- Sutton United’s women’s team recently signed a transgender goalkeeper
- Blair Hamilton made his debut in a 6-0 win over Haywards Heath Town
- But Sutton’s next game was postponed at short notice on Sunday morning.
Sutton United’s away game at Ebbsfleet in the London and South East Regional Women’s League was postponed on Sunday amid controversy centred on a transgender goalkeeper.
The game, which was scheduled to start at 2pm, was called off after Sutton sent an email to his opponents at 11.12am informing them of his inability to field a team.
Sunday’s postponement comes a week after Sutton boss Lucy Clark, who is the first transgender manager in the top five of women’s football in England, signed transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton, 34.
Hamilton, who previously played for the University of Aberdeen men’s football team while in transition, before being encouraged to join the women’s team, made her Sutton debut on 25 August in a 6–0 win over Haywards Heath Town.
However, the club did not announce his arrival until after that match.
Transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton recently joined Sutton United’s women’s team
Hamilton’s arrival at the club was criticised by former British team swimmer Sharron Davies
Since Sutton issued a brief statement confirming his arrival, Hamilton and the club have received mixed reactions.
The statement read: “We are delighted to welcome Blair Hamilton to Sutton United. Blair made his debut, keeping a clean sheet in a 6-0 win. Blair has previously played for Hastings United, Saltdean and has also represented England Universities.”
Former Team GB swimmer Sharron Davies, who won an Olympic silver medal in 1980, has previously made it clear she is against trans women competing against cisgender women under the banner of women’s sport.
Davies called Sutton’s signing of Hamilton “disgraceful”.
He also said he received a letter from football fans expressing their concerns.
The letter reportedly read: ‘We wish to remain anonymous due to the threats I know we will receive. The women’s team hired (former) transgender referee Lucy Clark, who has no previous experience in women’s football.
Hamilton is pictured with her teammates from her former club Saltdean Women, from last season.
Sutton were due to play a game in the London and South East Regional Women’s League on Sunday but it was cancelled less than three hours before the proposed kick-off time.
“Now Clark has signed Hamilton, a 6ft 3in, 34-year-old trans goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper has been sacked. The club must be held accountable for banning women from the women’s game. It’s disgusting.”
Although not confirmed, it is believed Sunday’s match may have been postponed after some of Hamilton’s teammates refused to play in protest at his signing.
The club announced the postponement of the match with a brief post on X (formerly Twitter). It simply said: “Today’s match against @EbbsfleetWomen has been postponed.”
In response, one comment read: “Well done ladies for standing your ground.”
Sutton’s women’s team is coached by former referee Lucy Clark, who is also transgender.
Hamilton spoke to the BBC in 2019 when she said: “I knew I was transgender since I was four years old. Growing up on the west coast of Scotland, I tried to hide it a bit.
‘The University of Aberdeen women’s football team took me under their wing and said, ‘Why don’t you come and join us?’, which is something I never thought would be possible.
At the time of the BBC interview, Hamilton had been receiving hormone therapy for three years. “They need to look at the science and see what effects it actually has on the body,” he added.
“It takes away muscle mass, explosiveness. It changes the ratio of fast-twitch fibers from type one to type two; your body changes completely. I don’t think they realize how much hormone therapy changes.”
“There is absolutely no advantage on the field.”
