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  • why sports teams and leagues aren’t just competing on the field

    why sports teams and leagues aren’t just competing on the field

    Not so long ago, sports and entertainment were separate: each had their own distinct place in our minds.

    In the streaming era, that has become somewhat blurred. If anything, we now have to filter through all the types of content available to entertain us, rather than having to search from a limited range of offerings.

    Sport is now a form of entertainment, competing against a broad range of direct and indirect competitors who are essentially fighting over their slice of the cake in this attention economy.

    Sports and sports teams have had to adapt quickly to this changing era through different methods, such as how they use social media.

    The four Es of great content

    Broadly speaking, for any content to be effective with its intended market, it needs to have four basic elements: entertainment, engagement, experiential and emotions.

    Sport, as a whole, ticks those four boxes quite well (but only when it is being played). Just look at the Matildas’ World Cup phenomenon in 2023.

    Our need to be entertained is now constant, even hourly. Previously, this presented a challenge for sports: how to keep and maintain connection with audiences when sport wasn’t being played?

    Content competitors, such as YouTube, have something for us to watch 24/7.

    Sports and sporting teams then realised they had to start to provide content when games weren’t being played to keep relevance and resonance with their markets. And do so with the four E’s in mind.

    Say hello to your brand new social media feed.

    Early on this content was hit and miss. But in the past few years it has picked up to the point where the four Es are being ticked off by most teams.

    This engagement can all draw in extra money via ticket sales, memberships, merchandise and experience packages, such as Hawthorn’s social media-fuelled financial boost last season.

    There has also been assistance from successful fly-on-the-wall documentary series on everything from the Australian cricket team, to Formula 1, to cycling, which have deepened resonance between brand and consumer.

    So how to judge success in this area? The ultimate compliment of social media content is the share. And some teams, such as Greater Western Sydney in the AFL, are getting more and more.

    Success, right? Maybe, but there are other criteria to consider.

    Brand personality and connection

    Success in marketing is rarely binary. Another important dimension to why sports have started to have more fun with their social media feed relates to brand personality and brand connection.

    These theories are the bedrock behind how we value brands, and how brands have been slowly moving away from formal to fun.

    We connect with brands that fit our personalities. Have an outdoorsy identification? Say hello to SUVs like Ford Ranger, or clothing like Kathmandu. Sophistication? Apple. Beachy? Billabong.

    Value means loyalty, and loyalty means less switching behaviour.

    Walking the thin white line tightrope

    However, sport has a treacherous path to walk on this.

    Ultimately, the core content is the sporting contest. If it veers away from the on-field battles and results too much, it runs the risk of losing connection with the loyal supporters who become confused over what the brand stands for.

    There are also risks through simple human error and poor decision-making by those who run the social media accounts – the Monty Panesar tweet by Cricket Australia in 2013 being one case in point.

    More recently, after the 2024 AFL draft, St Kilda was left red-faced after sending a message to a wrong number instead of a player they had just drafted. The club at least had fun with their blunder, posting their mistake on social media.

    And of course there are numerous examples on social media where individual athletes, via secondary association, such as Stephanie Rice’s tweet, can result in brand damage.

    At the same time, silence in the digital era means losing connection, relevance, and eventually value.

    And if sports truly want to say they represent all, and not just the core fans, they need to find ways to grow that connection.

    The new AFL team Tasmania Devils – set to enter the league in 2028 – are a good example of a club that is doing that, maintaining a balance between functional offering and entertainment.

    A whole new ball game

    Content is here to stay and sporting clubs are still learning how to use this strategy effectively. If they stop now, they will become a secondary content provider in our minds rather than a primary one.

    The next markets, like Gen Alpha – a generation born into technology from 2010-25 – already have stronger resonance with online content providers like Mr Beast than they do a sports team.

    A decade or so ago, most sports and teams used social media primarily to relay match day updates and results, news and merchandise opportunities.

    Now, social media is as integral as any other marketing strategy, and the digital environment is fought over just like teams do on the field, court or pitch.

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  • Tiny Mousehole AFC rises up football leagues – but potholes are a problem | Soccer

    Perched on a hill overlooking the tip of Cornwall with the Atlantic stretching far beyond, Mousehole AFC is a world away from top-flight football.

