Transgender footballer at centre of boycott plans return

The transgender footballer who is the target of a boycott by clubs in the Sheffield women’s league has been considering returning to football for months after quitting due to the storm that swept through her.

Telegraph Sports can reveal that Francesca Needham, who is accused of causing a season-ending injury to an opponent last year, has made at least three appearances for a team in the same league while opponents previously refused to play in protest at her presence.

However, the club who have fielded her since her return, West End Terriers FC, claimed the Football Association had stopped them from registering her after she played for their women’s reserve team in “a few friendlies” this summer.

According to her Facebook page, one friendly match took place on July 25 and two more on August 18 and 20, in which she scored multiple goals, including five in an 8-4 victory.

Needham began playing for West End Terriers a few days after a Facebook account in her name posted on the Girls & Women’s Football in Wakefield area page: “Any open age teams looking for players? Barnsley, North Sheffield, Rotherham? Can play most positions and also reserve goalkeeper!”

Among the answers was one that read: “West End Terriers Ladies.”

Needham accused of causing season-ending injury to opponent

Club secretary Dale Wainwright said on Wednesday that he had tried to sign Needham to play this season but was told “we are not allowed to sign her”. He added that he had been told that Needham had become “angry” about this.

Telegraph Sports was later told that the English Football Association (FA) had intervened after Needham was found to have trained and played for the club. According to sources, she chose not to apply for registration after discussions.

The board is said to have spoken to her about finding a team at “a higher level” amid a transgender policy that treats individuals on a case-by-case basis. It is also said to have discussed her transition into other roles within the game, and has supported her since she retired from playing in November.

That was after the Telegraph revealed that Mexborough Athletic – whose women’s team included under-16s – had refused to play Rossington Ladies in protest at being forced to face Needham. Bentley Ladies did the same, one of at least four clubs at the centre of a mass boycott.

It followed allegations that Needham gave a female opponent a season-ending injury with a shot that struck her knee. There is no indication that such an incident was anything other than an accident, but it exacerbated concerns about size and strength disparities between women born female and trans women who have gone through male puberty.

Needham responded to the boycott by leaving the game “for the foreseeable future,” acknowledging the “challenges faced by teams who don’t want to play us while I’m on the field,” and stating that she planned to file a discrimination lawsuit.

The coaches of the opposing team in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women and Girls League strongly rejected the accusations of intolerance, insisting the clubs were acting solely in the interests of player safety.

“There are a lot of 16-year-old girls in our league who are playing football for the first time,” said a source familiar with last year’s boycott. “It’s a huge concern and virtually every team in the league has taken a position to stick together and not play Rossington for safety reasons. Francesca claims there is discrimination but that’s not the case. It’s purely about safety. I’ve already told my players: ‘We’re not going to let them play. I’d rather throw the points away’.”

‘This problem is only getting bigger’

Needham, who identifies as a trans woman, responded with outrage, writing in a statement: “Rossington Main Ladies FC have faced challenges from teams not wanting to play against us while I am on the pitch. This unfortunate circumstance has prompted me to investigate a case of discrimination as I believe it breaches the code of conduct regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as the protection of adults in football established by both the Football Association and the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women and Girls League.” It is unclear whether Needham has filed a discrimination case against her.

An FA spokesperson said: “We have a transgender policy that has helped to enable a very small population of transgender women to enjoy playing football in grassroots sport, and we will continue to provide this support on an individual basis. We understand that this issue is complex and constantly evolving, and our transgender policy for English football will remain under review to ensure it balances safety, fairness and inclusion across the full breadth of our game.”

Fiona McAnena, campaigner at human rights organisation Sex Matters, said: “The FA need to get a grip on this. It can’t be a case-by-case approach. Female players need to be reassured that they don’t have to confront a male player on the pitch or in the dressing room. At the moment they just don’t know. Since the FA began its policy review, it has approved a further 20 male players who identify as transgender to play in women’s football. This problem is only going to get worse.”

Telegraph Sports attempted to reach Needham for comment.