As part of South Asian Heritage Month, we have today published a Year 3 update on our Asian inclusion strategy, Bringing Opportunities to Communities Phase 2, which aims to increase the representation of Asian communities across English football, both on and off the pitch.
The update forms part of our overall strategy, A Game For All, which outlines a commitment to using our influence across English football to positively impact underrepresented groups in the game.
The full Year 3 update on Bringing Opportunities to Communities Phase 2 details the progress being made across grassroots football, women’s football, coaching pathways and our own diversity and culture. Highlights include:
• Male and female Asian participation (aged 16+) within grassroots football showing a general upward trend, with female football continuing to grow within Asian communities at 17.5% [compared to 15.4% in 2022] – the largest historically underrepresented group to play football
• Over 8,000 clubs across the country now adopting our Football Leadership Diversity Code as part of the process to become England Football-accredited
• The recruitment of 32 ambassadors to work closely with County FAs to embed best practice across grassroots football, the National League System and Women’s Pyramid
• Over 1,600 people attending Wembley Stadium and engaging with football to celebrate Ramadan and Vaisakhi as part of our ‘Faith and Football’ programme as well as engagement with Hindu and Buddhist communities
• The launch of the second season of the award-winning content series, Football and Me, featuring players, medical staff, match officials and fan groups from across the game as well as a special South Asian Heritage Month video feature on the experiences of young players and their parents in the elite player pathway.
Dal Darroch, our Head of Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Programmes, said: "Creating opportunities in English football for Asian communities is very important to us, and we’re committed to using our influence to help drive this forward.
“We’ve made good progress across several key areas, most notably, the significant rise in the number of Asian women playing grassroots football and the growth of our ‘Faith and Football’ programme which has connected and engaged many thousands of people across Asian communities.
“However, we know there’s much more work to be done, and it’s crucial that the footballing bodies continue to work together to ensure the game becomes truly representative. Asian communities make up the largest ethnic minority groups in the country and ensuring this is better reflected in our game will remain a strategic priority for us for years to come."
Looking back on the first two seasons of Football & Me
Football & Me: Mya and her parents
Football & Me: Aarav, Eesah and their parents
Football & Me Season 2 Episode 5: Mick Singh and Humayun Islam
