A women’s soccer league in Sheffield, England is in the midst of quite a controversy as some teams are refusing to play against against a team that includes a transgender woman after she was accused of causing a season-ending injury to an opponent.
According to a report from The Telegraph, at least four teams are refusing to compete against Rossington Ladies in the women’s soccer league due to the team’s inclusion of transgender player Francesca Needham. The coaches claim the boycott is due to safety reasons after Needham allegedly caused a season-ending injury to an opponent.
“There are a lot of 16-year-old girls in our league who are getting into football for the first time,” said a source familiar with the situation. “It’s a huge concern, and virtually every team in the league has taken the stance to stick together and not to play against Rossington for safety reasons. Francesca is arguing discrimination, but that’s not the case. It’s purely about safety. I’ve already told my players, ‘We’re not playing them. I’d sooner throw away the points.’”
Another source described the situation to The Telegraph as “an absolute nightmare.”
“I got to see this situation first-hand. Five minutes into our game, it was obvious Francesca was biologically male,” the source said. “The league is competitive and physical, but a lot of my harder-tackling players were bouncing off this person. They took matters into their own hands and backed out for their own safety. These are strong players in their mid-30s. We were gobsmacked. Even the referee at the time couldn’t believe it.
“I sent emails to my league and to the local FA, expressing deep concerns, but heard nothing back. So, I called the manager of the team Rossington were playing next. I was really worried. I wanted him at least to be aware so they could make their own choice. Unfortunately, one of their players was injured. A shot from Francesca smashed into her knee. She’s out for the rest of the season – it’s an absolute nightmare.”
Needham has since agreed to withdraw from competitions “for the foreseeable future,” but also intends to pursue a case for discrimination.
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