A new mum claims she was told she was 'embarrassing' the players by breastfeeding at a cricket match - by a good friend who worked as a midwife. Leah Wong visited the cricket club to watch a match her partner was playing in.
The mum-of-one was sitting on a bench outside the changing rooms when her 16-week-old son Tristan Wong became restless so she started breastfeeding him. The PR manager said she was 'really upset' when a club member, who claimed to be a retired midwife, marched over to her and demanded she cover up or move to somewhere 'discreet'.
Outraged, Leah continued feeding her son until he was finished then told her partner, who doesn't wish to be named, what happened before leaving the ground. The 32-year-old submitted a complaint but says the club ruled it wasn't discrimination as she wasn't asked to leave the premises, only move, while the member refused to apologise.
Flowery Field Cricket Club said that the matter had now been submitted to Lancashire Cricket Foundation (LCF) for investigation. Leah said: "I was sitting on a bench outside the changing rooms - there were benches all the way around.
"When I started [breastfeeding] the game was on so there were people on the pitch and people sitting behind me but no-one walking past. Then the game ended so the players went past to go into the changing room.
"The woman approached me. She is someone my partner has known his whole life and I've known for a few years now, so I just expected a pleasant conversation. She said she said this 'as someone who used to be a midwife'.
"She started out by saying 'do you think what you're doing is appropriate?' I said 'yes I did'. She said 'it's not appropriate, it's embarrassing for everyone else - it's not appropriate around the male players'.
"She made reference to my nipples and my breasts and said people had been discussing it. She suggested I go somewhere more discreet. I said it was completely natural and I wasn't doing anything wrong.
"She then said 'will you at least cover up?' I said no. I was really, really upset. It was so hard coming from someone I knew and someone who used the power of being a midwife - using that to reinforce what she was saying.
"Then it just made me angry because it shouldn't have happened. When I told my partner about it he was really angry, and I think he was hurt that this was someone he considered a good friend."
After submitting a complaint, Leah was summoned to a meeting on May 30th where she says she was told the member hadn't acted in a discriminatory way. The member apparently dug her heels in, allegedly even refusing to apologise for the upset caused.
Leah said: "They said her comments weren't the sentiments of the club and that they'd tried to do what was fair and appropriate given the circumstances. They'd asked her to apologise and she's refused but they said the club has no control over its members.
"They also said she didn't ask me to leave the site only to move elsewhere so it wasn't discrimination. When I pointed out it was a protected class and it's illegal to ask me to move they said it's not the same as other protected classes.
"They invited a club member as an independent witness, he said it's not the same as discrimination, it's someone's opinion. Then he said that I shouldn't have been breastfeeding where I was and I should have gone inside.
"They are putting up posters saying breastfeeding is welcome. It's frustrating. It feels like they want to distance themselves from what's happened.
"I'm pleased that they're putting up these posters, but given that the club member at the meeting said I shouldn't have been breastfeeding there, it's clear the posters will have absolutely no effect."
Despite being confident feeding in public, Leah said she won't be returning to the cricket club again. Leah said: "I'm confident breastfeeding in public, I'm very happy to, but I don't feel confident about going back to a match and freely feeding Tristan.
"I've breastfed at other clubs and had no problems at all but given the repeated comments from different people, even in these formal meetings, it really shows it's not accepted. I think it's really inappropriate to sexualise something like feeding a child.
"It's quite simple, if you don't like something don't look. It really doesn't need to be a big issue. I've had more positive experiences than negative ones, but we also need to show that it's legal to breastfeed in public and most venues are perfectly happy with it.
"I'm not going to go back to the club to watch cricket again."
A Flowery Field Cricket Club spokesman said: "We as a club have been in contact with the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] and LCF who are investigating accordingly. No comment can be made before the investigation by the ECB comes to a close."
The ECB have confirmed they are supporting the LCF's investigation, as is standard practice. A spokesperson from the Lancashire Cricket Foundation said: "We are investigating the complaint which took place at Flowery Field Cricket Club, as we strive to ensure cricket as a game is inclusive and welcoming to all.
"No further comment will be made until the investigation has been concluded."
