Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns for human rights charity Sex Matters, said the ruling was “overdue” and that the previous policy was “nonsensical”.
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who has been vocal on the issue of transgender women in women’s sport, said on X: “This is great news for the safety and fairness of all our girls and women in football. Should never have been allowed in the first place. Now every sport must follow suit.”
Campaign group Women’s Rights Network said: “We are pleased that the FA has finally seen the light. But it shouldn’t have been such a hard fight to get here.”
Asked what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer thought of transgender women being banned from women’s sport, his spokesman said the government had “been clear that biology matters when it comes to women’s sport and that everyone should be compliant with the law”.
He said the government would “continue to work to make sure that women and girls across the country can enjoy sports and we will continue to support bodies to protect the integrity, safety and fairness of the game”.
He said it was the responsibility of sporting bodies to set their own rules.
Natalie Washington, campaign lead for Football vs Transphobia, said transgender women are now likely to give up football.
“The people I know that are talking about this are saying, ‘Well, that’s it for football for me’,” she said.
“Most people clearly don’t feel that they can go and play in the men’s game for reasons of safety, for reasons of comfort.”
Pride Sports, which runs the Football vs Transphobia campaign, said there is no “football-specific peer-reviewed research or evidence that shows the existing policies constitute a safety risk”.
Lord David Triesman, former chairman of the FA, said there should be “consequences for the most senior FA officers” who took the decision to previously allow transgender women in women’s football.
“The FA has finally seen sense. It would have been the utmost foolishness to disregard the Supreme Court,” he said.
Anti-discrimination group Kick it Out said: “Now is the time to show solidarity with the trans community and remind ourselves that football brings people together and is often a space for belonging, connection, and joy.
“The recent Supreme Court ruling and the FA’s decision to change its policy will have far-reaching consequences, not only for the people we support but for our friends, families, team-mates and wider communities.
“Transphobic abuse – on the pitch, in the stands and online – is real and rising.”
