Transgender Soccer Player Injures Female Opponent, Threatens Legal Action After Other Teams Cancel Games
Sometimes it’s not only OK to quit. Sometimes it’s necessary.
That’s what some female athletes in England did when they learned they were going to have to play against a man claiming to be a woman, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported Monday.
They refused to play.
They weren’t being transphobic. They refused to play because they were afraid.
What caused the fear? A female soccer player suffered a broken knee when blocking a shot from Francesca Needham, a 30-year-old man. They were afraid that if they took the field against Needham, they could be injured too.
Two matches in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women’s League had to be canceled because of the boycott, according to the Daily Mail.
“At least four teams in a Sheffield women’s football league are boycotting matches after a club fielded a transgender player accused of causing a season-ending injury to an opponent,” The Telegraph of London reported Monday.
Needham said he is going to “step down from playing football for the foreseeable future,” according to the Daily Mail.
He said he’s doing so for the sake of the team, the Rossington Main Ladies, based in South Yorkshire. If Needham didn’t throw in the towel, it looks like the Main Ladies were going to have a heck of a time finding anybody to play with them.
Needham isn’t stepping down for good. He’s threatening to file a lawsuit over the matter.
“This unfortunate circumstance has prompted me to investigate pursuing a case of discrimination, as I believe it represents a breach of the code of conduct regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as safeguarding of adults in football established by both the Football Association and the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women and Girls League,” he said, according to The Telegraph.
Transgender footballer quits after ‘rival teams refuse to play against her’
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 21, 2023