Australia’s most controversial soccer team has won its grand final after going through their season undefeated.
Sydney-based Flying Bats FC made headlines around the globe earlier this year after it was revealed that five of the team’s women’s side were made up of transgender players.
The team’s presence in the women’s competition led to complaints from club officials and parents, while high-profile figures like JK Rowling and Lucy Zelic have also criticised their participation.
And now it can be revealed that the team have capped of an undefeated season in the Women’s Premier League competition which they have won all 16 of their regular season matches while scoring 65 goals and conceding just four in the process by winning the grand final on Sunday.
Zelic posted the scoreboard at the ground with the final 5-4 scoreline over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club, stating her disappointment at the result.
‘Full-time. Flying Bats FC win the Premiership and the Grand Final. Trans-identified [players] will be crowned champions in the Women’s Premier League Division,’ she posted with the hashtag #SaveWomenSports.
‘Somehow, this is supposed to represent progress. Somewhere, the custodians of our game don’t care.’
The Flying Bats soccer team featured five transgender players this season in a women’s league
The Flying Bats, pictured in red, black and rainbow colours, went undefeated all season
One of the Flying Bats players received a yellow card in their tense grand final win over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club
The game was held at 3pm at Christie Park with security guards present at the venue, discouraging the use of professional photography equipment and checking people’s phones for images taken of the match.
The scores were locked at 3-3 at halftime before the Flying Bats made a host of changes and edged clear in the second half.
One of the transgender players was issued a yellow card during the match, while a transgender player was named best on ground after the tight finish.
Football NSW has removed the identities of the Flying Bats players from their websites. Daily Mail Australia has elected not to reveal their identities.
West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club fought hard in the match only to fall in heartbreaking fashion by a single goal
The West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club and Flying Bats players shake hands after the grand final
Flying Bats players celebrate their controversial victory over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club in the Premier League Women’s grand ginal
The beaten West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Football Club posted describing the loss as ‘heartbreaking’ and praised their players for pushing the Flying Bats all the way.
‘Our Premier League Women’s team have left everything on Christie Park this afternoon losing 5-4 in heartbreaking fashion to the Flying Bats,’ the club posted on Facebook.
‘You embodied everything it means to play for our club over an amazing 90 mins of football. We could not be prouder of you girls.’
2GB’s Ben Fordham previously revealed that six of the team’s victories came as a result of the opposition team forfeiting, including the two semi-final fixtures that led to their progress to the final.
Earlier this year, it was reported that sports governing bodies had told clubs that they would be punished if they forfeited their games against the Bats.
‘Remember, it’s a women’s competition and they have five [transgender] players, and we have some people trying to say “it doesn’t make a difference”, really?’ he said on Thursday morning’s show.
Zelic, a vocal critic of the team, responded to their successful season, labelling it a ‘crime against women’.
The Sydney-based Flying Bats soccer team reached the grand final of the women’s competition after courting controversy for fielding five transgender players
The Flying Bats went through the entire season undefeated to claim the title in the decider
‘I think that’s a real crime against women here… it’s quite disgraceful,’ she said.
‘The fact that these women have been rendered voiceless in this and if they do have a voice they are being punished for it, it is something that needs to be explored very deeply.
‘Imagine having to do that as well? To reach the knockout stages of the competition… it takes some real courage in this situation to stand up and say “no, we’re not going to play”. Both Putney Rangers and Macquarie Dragons should be commended for that.’
Zelic then pointed the finger out the governing bodies for what she claimed was a dereliction of duty.
‘The people I hold accountable here, that I consider the most villainous are the national sporting organisations, the ones who haven’t yet acted to introduce policies to protect women and girls who are the real culprits and are responsible for allowing this circus act to continue,’ she added.
‘These are the people we really need to bring to the fore here and ask them for answers. I want to know “why don’t these women’s voices matter?” it’s just not right.’
On the Flying Bats’ official website, they claim they are ‘the biggest LGBTQIA+ women’s and non-binary football club in the world’.
Club president Jennifer Peden told Daily Mail Australia in April: ‘As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values our cisgender and transgender players equally.
‘We strongly support the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.’
Australian Human Rights Commission guidelines, which NSW Football aligns with, do not permit sporting organisations from discriminating on the grounds a player is transgender
The guidelines state that under the federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984, sporting organisations cannot discriminate against transgender players either directly, or indirectly.
‘An example of direct discrimination would be a sporting organisation refusing a trans woman’s application for membership because she is transgender,’ the guidelines state.
‘An example of indirect discrimination might be a sporting organisation requiring a birth certificate upon registration, and not accepting any alternative form of documentation to verify a person’s gender.’
Football NSW has developed a Gender Diversity Policy, but it only applies to the NPL NSW Women’s Competition, FNSW League One Women’s Competition and FNSW Girls’ Youth League One Competition.
The Women’s Premier League that the Flying Bats compete in does not come under this policy, but Football NSW states that these competitions would align with Football Australia’s adoption of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Guidelines.
‘Under which, community (grassroots) players are permitted to participate in Football on the basis of the gender with which they identify,’ the Football NSW website states.
Lucy Zelic labelled the team’s successful season a ‘crime against women’
‘These guidelines, along with the Sex Discrimination Act, inform the gender inclusion policies of Football Australia, Football NSW, and the North West Sydney Football Association at the community, grassroots level at which we play,’ Peden continued.
‘Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify. Trans women have played with the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to skilled, just like our cis women players.
‘Our players are graded on ability, and placed in the team that is most appropriate for their skill and experience level.’
The LGBTI Rights Australia Facebook group posted a message congratulating the team shortly after they won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup and slammed critics of the side.
‘Transgender women have been proudly part of the bats for 20 YEARS, yet it took terf N@zi$ up until this week to take notice,’ the message read.
‘This underscores that the issue isn’t transgender athletes but the exploitation of sports for political gain.
‘Congratulations to the Flying Bats Soccer Club who recently won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup! (And to all the transphobes complaining, we suggest you train a bit harder).’
