‘My daughter was massively intimidated,’ says father as Sutton United transgender row escalates

The father of a player who recently played against a team that included Blair Hamilton, the biologically male goalkeeper signed by the transgender manager of Sutton United’s female team, has said his daughter was “massively intimidated” by her opponent’s physical advantage.

As Sutton defended their decision to enlist Hamilton, claiming that the move reflected transgender manager Lucy Clark’s policy to recruit “based on ability”, the alarmed parent urged more people associated with the club to make their voices heard about the decision’s implications for sporting fairness.

Hamilton, 34, who was born male and stands 6ft tall, was enlisted by Clark despite protests that occurred during the player’s previous spells with female teams at Hastings United and England Universities.

‘You need a level playing field — it’s just not right’

“My daughter was massively intimidated by going up against someone of this stature,” the father told Telegraph Sport. “As a dad, it’s obviously concerning to have a young daughter playing in this set-up. You need a level playing field — it’s just not right. I wish more people would speak up.”

Many people at the club and among their rivals have expressed fears about a player who has the physiological advantages conferred by male puberty playing women’s football. In January, Clark became the first transgender manager in the top five tiers of the women’s game in England and has acted swiftly to sign Hamilton at the start of her first full season in charge.

Sutton are backing by the move, claiming that the postponement of last Sunday’s game at Ebbsfleet United – made within hours of Telegraph Sport reporting the controversy, and announced so late that their hosts had to donate matchday supplies to a food bank – was taken out of an “abundance of caution” for player welfare.

“The board would like to take this opportunity to express our full support of Lucy Clark in her decision to recruit based on ability, character and commitment to the team – criteria that apply to all players and the values of Sutton United,” the club said in a statement.

‘We reject any form of discrimination’

“We are committed to promoting a culture of inclusivity, respect and fair play. We reject any form of discrimination, including that based on gender identity. The wellbeing and safety of all our players is of paramount importance to us and it was through an abundance of caution on this subject that the decision was made to postpone the match on Sunday.

“We will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines our values or puts anyone’s health or safety in jeopardy. Our primary focus remains on handling this situation with the utmost sensitivity and respect for the individuals involved, the club and the broader community.”

Sutton insisted that they had followed the protocols laid down by the Football Association, which controversially allows those born male to self-identify into the women’s game but is under mounting pressure to change the policy.

Critics argue flies in the face of the 2010 Equality Act, Section 195 of which makes it lawful to restrict the participation of biological men in women’s sport if it is necessary to uphold fair or safe competition.

Sharron Davies, the former Olympic silver medallist and passionate campaigner for fairness for women in sport, condemned Sutton’s stance. “By replacing females with males in a women’s football – who are physically bigger, stronger, more explosive and with a different skeletal angle – you are discriminating on the basis of biological sex in a sport affected by biological sex,” she said. “It’s that simple.”