    The most westerly club in the English leagues is staffed mainly by volunteers, is financed by a campsite in a field next door and serves only locally made pasties in the tea hut – although it did once host a friendly against Manchester United in 1987.

    Despite its unlikely location down a bumpy, potholed track just a few miles from Land’s End, the club is riding a wave of winning results, having been promoted twice in three years and pushing for another promotion this season.

    The club’s success is attracting ­talented young players from London and other big cities, who come to fulfil their footballing dreams amid the spectacular scenery of west Cornwall.

    Potholes on the road to Mousehole’s AFC’s Trungle Parc ground and camping. Photograph: Matt Keeble/Times Newspapers Ltd

    Neither Julio Fresnada, 20, nor Ross Derham, also 20, had even heard of Mousehole before being scouted by the club last season. They grew up playing in the academies of big clubs such as Reading and Watford, but have been drawn way out west by an opportunity they say is rare at this level of football.

    “In London we would maybe only get to train once or twice a week. Here, we train five or six times a week, plus matches. It might be a small place but joining Mousehole is the biggest thing that has happened to us,” says Derham, a midfielder, who is enjoying his quiet Cornish life.

    “There are no distractions here. It’s so beautiful, and so peaceful,” says Derham. “My mum cried when she came down and met everyone at the club, she knows I am safe here.”

    The tiny village of Mousehole (pronounced mowzel) is famous for its picture-postcard harbour, as well as its poignant Christmas light display that honours the crew of the Penlee lifeboat, who were all lost at sea during a rescue in December 1981.

    It is home to about 500 people, but Mousehole’s football team is now playing towns with populations that are 50 times its size.

    It is only two promotions away from the National League South, after winning the Western League in 2021 and then moving to the Southern League Division One South last year.

    “People who don’t know Mousehole think they are coming to the end of the world when they drive down that lane. They expect it to be the kind of place where cows are being shooed off the pitch before the match,” says Ben Gibson, one of the club’s directors, who lives near the ground.

    Map
    Way out west: Mousehole in Cornwall.

    “When they get off the coach and see what it’s really like, they can’t believe it. We are a village club, but we are playing a standard of football that is way beyond what anyone would imagine they might find here.”

    Jake Ash, Mousehole’s team manager, says the club has to do things differently to attract players.

    “Given our location, we’ve got to be unique – and what we offer is the quality of our training and how we treat our players,” he says. “The club is still run by the same people who’ve run it for decades. We’ve kept true to ourselves and who we are.”

    Mousehole’s location, however, brings unavoidable financial challenges for the club. Away games are already lengthy and expensive – attending every fixture in the season requires 7,615 miles of travel.

    “We’re progressing really well and we want to keep going as far as we can, but it’s becoming financially harder every step we go up. The costs are just phenomenal,” says Billy Jacka, the club’s chair.

    Mousehole AFC (in green and white hoops) in action against visitors Melksham Town. Photograph: Matt Keeble/Times Newspapers Ltd

    The small club has another big problem in the road that leads to the ground.

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    In the build-up to Mousehole’s recent game against Melksham Town, the Wiltshire team’s coach got stuck in the narrow lane and then struggled over the obstacle-course of potholes littering the final yards to the ground.

    Campervans and motorhomes also find it difficult to navigate their way to the campsite next door.

    The campsite is Mousehole’s main source of revenue, and without improvements to its infrastructure, the ability to fund future promotions could be at risk.

    “Other clubs have sponsors or sugar daddies to pay the bills. Well, our campsite is our sugar daddy,” says Jacka, a retired train crew manager.

    “We have to find a way to make the club, and the campsite, financially sustainable – because we can only progress on the pitch as far as we can support the team financially off the pitch.”

    The club is looking for ways to fund the construction of a new access road that would bypass the village and connect the ground directly to the main Land’s End to Penzance road.

    “A new road would be huge for the club and for the campsite – we could open up to more campervans and other businesses that would bring in more money.

    “We have planning permission for the road, we just don’t have the funds to build it,” says Jacka.

    Brian Richardson, 77, is a stalwart of the club who refuses to give up hope, whatever challenges lie ahead. He grew up in the village and has watched the club rise up through the leagues.

