FOOTBALL clubs across England are failing to tap into south Asian talent despite growing participation at grassroots level, the chair of football’s equality and inclusion charity has said.
Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari pointed out that only 22 players from Asian backgrounds featured in professional men’s football during the 2022-2023 season – a fraction of approximately 4,000 professional players overall.
The Football Association (FA) recently launched its “build, connect, support” plan to address challenges faced by south Asian players. New research as part of this initiative revealed that “overt racism” remains a significant barrier, with faith-based practices and dress requirements still not properly accommodated in many settings.
Bhandari wrote in the Guardian on Monday (24) that Kick It Out received 50 reports of racism directed at south Asians across football last season, with 21 incidents at grassroots level, 12 in the professional game, and 17 online.
“Encouragingly, participation rates among south Asians in grassroots football are relatively healthy. Adults from south Asian backgrounds make up 11.1 per cent of men and 15.4 per cent of women playing various forms of football, while eight per cent of boys and 7.4 per cent of girls aged five-15 participate. These figures compare favourably with the overall south Asian population in England and Wales, which stands at seven per cent,” he wrote.
However, the numbers drop significantly when it comes to playing in affiliated football leagues registered with the FA, highlighting the gap between casual participation and the pathway to elite football.
“Many of us in south Asian communities have been talking about this for decades and are frustrated at the prospect of waiting many more decades for meaningful change,” he added.
The problem appears most acute at academy entry level. South Asian boys represent only 0.91 per cent of players at the under-16 development phase and 1.45 per cent at the scholar phase (16+). Just 0.46 per cent eventually secure professional contracts.
Bhandari added, “Professional clubs often rely on traditional scouting methods that focus on established leagues, potentially missing talent in areas where south Asian communities play. Outdated stereotypes about career choices, body type, diet, or a presumed preference for cricket over football also continue to hamper progress.
