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Gill and David

Bill matches former England goalkeeper turned painter David James with Gill Sayell, a footballing pioneer who played in the unofficial Women鈥檚 World Cup in 1971.

Comedian and art-lover Bill Bailey tasks former goalkeeper and painter David James to create a portrait of ex-footballer Gill, who competed for England in the unofficial 1971 Women鈥檚 World Cup.

Gill was just 14 years old when she was picked to represent England at Copa 71 in Mexico. But when the tournament was over, she and her teammates were hit with a ban by the Football Association, which had forbidden women from playing on professional pitches. Many of her teammates never played again, but Gill went on to be a founding member of Arsenal Women and inspire a whole new generation.

To capture Gill, Bill has chosen a fellow footballer; former England goalkeeper turned painter David James, an artist who has donated his work to charities and created paintings to support some of his favourite causes.

Release date:

29 minutes

On TV

Fri 21 Feb 2025 19:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Bill Bailey
Narrator Bill Bailey
Editor Dan Bowen
Production Manager Megan Croft
Executive Producer Ali Quirk
Executive Producer Nav Raman
Series Producer David Skudder
Production Company Chatterbox Media

Broadcast

  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 19:30