A girl footballer with suspected autism is facing a ban of up to 12 matches for asking an adult transgender opponent: “Are you a man?”
In the latest case to raise major questions about the Football Association’s ongoing failure to ban those born male from the women’s game, the 17-year-old has been left distraught at being charged by her county FA over a remark made during a match against a trans-inclusive club.
She was charged last month with saying, “Are you a man?”, “That’s a man”, “Don’t come here again”, or similar comments during what was a pre-season friendly back in July.
In documents seen by Telegraph Sport, the girl admits asking a player she describes as having “a beard”, “Are you a man?” She also admits asking the referee for guidance about the player’s eligibility to participate in women’s football “given my concern for my safety after already suffering a number of overly physical challenges”.
But she has denied doing so constituted transphobia or that she made any comments that could be construed as such, while Telegraph Sport understands the referee also heard nothing he deemed to be discriminatory.
The girl was charged after the opposition club lodged a complaint via Kick It Out, English football’s anti-discrimination watchdog, which included testimony from the trans player and that team’s captain accusing her of persistent transphobia.
She faces a six-to-12-match ban if found guilty during a hearing later this month and she and her mother have decided to speak out about her plight because they feel they have been left with no choice.
Telegraph Sport has agreed to conceal her identity due to her being a child and her being on the assessment pathway for autism. It is a common trait of people with autism that they can struggle to recognise gender.
In a written statement submitted in her defence, the girl said she had become “confused” about the participation of the trans player during the match in question due to the latter “wearing jewellery and sunglasses” and not being in opposition kit.
She added: “The moment the player clarified they were transgender (which I previously hadn’t considered), I respected their answer fully, dropped the situation and immediately shifted my focus back to the game before seeking guidance from the referee. At no point was my question meant to be hurtful or malicious as I only intended to seek clarity in an unfamiliar situation. Knowing now that the player was transgender, I understand that there were better ways to approach this question.”
She said she was then accosted during a drinks break by the opposition captain who told her she should not have an issue with playing a trans opponent.
She added: “I raised a concern about the risk of serious injury as a 17-year-old girl playing against a biological male who was much larger than me and a very physical player, which was possibly a safety issue as I did not want to get dangerously injured right before the start of the new season. Despite this, I made it clear that if the player met the eligibility criteria of the FA I would respect the rules and accept the risk involved in continuing to play the match. My safeguarding officer and the referee were both present for this conversation.”
She said she was “truly disheartened that these allegations have been made against me”, stressing: “I have always supported and respected the diversity within my team, including members who are in the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The girl’s mother told Telegraph Sport none of her daughter’s team-mates had been approached to make statements ahead of an upcoming hearing but that they were “100 per cent behind her”.
She said the trans woman quizzed by her daughter was one of two opponents who appeared to have been born male.
The mother also revealed she had contacted the county FA after the friendly to raise concerns about the duo’s participation due to the two clubs also being in the same league. “They’ve both obviously gone through full male puberty, so they’re bigger, faster, stronger in every way than the girls that they’re playing against.”
She said a lengthy ban could see her daughter sidelined for the entire season, something she branded “hugely unfair”, adding: “I’m just furious, but I’m generally furious about this whole issue.”
Blaming the FA’s failure to ban those born male from the women’s game for what had transpired, she said her daughter was also “quite willing to take a stand”, adding: “She’s not willing to take this lying down. Even at 17, she’s brave enough to stand up.”
The club who filed the complaint against the girl have been approached for comment.
The county FA said it was “aware of the incident”, adding: “However, we are unable to comment as this incident is part of an ongoing investigation. The case will be heard by a National Serious Case Panel in due course.”
