The former manager of a fourth-tier women’s soccer club has been banned from all soccer for 12 years after he sent indecent images of himself to players and a member of staff as well as subjecting them to sexually inappropriate behavior.
The English Football Association (FA) found Ryan Hamilton, who left his role as Sutton Coldfield Town Women’s manager in November 2024, have sent photographs of his penis to a player and a staff member via social media, as well as sending naked or partially naked photographs of himself to two of the other players, and sending a player a video of himself masturbating.
Hamilton denied 24 FA charges of improper conduct, all relating to his time in charge of the club, but an independent regulatory commission concluded that 23 of the 24 were proven. The FA received evidence from four players and a staff member, all of whom detailed examples of Hamilton trying to illicit sexual activity between May 2022 and November 2024.
Photo: Reuters
“Women should be able to participate in soccer without being subjected to the sort of behaviour Mr Hamilton exhibited towards them. Women’s football is prospering, and for it to continue to flourish, a clear message needs to be sent that the sort of misconduct Mr Hamilton committed will not be tolerated and will be met with the most severe consequences,” the regulatory commission written ruling said.
The commission also said “with sadness” that one of the victims appeared to blame herself, and that more broadly the complainants “feared the consequences of complaining and that it would impact on their chances of being selected,” adding that “worst of all, some of them somehow felt that it might be their fault.”
The commission had “no doubt” Hamilton’s behavior would have continued had one of the players not instigated the complaint.
Hamilton attended an interview requested by the FA, and he answered allegations made by two of the players, before taking a phone call and terminating that interview early. He subsequently failed to engage with the FA and did not rearrange his interview. He was requested to provide material from his phone, but did not do so.
Hamilton has been approached for comment by the Guardian.
The commission decided he had “no more than bare denials” in relation to three of the complainants, adding: “He has shown no introspection, contrition or remorse. The closest he has come is to say that he is ‘not proud of’ his behaviour.”
All of the complainants names were redacted within the commission’s report, which was made public on Friday.
Of the 24 charges, one — where it had been alleged that Hamilton had asked the staff member to go home with him while they were working in another job — was found not proven. Additionally, all the witness statements contained accounts of Hamilton’s “verbally aggressive and bullying management style,” and he was said to “belittle and humiliate” people to such an extent that they wanted to leave the club, but this alleged behavior was not included in the 24 charges made against Hamilton, and the commission noted them only for background purposes.
The FA said it had nothing to add beyond its ruling.
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