Montpellier, France – Australian international soccer star Mary Fowler has alleged that she was subjected to racist treatment during her time at French club Montpellier in 2022. The Manchester City forward, in her recently released autobiography "Bloom," details an incident where she and a teammate, Ashleigh Weerden, received bananas as a parting gift instead of flowers, which were presented to other departing players.
Fowler, who joined Montpellier at the age of 17 and played there for two seasons, described the incident as occurring after her final home game. While other foreign players who were also leaving the club were given flowers, Fowler and Weerden, were handed bananas by a teammate. Fowler noted that she and Weerden were two of only six Black players in the squad, making the gesture difficult to dismiss as a simple oversight.
"Not receiving flowers was one thing," Fowler wrote, "but as two of only six black girls in the squad, receiving bananas wasn't something I could laugh off and forget about". She further questioned the intent behind the act, stating, "But when I add in the many other times at the club when we were left feeling a similar way, it was hard to see it as merely a simple error". Fowler has expressed regret that she and Weerden did not address the incident at the time. "I wish we'd done something after it happened — to stand up for ourselves even a little — but instead we just sat there holding those bananas," she stated.
In addition to the alleged racist incident, Fowler also recounted another troubling experience at Montpellier. After returning from an international break with chest pain, she felt the club's medical staff and coach did not take her concerns seriously. She claims a physiotherapist accused her of faking her chest pains after a club doctor had dismissed her claims. Fowler said the coach pressured her to play despite her health concerns, even suggesting she play for a reduced number of minutes. "The coach spoke in French, expressing again that he wanted me to play in the game that day," Fowler said. "In English, I told him again that I wasn't faking the chest pains I'd experienced and wasn't going to play until I got it checked out... Then he started throwing minutes at me. Could I play for sixty minutes? Thirty? Ten? 'The team needs you,' he said".
These experiences contributed to a challenging period for Fowler, who has been open about her struggles with depression and self-harm. Matildas coach Joe Montemurro has praised Fowler for her courage in sharing her mental health journey. "We need to applaud the fact that she's been able to face those issues... it's so courageous to talk about these things and to come up with it," Montemurro said.
Montpellier has been contacted for comment regarding Fowler's allegations. The claims have sparked widespread discussion about racism and discrimination in soccer and the importance of creating a supportive environment for players from all backgrounds.
