeful to see one of them become the next household name in women's rugby!

Sue Smith - For recognition in the sport of football

Starting at local football club Rainhill United, Sue has​ played for top-tier clubs including Tranmere Rovers, Leeds United (during which time she reached League and FA Cup finals, won the League Cup and became the first female player to score at the new Wembley Stadium), Doncaster Rovers Belles and Arsenal. Her ability to read the game, coupled with her lightning-fast speed, made her a formidable force on the field.

In 2008 while at Leeds, the women's team started playing as 'Leeds Carnegie' after having their funding withdrawn from Leeds United men's club. In 2010, the players were told a fortnight before the Cup final that the bid to join the newly created Women's Super League had been removed - a decision that would lead to the club's demise.

Sue made her England debut as a 17 year old substitute in February 1997, scoring in a 6-4 friendly defeat to Germany at Deepdale in Preston.

In 1999, she represented her country when she was picked to play in a FIFA XI against the USA in a showpiece match in San Jose. In the same year she was also voted Players' Player of the Year and won the Nationwide International Player of the Year award (which she again won in 2001). Sue was also awarded the prestigious FIFA Fair Play Award for her commendable sportsmanship and leadership qualities One of her brightest England moments was scoring a hat-trick of tremendous goals in a home friendly against Spain in March 2001.

In May 2009, Sue was one of the first 17 female players to be given central contracts by The Football Association.

Sue​'s impact extends beyond her performances on the pitch. As an ‌advocate for gender equality in football, she has used her platform to raise awareness and promote inclusivity. Through her involvement in various charity initiatives, she has made a positive difference in the lives ​of many aspiring young footballers. Sue currently works as an analyst and commentator for many platforms, often seen on Sky Sports for Women's Super League games and Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News. 

Susan Crehan - For recognition in the sport of athletics

Born in Parr, Susan started her journey training and competing with Sutton Harriers. She later joined Sale Harriers, going on to become an accomplished long-distance runner, representing Great Britain at numerous international events.

Sue finished third in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the 1984 WAAA Championships. The following year she became the British 10,000 metres champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1985 WAAA Championships and regained the same title at the 1987 WAAA Championships!

Sue then went on to represent Great Britain in the women's marathon at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, finishing in 32^nd place.

In 1989 she became the British 5000 champion after winning the AAA title at the 1989 Championships.

In 1988, Olympian Sue registered 33:48 for a 10k, setting a Merseyside record for a 10k race - a record which stood for 36 years!

Rachael Woosey - For recognition in the sports of rugby league and rugby union

A regular on the terraces at Knowsley Road, Rachael was a childhood Saints fan. Introduced to the sport by her mum taking her to watch the games, it was her dad that got her playing rugby, however, it was rugby union that she originally played at West Park St Helens.

The timely formation of a girl's section at Liverpool St Helens then provided Rachael the opportunity of continuing in the 15-person code after the age of 13, when she was no longer able to play alongside the boys and had considered whether she had a future in rugby.

From there, she progressed rapidly, helping the team go on to win at both regional and national level, followed by earning an opportunity to play for Darlington Mowden Park in the Women's Premiership while studying at Bishop Burton College.

Rachael signed for Loughborough Lightning, but in 2019 she was contacted by England rugby league head coach Craig Richards, who also works for St Helens, over the possibility of crossing codes.

The cancellation of the 2020 Women's Super League season due to the Covid-19 pandemic delayed that switch, but when the offer came again, there was no hesitation. Rachael arrived at Saints having had several months of rugby union under her belt for Loughborough in the first part of the 2020/21 Premier 15s season. She made a try-scoring start in an 86-0 win over Bradford, going on to score 12 tries in 12 appearances, winning every trophy on offer including the Super League and Challenge Cup, in the first spell with her hometown club. Rachael moved to Sale Sharks in 2022, before rejoining Saints in March 2024.

Having represented England at age-group level in rugby union, Rachael's free-scoring displays out wide for Darlington, earned her a part-time contract for the senior team, representing the Red Roses in the Sevens World Series, making a memorable debut in Australia. In October 2021 Rachael was also selected to make her international debut in rugby league, as England took on France in Perpignan. She now has the prestige of having represented England in both rugby codes!

Zoe Harris - For recognition in the sport of rugby league

Born in St Helens, Zoe played for local community sides Portico Vine, Thatto Heath and Crosfields. Like many female players, she played mixed rugby until the age of 11 and was then marooned without a girls' team to play for, so her Dad formed the Scorpions so she could continue to play!

Zoe's family were season ticket holders at Knowsley Road, going to every home game and now she's in the St Helens Women's side, being a mainstay since its formation in 2018, with her debut against Featherstone. A consistent performer, Zoe has been a vital part of Saints' success, achieving four Challenge Cup trophies, including a Player of the Match performance in the 2024 Final at Wembley, two League Leaders' Shields and the 2021 Women's Super League title, which was part of an historic treble winning year!

Zoe gained a place in the National Performance Squad in 2022, making her international debut against Wales in the June. Described as one of the best stand-offs in the country, Zoe played in the World Cup game against Brazil, and won her third cap in a 64-0 stroll against the French at Warrington. Unfortunately her season was turned on its head when she sustained a traumatic back injury at Wembley, but following her road to recovery, 2024 saw Zoe named Saints' Player of the Match at Wembley, along with the start of her coaching career with the Thatto Heath Under 16s girls' team.