Women’s football match cancelled after trans goalkeeper cruelly targeted on social media
Blair Hamilton has been targeted online and has made her X account and Instagram accounts private (https://x.com/blair90x)
A women’s football match has been called off after their transgender goalkeeper, Blair Hamilton, was targeted online by former Olympian Sharron Davies and others.
Sutton United’s game at Ebbsfleet United, in the London & South East Regional Football League Premier Division was postponed just hours before it was scheduled to start on Sunday (1 September), with the club issuing a statement on its website.
The postponement came in the wake of a backlash against trans manager Lucy Clark signing 34-year-old transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton.
Clark was the first trans manager to be hired in the top five divisions of English women’s football, following her appointment in January, and has previously been honoured by the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Shortly after the keeper arrived at Sutton, the club announced: “We are delighted to welcome Blair Hamilton to Sutton United. Blair made her debut, keeping a clean sheet in a 6-0 victory. Blair has previously played for Hastings United, Saltdean, and has represented England Universities.”
Following the announcement, former Olympian turned anti-trans pundit Sharron Davies went on a social media tirade against the club and Clark, calling Hamilton’s signing “shameful”.
Davies subsequently posted a message from an anonymous source that falsely claimed that Clark had “no previous experience” in women’s football. Blair Hamilton previously played for fifth-tier Saltdean United Women. During that time, she said in an interview that: “All my teammates have got my back.”
It has been claimed that a cis-female goalkeeper left the club after being replaced by Hamilton
“This club need to be held accountable for pushing [women] out of [women’s] football, it’s disgusting,” the message read.
Davies wrote on Monday (2 September): “If you’re prepared to play in a football team fielding males, especially in goal where size of hands and explosive power are so vital, you’re prepared to go along with cheating and an increased risk of injury to your opponents. That would not be me and most female athletes I know.”
The subsequent pile-on and slew of abusive, transphobic and slur-filled tweets briefly caused “Blair Hamilton” to trend on X.
Hamilton has now restricted access to both her X and Instagram accounts following the backlash.
This is not the first time Clark has been the subject of criticism on social media.
Earlier this year, a post celebrating Clark’s appointment was reshared by a pro-LGBTQ+ page which was then reposted by JK Rowling, who said, sarcastically: “When I was young, all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it’s fantastic to see how much things have changed.”
Gender-critical accounts responded with attacks on Clark.
Speaking to Sky Sports Clark said: “It’s been a bit crazy, a lot of hateful messages but also a lot of positive messages and I’d rather focus on the positive messages. There have been players from various clubs and I’ve received a lot of other messages of support. Lots of people just realised football is a game for everyone.”
When asked how she copes, she replied: “Ex-referee, transgender: I’ve got a thick skin.”
Despite calls from people on social media for the Harry Potter author to delete her post and apologise to Clark, she instead doubled down.
“Calling a man a man is not ‘bullying’ or ‘punching down’. Cross-dressing straight men are currently one of the most pandered-to demographics in existence, and women are under no obligation to applaud the people caricaturing us,” Rowling replied.
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