Twelve-year ban for ‘misogynistic’ women’s coach

After allegedly smuggling players and a member of the staff with explicit images and suggesting they have sex, a former women’s football coach was suspended from the game for a year.

Ryan Hamilton, the ex-Sutton Coldfield Town Women’s boss, explicitly told the women that he wanted to have sex in places like the changing room, using the social media platforms Snapchat and WhatsApp to send photos of his genitalia and videos of himself masturbating.

Additionally, it was claimed that he “began to behave verbally and bully management style,” making people “belittling and humiliating” them until they no longer wanted to play for a fourth-tier team.

Following a misconduct hearing held last month, the details were revealed in a Football Association document.

According to the FA’s regulatory commission, Hamilton, who denied acting inappropriately, “seen no introspection, contrition, or remorse” and “seems to have absolutely no insight into the effect of his conduct.”

In October 2024, five women, including four players, came forward to report him to the Birmingham County FA with what was deemed “credible and compelling evidence” covering a two-year period.

The panel then went on to detail additional incidents, including one woman who was kissed in her car by Hamilton at the conclusion of a club presentation evening.

And he frequently used the phrase “turn her straight” when speaking at meetings about football.

He also sent her topless photos, and he mentioned wanting a “threesome” with her and a team-mate during one coaching session.

Hamilton texted her on Snapchat before one particular game to say that he would have sex with her in the club office if she were to “score the winner.”

When Hamilton asked her to put her arm around Player B’s waist while they were all by themselves, she was found to have acted improperly toward the second player.

Additionally, it was discovered that he had sent her “numerous” explicit photos, including ones that included videos of him masturbating.

Due to “she had a nice bum,” a third football player, Player C, was given permission to wear jogging bottoms to training.

Additionally, she was subjected to approaches like “let me sleep with you” and “our sex would be good” and received explicit images via social media.

The panel was informed that while Hamilton’s “constantly overtly sexual behavior” caused the women to feel uncomfortable, they “feared repercussions” if they had issues with their complaints, such as not being chosen for the team.

One person described her as being “scared” to the point where she was “ready to give up football and give up.”

Hamilton “failed to engage” after the FA interviewed him and ended the meeting at some point.

Jane Bickerstaff KC, the chair of the panel, claimed that he had only “bare denials” about the allegations that had been made against him at that time.

She noted that Hamilton had “positions of trust” and “power and responsibility over the players,” but warned that he had misbehaved in a “misogynistic and sexually inappropriate” manner.

She noted that he had shown no comprehension of the consequences of his actions and that, in her opinion, “is not proud of” his actions.

In the meantime, he said a document he submitted to the panel’s consideration “lacked any real mitigation” and “read more like an admission of the charges.”