An advocate for an organisation which promotes inclusive sporting culture has spoken out after being a victim of sexist abuse following a football match.
Emma Partridge was responding to a viral video she posted online showing her being abused after The Owls’ game against Bolton.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Her Game Too advocate said she was not surprised by the sexist abuse she received last week, which went viral on Twitter.
Miss Partridge, 27, who has been part of Her Game Too for a year, said abuse such as the video she filmed after The Owls’ tie with Bolton is commonplace.
Last Friday, Miss Partridge was invited by the club to watch the game and spoke to manager Darren Moore before the game as part of their dedicated Her Game Too match, but as the day went on, she became more alert of sexist abuse at the match.
She said: “We had a lovely time, but there were hints during the game that it might not end very well.
“At half time, they had some girls from local football clubs carrying a Her Game Too flag and the Bolton fans were booing them.”
Whilst Miss Partridge was walking down the High Street, she was subjected to sexist abuse by a group of men on a tram passing by, which has since gone viral on Twitter.
She said: “To be honest what happened is so normal that I don’t really have a strong reaction to it, I was just angry that it happened at the Her Game Too game.
“I wouldn’t have filmed it if it hadn’t been the Her Game Too match, but I was just so riled up.
“I was lucky that I was with my friend who’s a man, who managed to rattle them a bit, but I’m glad they he stood up for us.
“I hope people saw what he did and think twice about being quiet in situations like that.”
Miss Partridge joined Her Game Too after receiving abuse online last year, which included death threats.
She said: “Her Game Too reached out to me and they were really good with helping to get information about the man who who sent the abuse and the club he was affiliated with.
“They’ve been really supportive, so I thought I’d pay them back by bigging them up online.”
Miss Partridge, who is originally from Crookes in Sheffield before moving away from the city, became a fan of the club at age seven.
She said: “I was really into supporting Wednesday as a kid, and then got back into them in lockdown, and this is the first time that I feel properly excited.
“It’s great and so positive, it’s a lovely place to be at the moment which I didn’t think I’d be saying a few years ago.”
Miss Partridge is not a regular attender at Hillsborough due to her move further north, but she continues to play an important role in consulting with ambassadors to make football more inclusive for women.
A Sheffield Wednesday spokesperson said: “The club roundly condemns any form of discrimination or abuse and are disappointed to learn of this incident.
“We welcomed the Her Game Too organisation to Hillsborough for the game in question to promote their and our ethos.”