Team GB apologise after telling Hampton of omission before WSL game

Team GB apologise after leaving Hannah Hampton in ‘floods of tears’ by telling Birmingham goalkeeper and other players they were cut from the Olympics just TWO hours before kick-off in a game which saw her make THREE big errors

• Hannah Hampton has been told she won’t be part of Team GB’s Olympic squad
• She was informed of the news just two hours before Birmingham were playing
• A ‘heartbroken’ Hampton then went on to make three errors in a 4-0 thumping
• Two Everton players were also told before kick-off they won’t be going to Tokyo 

Great Britain’s Olympic football team have issued an apology after Birmingham City goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was reduced to ‘floods of tears’ at being informed she wouldn’t make the squad just before kick-off in a WSL game.

The 20-year-old was informed of the decision 90 minutes ahead of Birmingham’s clash at home to Everton – which they lost 4-0.

Hampton went on to make three errors that led to goals and speaking post-match Birmingham manager Carla Ward was damning of the FA’s timing as they had to console her just before an important match.

Hannah Hampton was left in ‘floods of tears’ just before Birmingham’s WSL clash with Everton after being informed she wouldn’t be going to the Olympics just two hours before kick-off

The timing of the call clearly affected her as the goalkeeper produced three errors in a 4-0 loss

The 20-year-old cuts a forlorn figure after Everton players celebrate during their 4-0 rout

‘Hannah [Hampton] has made three errors for the goals tonight. An hour and a half before kick-off, the FA decided to give her a call and let her know she wasn’t in the Olympic squad,’ said Ward.

‘The girls are going out to warm-up and she’s in tears.

‘The timing was absolutely ridiculous, thoughtless. We had a kid in floods of tears, and you can see that it’s clearly affected her out there.

‘We spent 45 minutes upstairs with her [before kick-off], she was deeply upset. We’ll have to pick her up because she’s naturally going to be heartbroken.’

Hampton had hopes of inclusion after being named in England’s squad for February’s 6-0 friendly win over Northern Ireland, although she didn’t feature.

She was part of England’s most recent squad for their February friendly vs Northern Ireland

Birmingham boss Carla Ward was damning of Team GB’s timing ahead of their WSL game

The FA’s women’s football director Baroness Sue Campbell previously said a ‘long list’ of potential players was set to be reduced down to a shorter list of 35 candidates. The final squad of 18 will not be named until May.

It wasn’t just Hampton who was affected as Everton manager Willie Kirk said post-match that four of his players received calls just before kick-off. Two were told they had made the cut, while the other two hadn’t much to his displeasure.

‘A player finding out that information two hours before kick-off is wrong in my opinion, I think it’s very, very poor,’ Kirk added.

‘The players it affected have dealt with it very professionally tonight. Two players have got disappointing news. They’ve both put in really good performances.

‘Two players have got good news and again, they didn’t let it affect them or get carried away with it. But I think it’s poor timing.’

Everton boss Willie Kirk said it was ‘poor timing’ as he had four players affected before kick-off

Following the backlash, a spokesperson for Team GB released a short statement apologising for their conduct.

‘We apologise to the players and clubs concerned, and will also do so personally,’ they said.

‘The timing of the correspondence was an error but we take full responsibility for the upset this has caused.’

The FA’s women’s football director Baroness Sue Campbell previously said a ‘long list’ of potential players was set to be reduced down to a shorter list of 35 candidates

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