Lynda Hale
English footballer (1954–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lynda Hale (23 February 1954 – 26 February 2026) was an English footballer who played as a winger.[2] She represented the England national team at senior international level and spent most of her career at Southampton Women's F.C.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 February 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Woolston, Southampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 26 February 2026 (aged 72) | ||
| Position | Winger[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1982 | Southampton Women's F.C. | ||
| International career | |||
| 1972–1977 | England | 10 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Hale made her debut for Southampton in a 9–0 victory over Ipswich at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Netley.[4] Hale won the Women's FA Cup seven times with Southampton and played in nine consecutive finals including the first ever final in 1971 against Stewarton Thistle which Southampton won 4–1. She scored in the 1973 and 1975 finals against Westthorn United and Warminster respectively, which Southampton both won. She played in all three consecutive finals vs QPR, winning in 1976 and 1978. Her last appearance in a WFA Cup final came in 1979 when they beat Lowestoft Ladies 1–0 at Jubilee Park, Waterlooville.[5]
International career
Later life and death
In November 2022, Hale was recognized by The Football Association as one of the England national team's legacy players, and as the seventh women's player to be capped by England.[10]
On 2 March 2026, it was announced that Hale had died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on 26 February, aged 72.[11][12]