Laura McAllister

Laura McAllister
Personal information

Full name	Laura Jean McAllister^[1]
Date of birth	1964 (age 50–51)
Place of birth	Bridgend, Wales
Playing position	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
	Millwall Lionesses
	Cardiff City
National team^‡
1994–1998	Wales	24	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:13, 15 November 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:13, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Laura Jean McAllister (born 1964) is a Welsh academic, politician and former footballer who is the chair of Sport Wales. As a Wales women's national football team player, McAllister won 24 caps and served as team captain. She stood as an election candidate for Plaid Cymru in 1987 and 1992 and is currently Professor of Governance at the University of Liverpool.

Club career

McAllister did not play organised football until she joined Millwall Lionesses while studying at the London School of Economics. Upon her return to Wales she spent 12 years with Cardiff City.^[2] McAllister collected two Welsh Women's Cup winner's medals and won promotion into the FA Women's Premier League with Cardiff.^[3]

In 1992 McAllister was one of three female footballers who lobbied Football Association of Wales (FAW) secretary Alun Evans to grant recognition to women's football in Wales.^[4] An official team was put together and entered the 1995 UEFA Women's Championship qualification tournament. McAllister made her debut in Wales' second match, a 12–0 defeat by eventual winners Germany in Bielefeld.