    “Look at where we have got to – nobody ever thought Mousehole would get this far,” he says.

    “I don’t know how far we can keep going or how far we can afford to keep going. But if I know anything about this club and the people who are involved with it – it’s that dreams really can come true.”

    Billy Jacka, Mousehole AFC chair, says the campsite is the club’s ‘sugar daddy’. Photograph: Matt Keeble/Times Newspapers Ltd

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  • College football Week 7 overreactions: Ryan Day is the ultimate underachiever, Texas is leagues ahead in SEC

    College football Week 7 overreactions: Ryan Day is the ultimate underachiever, Texas is leagues ahead in SEC

    What’s to be done about Ryan Day? On one hand, most fans around the nation would kill for Ohio State’s double-digit win stability throughout his six-year career running the show in Columbus. On the other, Ohio State fans have every right to be upset with the results thus far. 

    Day seems allergic to winning games that actually matter. Following Saturday’s 32-31 loss to Oregon, the Buckeyes are now 2-6 against top five teams in the AP Poll under Day. They’ve lost four straight games against such opponents. 

    For at least three years, Michigan has been a constant thorn in Ohio State’s side. Now it’s a conference newcomer that had never won against a top-3 team; the Ducks were 0-19 all-time before their triumph against the Buckeyes. 

    Ryan Day’s last five games vs. top-5 teams

    Year Opponent Result
    2022 No. 5 Notre Dame W 21-10
    2022 No. 3 Michigan L 45-23
    2022 No. 1 Georgia L 42-41
    2023 No. 3 Michigan L 30-24
    2024 No. 3 Oregon L 32-31

    While it’s not fair to call Day’s seat hot — Ohio State can still make the Big Ten Championship Game, and it’s hard to envision a 12-team College Football Playoff without the Buckeyes — he is college football’s biggest underachiever. Day and Ohio State went all-in with an impressive transfer haul, supplementing a roster that saw a majority of its biggest stars return for one more Dream Team-esque run. They lured sitting UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to become their offensive coordinator. 

    And they wilted in their first real test of the 2024 season; no Wolverines required. That national championship mystique that permeated the Columbus air in the offseason has completely evaporated, replaced by a dark cloud of questions surrounding Day’s place as a high-level coach. 

    Here are four other overreactions as we put a bow on Week 7. 

    It’s Texas and then everyone else in the SEC

    Here’s Texas. 

    Here’s the rest of the SEC. 

    The Longhorns are creating more and more distance in the conference race with each passing week, both with their play on the field and given other results happening around the SEC’s now vast southern footprint. On the same day that Texas demolished No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3, avenging last season’s loss, No. 7 Alabama struggled at home against unranked South Carolina, No. 8 Tennessee needed overtime to beat one of the worst Florida teams in quite some time and even No. 5 Georgia looked uninspired in a 41-31 win against hapless Mississippi State. 

    All those aforementioned teams already have at least one loss, too. Alabama and Tennessee both fell against unranked teams that they were favored by double digits against. Georgia lost to Alabama. At the time, that seemed like a powerhouse clash between two national title contenders. But the result becomes more dubious with each passing week. 

    For those still doubting their résumé, the Longhorns are currently 6-0 and are winning by an average of just under 37 points per game against a strength of record that currently ranks eighth in the nation, per ESPN’s FPI metric. They’ll have a chance to permanently silence any remaining detractors against Georgia next week. 

    For now, Texas looks head and shoulders above every other team in the SEC, and certainly most teams around the nation. 

    It might be time for UCF to retire the Gus Bus 

    It’s starting to putter out. Gus Malzahn’s UCF tenure may have hit a new low Saturday afternoon in a 19-13 home loss against Cincinnati. The same Cinciannti team that went 3-9 last year and won just one game in Big 12 play. 

    The Golden Knights even benched starting quarterback KJ Jefferson, a former Arkansas transfer, before the game kicked off to try and spark a stagnant offense. It didn’t work. His replacement, 17-year-old true freshman EJ Colson, was benched after four pass attempts. Jacurri Brown, who entered the game for Colson, did post an impressive 207 yards and one touchdown, but it obviously wasn’t enough in the end. 

