The origins of the club were due to the initiative and energy of a small group of lesbians living on a Camperdown street in 1985. Tracey Atkinson and her partner Alison Todd were amongst those pioneering women and played for the first few seasons.

For those early players, who in the first year formed one team, fitness and a chance to socialise were the prime motivations for joining the club. Many of the women who played in the first decades of the Bats had not had any previous soccer experience.

The Flying Bats Football Club’s beginnings were due to the drive and energies of a small group of determined women who wanted to play football, have fun and provide a sense of belonging for other women at a time when sexism, a lack of visibility and homophobia could blight the lives of many.

As the Club moved beyond its first decade though, and growing numbers of players sought to join, it became vital for the Club to evolve and to professionalise so that it could flourish.

Throughout its history, the Flying Bats has provided women, including large numbers of queer women, the opportunity to play a sport they were historically discouraged from playing. It has also given something equally valuable to many, a sense of being part of a vibrant and supportive community.

“...really it didn’t matter if you had any skill at all, or whatever, as long as you wanted to be there, you were welcome.” - Alison Todd