Matildas and Tottenham fullback Charli Grant has hit out at football tribalism after fellow Australian Kyra Cooney-Cross, who plays for north London rivals Arsenal, was targeted for abuse by Gunners fans unhappy about an image of her with a Spurs scarf.
Cooney-Cross was pictured in the stands with a Tottenham scarf draped over her shoulder before the FA Cup final at Wembley, won 4-0 by Manchester United, prompting criticism from some English football traditionalists on social media.
Grant posted on Instagram on Wednesday saying “there’s more to life than football” and that the pair are close friends who “support each other through anything”.
“Writing rude remarks about anyone is not acceptable. Everyone is just trying to be the best version of themselves,” she said. “Treat everyone the way you want to be treated.”
Grant had initially joked about her friend attending the game, telling broadcaster Optus after the match, “it might be a bit controversial but Kyra Cooney-Cross has made a showing”.
“It’s a PR nightmare for Arsenal when you think you’ve got an Arsenal representative wearing something and going along to cheer on Spurs,” former player Michael Bridges said on the Optus Sport Football Podcast. “It’s one of the biggest rivalries in the country.”
The criticism comes despite Cooney-Cross’s solid debut season at the Gunners alongside fellow Matildas Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord, after she joined from Swedish club Hammarby after the Women’s World Cup.
Arsenal are set to finish third in the Women’s Super League this season behind Mary Fowler’s Manchester City and Sam Kerr’s Chelsea but secured silverware with their Continental Cup victory last month.
Grant, too, is in her first season in England after playing in Sweden for Vittsjö.
“We understand the passion fans have for the game because we feel that passion and desire to always do the best for out clubs, you should never doubt that,” Grant’s post said.
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“Similarly, when it comes to football, we all give 100% on the pitch no matter what but sometimes that isn’t enough. We’re all human.”
Grant posted on the same day Australian coach Ange Postecoglou expressed disappointment about the approach of fans preoccupied by the Arsenal-Spurs rivalry.
Some Spurs supporters were happy to see Postecoglou’s side lose to Manchester City 2-0 because it made it less likely Arsenal would win the Premier League.
“What other people’s priorities are doesn’t interest me,” Postecoglou said. “I know what we need to build a winning team and that’s what I’m concentrating on.”
The final round of matches in both the men’s and women’s English top divisions will be held this weekend.