    This was UCF’s third loss in a row as outright favorites. Malzahn’s squad hasn’t scored more than 21 points since a Sept. 14 win against TCU, and it’s combined to put 26 on the board in each of its last two losses. 

    Remember, prior to breaking into the collegiate head coaching ranks, Malzahn made his name as an offensive coordinator and, particularly, a quarterback guru. UCF currently ranks 12th in the Big 12 with 206.8 yards passing per game. 

    Malzahn is now 9-10 since UCF’s move to the Big 12, with a 4-8 showing against conference foes. The Golden Knights weren’t expected to compete immediately, but it isn’t promising that they’re showing signs of regression under a 58-year old head coach. 

    UCF should be set up well in the Big 12. Its unique position as the conference’s only representative in Florida gives it an inherent advantage in talent acquisition. Saturday’s result —  and the last month, really — raise serious doubts about Malzahn’s ability to fully capitalize on that. 

    Kenny Dillingham is coach of the year 

    What Kenny Dillingham is doing in Tempe should not be ignored. The 34-year old inherited an absolute mess from the Herm Edwards era. Edwards was fired three games into the 2022 season after a 30-21 loss to Eastern Michigan. 

    This decision came amid an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations committed by Edwards and his staff during the COVID-19 dead period. The Sun Devils had a mass transfer portal exodus following the 2021 season — not long after reports of the violations surfaced — that saw them lose the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels (an eventual Heisman Trophy winner at LSU) and wide receiver Johnny Wilson (who developed into an NFL Draft pick at Florida State). 

    So Dillingham inherited a gutted roster and a program facing an uncertain future with punitive measures on the horizon when he took the job ahead of the 2023 season. Arizona State certainly took its lumps in his first year. The Sun devils only won three games. They weren’t expected to acclimate well to a move to the Big 12 in 2024. July’s media poll tabbed them to finish dead last in the now 16-team conference. 

    Fast-forward a couple months, and Arizona State is 5-1, with a 2-1 record in Big 12 play. Its latest win came against No. 16 Utah, the preseason Big 12 favorites. That was ASU’s first win against a ranked team under Dillingham, and it put the Sun Devils in position to at least flirt with the AP Top 25 Poll themselves. 

    Arizona State is just one win away from making a bowl game, at the very least. With how chaotic the Big 12 has been, it would be hard to completely discount the Sun Devils’ path to the Big 12 Championship Game — especially if they can beat teams of Utah’s ilk. It’s been nothing short of a miraculous turnaround under Dillingham, one that’s more than worthy of awards consideration.  

    Cade Klubnik engineering college football’s best individual turnaround 

    Clemson has eviscerated every opponent it’s stepped on the field against since its season-opening loss to Georgia, and the play of quarterback Cade Klubnik has been a big reason why. He is quietly engineering one of college football’s biggest individual turnarounds, after a rough first year as the Tigers’ starter, and he deserves more recognition when it comes to the discussion around postseason honors. 

    He threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s win against Wake Forest, completing 75.6% of his passes in the process. That was Klubnik’s fourth game with at least three touchdowns passing and third game with at least 250 yards through the air. His 17 touchdowns passing currently rank third among ACC quarterbacks, and he’s tied for the conference lead at his position with four touchdowns rushing. 

    Most importantly, Klubnik has only thrown two interceptions through six games. Turnovers were a huge issue for him in 2023 — nine of his passes were snagged by the defense — but he has taken great strides in the decision-making department. Clemson hasn’t played a difficult schedule over the past month or so, but the Tigers’ offense looks worlds better than it did a year ago with Klubnik running the show, even when adjusting for competition. 

    That could be just what the Tigers need to climb back to the ACC’s mountaintop. 



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  • Why WNBA salaries are lower than other leagues’

    Why WNBA salaries are lower than other leagues’

    The WNBA has enjoyed some of the fastest growth a sports league has ever seen, thanks in large part to superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. With their play and fan following this year, they’ve helped the already surging league break records for attendance, viewership, merchandise sales and more.

    But top WNBA players don’t yet have the lofty salaries to match.

    The three most valuable WNBA teams — the Las Vegas Aces, the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty — were valued in June at between 13 and 70 times the price of their most recent sale, all of which took place within the last 16 years, according to Sportico’s first-ever WNBA team valuations.

