Matildas star Mary Fowler has revealed a deeply unsettling experience during her time at Montpellier in 2022. In a memoir excerpt released this week, she recounts an incident where she and a friend, another international player, were given bananas instead of flowers as leaving presents. This moment, though seemingly minor, is part of a broader pattern of racist treatment that Fowler endured at the French club.
Fowler, who moved to Montpellier at 17, describes a confusing and hurtful scene in the dressing room after the gifts were distributed. While other players received flowers, she and her friend were given bananas, leaving them feeling disoriented and disrespected. Fowler, being one of only six black girls in the squad, found the bananas particularly difficult to dismiss as a simple mistake.
"Not receiving flowers was one thing, but receiving bananas as two of the only six black girls in the squad was not something I could laugh off and forget about," she said. "Was it an accident? Was it the only thing in the dressing room she could give us? Did she mean well by it?"
This incident is just one in a series of racist encounters Fowler experienced at Montpellier. She also alleges that club staff accused her of feigning chest pains, despite being informed of a potential health issue by Matildas staff. A Montpellier physio, who spoke English, relayed the staff's belief that Fowler was faking her injury to avoid playing.
"I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Frustrated, I told him I wasn’t making it up, that I’d never make up something that could be related to my heart," she said. "He informed me that it wasn’t his opinion – he believed me – but all the coaching staff thought I was making it up so that I could get out of playing in our match the next day."
Fowler's experiences at Montpellier highlight the ongoing challenges of racism in sports, even in professional settings. Her memoir, Bloom, provides a detailed account of her struggles, including a history of self-harm that she has worked hard to overcome. Despite the difficult times, Fowler's resilience and determination to speak out against racism are a testament to her strength and courage.
