Former Arsenal and England defender Alex Scott has been named as one of this year’s four inductees into the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame was first introduced in 2021 to mark the tenth anniversary of the league and recognise those who have made a significant contribution to the women’s game. Players have to have spent at least three years in the league in order to be eligible.
Scott is one of three former England players to have been inducted this year, along with Gilly Flaherty and former captain Steph Houghton. Rebecca Welch is the first referee to be inducted, and only the second non-player after Emma Hayes.
Alex Scott: Player to Pundit
A lot of Scott’s playing career pre-dates the foundation of the WSL. She first made her senior breakthrough at Arsenal in 2002. In all she had three spells in North London, also playing for Birmingham City and US side Boston Breakers.
In all she won 21 trophies at Arsenal, including a WSL title in 2012. She also scored the winner in the Women’s Champions League final in 2007. At international level, she made 140 appearances for England.
After retiring in May 2018 she transitioned into a media career, having gained a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting while at Arsenal. That summer she was a BBC pundit at the FIFA World Cup and in 2021 replaced Dan Walker as host of Football Focus.
Steph Houghton: WSL ever present
Up until her retirement at the end of last season, Houghton had the distinction of playing in every season of the Women’s Super League since the league’s foundation in 2011, playing in the first three seasons for Arsenal where she won seven trophies, including two titles.
She was then one of a raft of players to join Manchester City when they were elected into the league in 2014, winning a further title in 2016 among eight trophies. She was also named England captain in 2014.
Overall she made 177 appearances in the league across the years, also making 121 appearances for England and eight for Great Britain at the 2012 and 2020 Olympics, her last cap coming in 2021.
Gilly Flaherty: The goal that started it all
Flaherty has a unique place in the history of the WSL having scored the league’s first ever goal while playing for Arsenal against Chelsea in April 2011, which proved to be the only goal of the game. While playing for the Gunners, she won the title in the league’s first two seasons.
After leaving Arsenal in 2014, she had four year spells across London at Chelsea and West Ham United, then spending a final season at Liverpool in 2022-23 before retiring. She once held the league appearance record with 176.
While at Chelsea she won a further five trophies including another two WSL titles. Despite her considerable achievements at club level she only won five England caps, but that does not diminish her considerable contribution.
Rebecca Welch: The woman in the middle
Welch first became a referee in 2010, but was only able to go full time in 2019- a year after the league went fully professional. Before that, she continued to work for the NHS Business Services Authority as an administrator.
As well as officiating two Women’s FA Cup finals, she has also been responsible for breaking down a number of barriers for female referees. Since 2018-19 she has officiated a number of games in the men’s National League.
In March 2021 she became the first woman to be selected to officiate an EFL game when she took charge of Harrogate Town’s match against Port Vale. In 2022 she was referee for the Men’s FA Cup Third Round match between Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle, again the first woman to do so.
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