    Valuations will likely only rise: The league signed an 11-year $2.2 billion media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBCUniversal this summer. The $200 million-per-year agreement will start in 2026. The current deal is about $60 million for 2024. As viewership and attendance rise, the league is also adding three teams.

    “Elected officials, corporate, private equity, everybody are like how do I get into the WNBA, and how do I invest? And can I have an expansion team, or can I invest in a current team?” said league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

    Yet players are still earning modest salaries relative to their male counterparts in the NBA. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese make about $76,000 and $74,000 this year, respectively.

    Brionna Jones, a seven-year veteran forward for the Connecticut Sun, earns $212,000 — close to what recent Most Valuable Player award winners A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart make.

    Once the WNBA season is over, Jones plays a second season in Europe, mainly to complement her salary. About half of the league’s players played overseas in winter 2024 to boost their incomes.

    “I’m getting paid to do something that I love year round, and that’s great. But as I’m getting older my body is feeling the constant wear and tear of playing all year round,” said Jones, who is 28.

    The current collective bargaining agreement, the contract between the league and the players’ union, WNBPA, which determines salaries and other provisions, runs through 2027. However, in November, either side can opt out of the deal. If they do, the new contract would be negotiated at the end of the 2025 season and take effect in 2026.

    It remains to be seen how much the league can increase its salaries, even as the value of media rights and franchises skyrocket. The WNBA and its teams are expected to lose about $50 million this year, according to one report in The Washington Post.

    Engelbert said the flexibility to opt out of the CBA was always a part of the plan.

    “I wanted that opt-out for us and for them, because I want to return more to the players through the collectively bargained things like salary,” she said. “But we’ve already done it outside of collective bargaining and probably surprised some people by doing that.”

    Engelbert is referring to the charter flights program added league-wide for travel to and from games this year. That alone will cost about $25 million per year. The league also increased playoff bonuses this year. The money is allocated from the $75 million the WNBA raised in 2022 from a group of investors.

    Though the WNBA’s success has not yet led to the massive salaries seen in men’s pro sports, many in the league believe it’s only a matter of time.

    “It’s easy to look at other leagues and see the multimillion dollars that these folks are getting,” said Stephanie White, head coach of the Connecticut Sun. “And we’re going to be there one day. It’s just continuing the positive progress that we’ve made and making sure that the sustainability of this league for the future generations is still going to be there.”

    Watch the video above to learn more.

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  • Aussie football analyst Lucy Zelic slams English team for signing transgender goalkeeper, who was chosen by the league’s first ever trans manager

    Aussie football analyst Lucy Zelic slams English team for signing transgender goalkeeper, who was chosen by the league’s first ever trans manager

    Aussie television presenter and football expert Lucy Zelic has accused an English football club of excluding women after a match was postponed because it fielded a transgender player.

     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 had been scheduled to kick-off at 2pm, was called off after Sutton sent an email to their opponents at 11.12am informing them of their inability to field a team.

    Sunday’s postponement came a week after Sutton boss Lucy Clark – who is the first transgender manager in the top five tiers of women’s football in England – signed 34-year-old transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton.

    Hamilton – who previously played for the University of Aberdeen’s men’s football team while she was transitioning, before being encouraged to join the women’s side – made her Sutton debut on August 25 in a 6-0 win over Haywards Heath Town.

    However, the club did not announce her arrival until after that game.

    Australian television presenter and football expert Lucy Zelic has spoken out against a transgender player in England

    Australian television presenter and football expert Lucy Zelic has spoken out against a transgender player in England

    Zelic, who has been outspoken against transgender players in women’s competition, released a lengthy statement on social media platform X slamming England Football for allowing it to happen.

    The Football Association’s updated policy states that players over 16 cannot participate in mixed-gender teams. 

    Transgender players may apply to play in their affirmed gender, with each application evaluated based on safety and fair competition. 

    Approval generally requires evidence of hormonal therapy or gonadectomy, and applications undergo a confidential annual review. 

    In her post, Zelic again slammed the inclusion of transgender women in female sports divisions, arguing it prioritises gender identity over fair competition and excludes biological women. 

