Sutton United’s away game against Ebbsfleet in the London and South East Regional Women’s League was postponed on Sunday amidst controversy surrounding the recent signing of a transgender goalkeeper, Blair Hamilton.
The match, scheduled for a 2pm kick-off, was called off after Sutton United notified their opponents via email at 11:12am, stating that they were unable to field a team.
This cancellation followed just a week after Sutton’s manager, Lucy Clark—the first transgender manager in the top five tiers of women’s football in England—signed 34-year-old Hamilton.
Hamilton, who transitioned while previously playing for the University of Aberdeen’s men’s football team, made her debut for Sutton United on August 25 in a 6-0 victory over Haywards Heath Town.
However, the club did not officially announce her arrival until after that match. Since the announcement, both Hamilton and the club have received mixed reactions.
The club’s statement welcoming Hamilton read: “We are delighted to welcome Blair Hamilton to Sutton United.
Blair debuted, keeping a clean sheet in a 6-0 victory. Blair has previously played for Hastings United, Saltdean, and represented England Universities.”
The decision to sign Hamilton has sparked controversy, with former Team GB swimmer Sharron Davies, an outspoken critic of trans women competing in women’s sports, calling the move “shameful.”
Davies claimed to have received a letter from concerned football fans, expressing their unease over the club’s decision and highlighting that the team’s previous female goalkeeper was allegedly let go to accommodate Hamilton.
While the exact reason for Sunday’s postponement has not been confirmed, it is speculated that some of Hamilton’s teammates may have refused to play in protest of her signing.
The club announced the postponement through a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter). The statement read, “Today’s match against @EbbsfleetWomen has been postponed.”
The reaction to the postponement included supportive comments, with one user applauding the players for “standing their ground.”
In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Hamilton discussed her experience as a transgender athlete, emphasising the significant changes that hormone therapy has made to her body, including reduced muscle mass and altered muscle fibres, which she argued negate any competitive advantage.
Hamilton stated, “There is absolutely no advantage on the pitch,” countering concerns that her participation in women’s football may be unfair to cisgender female athletes.
