Security guards allegedly prevented spectators, club officials and professional photographers from taking pictures or recording the sight of the Flying Bats football club in their grand final victory on Sunday.
The Flying Bats are a fully inclusive football club that fielded a team in the North West Sydney Premier League with five transgender players.
Under Human Rights Commission guidelines, which governing body Football NSW defers to at this level, “community (grassroots) players are allowed to participate in football based on the gender with which they identify.”
However, the Flying Bats’ grand final victory over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club was marred after opposing teams lost to them six times, including in the semi-finals, because they featured transgender players.
The Flying Bats won all 17 games they played, scoring 76 goals and conceding just eight, including the grand final.
The Flying Bats pose for their official team photo in their grand final win over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club
Photographers were only allowed to take pictures with mobile phones after professional cameras were banned at the gate.
A spectator named ‘David’ told Ben Fordham Live on 2GB that it was a high-quality show, with the Flying Bats winning narrowly, 5-4.
“I enjoyed the match, it was David versus Goliath,” he said.
“It was a challenging competition there and the West Pennant girls performed very, very, very well.”
But David then mentioned the heavy security presence at the venue who were reportedly checking bags and preventing spectators from taking photos or filming the sight.
“One of the security officers told me they were checking bags to make sure no one had brought any kind of device to film the game that was larger than a cell phone,” he said.
‘A security guard told me that one person who refused to open her bag had to be asked to show what was inside before being allowed to leave because they were concerned she was there without ID.
‘They were cracking down on people trying to film for various reasons.’
Spectators revealed that their bags were searched and there was a heavy security presence at the grand finale.
A professional photographer, who did not want to be named, confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that bags were being searched for cameras.
“When I attended the match I was surprised that there was an unusually high number of security personnel. I counted at least 6 Guardian Security staff members.
‘Bags were checked upon entry and no professional cameras were allowed, except for the few approved by the relevant football association, not the teams.
‘I first observed a security guard asking a young man with a consumer camera to stop taking pictures, which I thought was not right, but I did not get involved.
‘He was clearly a football fan, but he was on the opposing team, and security kept watching him, making the (West Pennant Hills) guests feel uncomfortable.
‘I then observed another security guard ask someone (a woman) to show him pictures from her iPhone, which I honestly thought was a total invasion of her privacy.
“I again watched as several security officers did the same thing to at least five other people and was shocked that people allowed them to do so.”
Security guards allegedly asked onlookers to also show them the images they had taken with their mobile devices.
There is no law in Australia restricting the photography of people in public spaces. However, Christie Park is owned by Ryde City Council, which has the discretion to prohibit photography on its premises, although this is not common at sporting events.
The Flying Bats told Daily Mail Australia that accreditation for photography and filming was handled by the North West Football League.
“Game day logistics are handled by the NWSF, they are best placed to answer security questions,” a Flying Bats spokesperson said.
The North West Football League has been contacted for comment.
The Facebook group LGBTI Rights Australia previously posted a message congratulating the team shortly after they won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup and criticised critics of the team.
“Transgender women have proudly been part of the bats for 20 YEARS, but it took the Nazis until this week to notice,” the message read.
‘This highlights that the problem is not transgender athletes, but the exploitation of sport for political gain.
‘Congratulations to Flying Bats football club, who recently won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup! (And to all the complaining transphobes, we suggest you train a bit harder.)’