Help us defend our female Blackball competitions from litigation.
The EBPF are a non profit sports federation (NGB) wholly run by volunteers. The EBPF supports the EBA and WPA to promote the game of blackball to players at all levels and have national representation through our counties structure and regional representation through local leagues. As members of world recognised bodies, the EBPF can provide our players with competitions at all levels from local leagues to the World Championships.
On 27 August 2023, we announced that from December 2023, our competitions formerly known as the Ladies’ and Men’s Tours would be replaced with a Female Tour and an Open Pool Tour, and that only biologically born females would be eligible to compete in the Female Pool Tour. We made this decision in the interests of fairness, because we believe that people who have gone through male puberty have a competitive advantage over biological women.
As a consequence of this decision, we are being sued by the transgender player Harriet Haynes. Harriet says that the eligibility rules for the Female Tour are discriminatory on the grounds of gender reassignment. We say that the rules are necessary to secure fair competition and a justified means of promoting female participation in the game.
We are disappointed that Harriet has chosen to sue an organisation made up entirely of volunteers who give up their time to promote the game of pool in England, but we stand by our decision, and we intend to defend the claim. John Heath from Levins Solicitors in Liverpool is acting on behalf of the EBPF but as an NGB, the cost of defending our stance for fair play will be substantial and possibly prove beyond our means.
Please donate and help support us to uphold our Constitution to protect fairness for female players in pool. If we are fortunate enough to raise funds in excess to the amount needed for our defence, the surplus will be donated to a similar cause.
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Paul Thomson Chairman
Anna Goodwin Secretary