Helen McCrory reads a hilarious letter about women playing football

The brilliant and much missed Helen McCrory joined us for a Letters Live show at the Union Chapel back in 2018. Here she is performing reader David Hickey's letter to the Independent, sent in November 2014, shortly after the England women’s football team played Germany at Wembley.

© David Hickey, the Independent, 2014

[oxymoron]

That writer had us in the first half, then massively redeemed himself by the end! A sterling bit of classic tongue-in-cheek UK humour!

[AmandaJYoungs]

She is indeed much missed. And this is so timely!

[krippenknittle]

I miss her so much! She will always be this person in my mind - irreverent, sparkly-eyed, and absolute perfection.

[paulineballam]

Wonderful Helen ✨✨✨✨✨she was and still is a joy to watch ❤️

[CatsandJP]

Helen was a great talent reading this letter just proved that…RIP…❤️🕊️🕊️…I’m in Brisbane now ready to watch the Women’s World Cup….Go the Matildas…and I do wish all the female players the best in their careers…….women are just as good as men on and off the field. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[DERAMNONA]

Such a brilliant actor so talented. Sadly missed .

[deggsymarley]

Only recently as 2008 did woman's football get a FA apology for ban on woman's football

[poja]

I hated the writer on the first line, but changed my feeling to love by the end of the letter.

[paulleverton]

The loss of Helen McCrory was not a minor one. We lost a real talent.
I first noticed her as Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland in CHARLES II: THE POWER AND THE PASSION, 2003.
Despite it being an amazing production with a first rate cast, Helen somehow managed to stand out from the crowd.

[MrMann]

Let's share this more widely as the Lionesses make the Final (spoilers).

[davidbrisbane]

The England team did all those things in the recent Women's World Cup

[jckatz]

The sad thing is I'm not sure if the original author was authentic or sarcastic

[rushco]

I cant be watching the same womens football as this person ??? diving, wrestling at corner kicks and getting in the faces of officials happens all the time, i literally just watched a japanese player dive in the box playing against Sweden

[miseentrope]

Really want to see this letter used by Keeley Jones, even as a "Ted Lasso" indie short...including cast members of "Bend It Like Beckham, " please?