Reclaiming Narratives: continued – Kerry Davis – The First Black Lioness

UCFB football and sports business lecturer Richard Flash recently interviewed England’s first Black female footballer Kerry Davis.

England’s 1^st Black Lioness

In November 2022, Kerry Davis was inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame. She was celebrated as the first Black player to represent the Lionesses, and for her outstanding contribution to English football. The daughter of English and Jamaican parents made her Lionesses debut in September 1982, earning the legacy number 59.

​Davis was again celebrated in March 2024 at the Football Black List awards in London. Here she received the prestigious Keith Alexander award. Two months later she gained more recognition from the football industry. This time at the Women’s Football Awards, where she received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. This led to the national press publishing numerous versions of her achievements.

In 2024 Kerry Davis received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Women’s Football Awards

English football now acknowledges Davis as England’s 1^st Black Lioness, and that she won 90 caps and scored 43 goals. But she has claims to other achievements that remain untold. Important landmarks appear to have been overlooked by the male dominated associated press. As a result, this article aims to impart the untold narratives that Davis can, and should, claim as her own.

The Battle of Britain

Davis’s international debut came on September 19^th 1982, when England women beat Northern Ireland 7-1. She recalls marking the occasion with a brace, via two right-footed strikes. But the significance of her first goal grows when compared to her male counterpart. Luther Blissett has been celebrated as England’s first Black goal scorer for over 40 years. But his first goal was scored on December 15^th 1982, almost 3 months after Davis’s. Therefore, she has legitimate claims to be recognised as the first player of Black heritage to score for England.

In 2022 Kerry Davis was inducted into the England Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum

Two weeks after her debut, Davis was selected to play against Scotland. The Lionesses travelled to Dumbarton for the ‘Battle of Britain’ and won 4-0. Davis scored all four goals and became the first Black Lioness to score a hat-trick. Furthermore, as this match was played on October 3^rd, she preceded Blissett, as his hat-trick was scored in the aforementioned December 15^thfixture. Hence, it is reasonable to suggest, that Kerry Davis has two landmark narratives to reclaim.

Goal Lazio

In 1985 Davis continued to score goals for Crewe Alexandra Ladies and the Lionesses. This led to her selection for the Mundialito tournament. Mundialito is Spanish for ‘little World Cup’, and it was one of the most prestigious international tournaments. This renewal took place in Northern Italy in August, with the participant teams England, Denmark, Italy and the USA. The Lionesses beat Italy 3-2 in the final, and Davis impressed the Italian scouts.

Kerry Davis has paved the way for stars like Chelsea and England’s Lauren James

Upon her return to England, she was contacted by Irish international and Lazio player Anne O’Brien. The call prompted Davis to fly to Rome to discuss a transfer. She accepted Lazio’s offer and became the first Lioness of Black heritage to play in the Serie A. Davis proudly recalls scoring a hat-trick for Lazio, in a 3-0 win against their rivals Trani 80. She played for 3 clubs over 4 years and says the experience developed her as a person and a player.

Reclaiming Narratives – Kerry Davis

At the time of writing there are 24 Black Lionesses, 16 have scored with three scoring hat-tricks. Kerry Davis heads all three lists. Her recent accolades are acknowledgement by the football industry, of her pioneering achievements. However, this article has highlighted the untold narratives that Davis can reclaim as her own. Records show that she is England’s first goal scorer, and hat-trick scorer of Black heritage.

When scoring her hat-trick, she set the bar for Eniola Aluko and Danielle Carter to emulate her. She preceded the England men, as the hat-tricks scored by Blissett, Wright, Walcott, Defoe, Sterling and Saka all follow Davis’s. By playing in the Serie A, she paved the way for Black Lionesses like Lianne Sanderson and Eniola Aluko, to follow in her footsteps. Perhaps it is now time, for Davis to reclaim her narratives.

By Richard Flash

Richard Flash is a senior lecturer in football and sport business management. He has 30 years of industry experience from playing professional sport, managing sport businesses and higher education leadership.

His research focuses on the racisms faced by the Premier League’s Black footballers, and he is a consultant to the anti-racism organisations Kick It Out, Show Racism the Red Card and The Football Black List.