Teenage footballer banned for transgender comment wants apology from Football Association

A teenage amateur footballer who was banned by the Football Association over remarks she made to a transgender woman opponent has demanded an apology from the governing body, claiming the case has "impacted" her life.

Last year, Cerys Vaughan, then aged 17, was sanctioned by an FA disciplinary commission for improper conduct after she asked the rival player if they were a man during a friendly match.

Having been told the player was transgender, Vaughan says she then raised the matter with the referee over concerns she had about fairness and safety.

Following a complaint, she was charged with a breach of FA rules, and after a hearing she was handed a six-match ban, four of which were suspended.

The case sparked a protest by women's rights campaigners outside Wembley, and scrutiny of the FA's gender eligibility policy.

However, it can now be revealed that in February, an FA appeal board found that Vaughan had received an "unfair" hearing, quashed the original ruling, and ordered a new process to take place.

The case has since been dropped after the complainant withdrew from the process.

Vaughan, now 18, has chosen to reveal her identity and in her first broadcast interview told BBC Sport: "It was stressful. It's definitely impacted my normal life a lot.

"In the end it was pointless, and there was no reason for the FA to put me through all this.

"They said I wasn't guilty anymore and they dropped my charges and cleared my record."

In a statement, the FA said: "We can confirm that this disciplinary case has now been closed, as the complainant has chosen to withdraw from the process due to personal reasons.

"All relevant parties have been informed of this outcome and no further action will be taken.

"To protect the players involved, and to respect the confidential details included, we are not in a position to publish further details about this case."

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