    ‘What exactly is ‘good’ about excluding women from female divisions of sport again?’ she asked.

    ‘It’s high-time everyone understood that this has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with ‘gender identity’ and erasing females from their own categories.’

    Transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton recently joined Sutton United's women's team

    Transgender goalkeeper Blair Hamilton recently joined Sutton United’s women’s team

    Zelic expressed  frustration with sporting bodies in the UK and Australia for ignoring concerns about safety and fairness, despite their duty of care. 

    ‘We don’t want to play with, or against males?’ Been there, done that,’ she posted.

    ‘I feel uncomfortable with males in my private spaces and dressing rooms?’ Yes, that’s also been mentioned.

    ‘I don’t want my daughter who is a minor to compete against much larger and older men.’ Sigh, yes that one too.

    ‘I am worried I might get injured playing against men.’ Innumerable times. 

    ‘A player’s leg was broken in two places by a trans player.’ Tragically, yes this has happened. 

    All of these, and many more, legitimate reasons have been raised with the relevant sporting bodies in both the UK and Australia. For as many times as they have been referenced, they have been ignored in equal measure by the powers-that-be.’ 

    Zelic also wrote about her doubts over gender equality initiatives, accusing organisations of exploiting women’s sports commercially while failing to preserve single-sex categories and truly support female athletes. 

    ‘If you can’t define what a woman is, or you won’t actively seek to preserve single-sex sporting categories then all of your public posturing about women’s sport is just that – a misleading act,’ she wrote.

    ‘You’re sending a very clear message that women and girls don’t matter to you. 

    ‘The only time they do though, is when you can benefit from their exploits commercially, and use them as financial leverage in your broadcast deals, and to secure government funding.’ 

    Hamilton's arrival at the club was criticised by former Team GB swimmer Sharron Davies

    Hamilton’s arrival at the club was criticised by former Team GB swimmer Sharron Davies

    Since Sutton’s issued a short statement confirming her arrival, Hamilton and the club have been met with a mixed reaction.

    That statement had read: ‘We are delighted to welcome Blair Hamilton to Sutton United. Blair made her debut, keeping a clean sheet in a 6-0 victory. 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 that she is against trans women competing against cisgender women under the banner of women’s sport.

    Davies described Sutton signing Hamilton as ‘shameful’.

    She also claimed that she was sent a letter from football fans expressing their concerns.

    The letter apparently read: ‘We wish to be anonymous due to threats I know we will get. The women’s team hired transgender [former] referee Lucy Clark with no previous experience in women’s football. 

    Hamilton is pictured with team-mates at her former club Saltdean Women, from last season

    Hamilton is pictured with team-mates at her former club Saltdean Women, from last season

    Sutton were due to play a game in the London & South East Regional Women's League on Sunday but it was called off less than three hours before its proposed kick-off time

    Sutton were due to play a game in the London & South East Regional Women’s League on Sunday but it was called off less than three hours before its proposed kick-off time

    ‘Now Clark has signed Hamilton, a 6ft, 34-year-old trans goalkeeper, and the female goalkeeper has been let go. The club need to be held accountable for pushing women out of women’s football. It’s disgusting.’

    Although not confirmed, it is thought that Sunday’s game may have been postponed after some of Hamilton’s team-mates refused to play in protest at her signing.

    The club announced the postponement of the game with a short post on X (formerly Twitter). It simply read: ‘Today’s match against @EbbsfleetWomen has been postponed.’

    In reply, one comment read: ‘Well done ladies for standing your ground.’

    Sutton Women are managed by former referee Lucy Clark, who is also transgender

    Sutton Women are managed 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. Growing up in the west coast of Scotland, I kind of tried to hide it a little bit.

    ‘The University of Aberdeen’s women’s football team took me like under their wing and said ‘why don’t you come and join us?’ Which is something which I never actually thought was possible.’

    At the time of her BBC interview, Hamilton had been undergoing hormone therapy for three years. ‘They need to look at the science, what it actually does to your body,’ she added.

    ‘It does take away your muscle mass, your explosiveness. Your ratios from type-one to type-two fast-twitch fibres change – your body completely changes. I don’t think they realise how much of a change hormone therapy makes.

    ‘There is absolutely no advantage on the pitch.’

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