Obstacle race? 'Race', racism and the recruitment of British Asian professional footballers

Patterns of Prejudice

Volumn 38, Issue 3, 2004, Pages 279-299

  Burdsey, Daniel ^a,b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Anti racism; British Asians; Ethnicity; Football; Inclusion; Social segregation; Sport

Indexed keywords

EID: 4444274172     PISSN: 0031322X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/0031322042000250466     Document Type: Review

References (77)

1. I am extremely grateful to the editors of Patterns of Prejudice, especially Barbara Rosenbaum for her continued support and encouragement during this project; to Ian McDonald for helping to facilitate my involvement, to Ben Carrington for providing helpful insights on the article, and to the anonymous reviewers for their comments.
2. Independent Football Commission, Annual Report 2003: A Call for Unity of Purpose (Middlesborough: University of Teeside 2004).
3. According to the 2001 Census, out of a total population of 58,789,194, there are 565,876 African-Caribbeans in Britain. In terms of British Asians, there are 1,053,411 Indians, 747,285 Pakistanis and 283,063 Bangladeshis.
4. J. Bains and R. Patel, Asians Can't Play Football (Solihull: Asian Social Development Agency 1995); S. Johal, 'Playing their own game: a South Asian football experience', in B. Carrington and I. McDonald (eds), 'Race', Sport and British Society (London: Routledge 2001); B. McGuire, K. Monks and R. Halsall, 'Young Asian males: social exclusion and social injustice in British professional football?', Culture, Sport, Society, vol. 4, no. 3, 2001, 65-80; D. Burdsey, '"One of the lads"? Dual ethnicity and assimilated ethnicities in the careers of British Asian professional footballers', Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 27, no. 5, September 2004.
5. J. Bains and R. Patel, Asians Can't Play Football (Solihull: Asian Social Development Agency 1995); S. Johal, 'Playing their own game: a South Asian football experience', in B. Carrington and I. McDonald (eds), 'Race', Sport and British Society (London: Routledge 2001); B. McGuire, K. Monks and R. Halsall, 'Young Asian males: social exclusion and social injustice in British professional football?', Culture, Sport, Society, vol. 4, no. 3, 2001, 65-80; D. Burdsey, '"One of the lads"? Dual ethnicity and assimilated ethnicities in the careers of British Asian professional footballers', Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 27, no. 5, September 2004.
6. J. Bains and R. Patel, Asians Can't Play Football (Solihull: Asian Social Development Agency 1995); S. Johal, 'Playing their own game: a South Asian football experience', in B. Carrington and I. McDonald (eds), 'Race', Sport and British Society (London: Routledge 2001); B. McGuire, K. Monks and R. Halsall, 'Young Asian males: social exclusion and social injustice in British professional football?', Culture, Sport, Society, vol. 4, no. 3, 2001, 65-80; D. Burdsey, '"One of the lads"? Dual ethnicity and assimilated ethnicities in the careers of British Asian professional footballers', Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 27, no. 5, September 2004.
7. J. Bains and R. Patel, Asians Can't Play Football (Solihull: Asian Social Development Agency 1995); S. Johal, 'Playing their own game: a South Asian football experience', in B. Carrington and I. McDonald (eds), 'Race', Sport and British Society (London: Routledge 2001); B. McGuire, K. Monks and R. Halsall, 'Young Asian males: social exclusion and social injustice in British professional football?', Culture, Sport, Society, vol. 4, no. 3, 2001, 65-80; D. Burdsey, '"One of the lads"? Dual ethnicity and assimilated ethnicities in the careers of British Asian professional footballers', Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 27, no. 5, September 2004.
8. Football Association, Asians and Football: Providing Opportunities for Excellence - Evidence of Research and Good Practice (London: Football Association 1999).
9. Asians in Football Newsletter (London: Kick It Out 1998); Asians in Football (London: Kick It Out 2000).
10. Asians in Football Newsletter (London: Kick It Out 1998); Asians in Football (London: Kick It Out 2000).
11. P. Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press 1984); P. Bourdieu, "The forms of capital', in J. Richardson (ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press 1986).
12. P. Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press 1984); P. Bourdieu, "The forms of capital', in J. Richardson (ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press 1986).
13. For an in-depth analysis, see Burdsey.
14. L. Back, New Ethnicities and Urban Culture: Racisms and Multiculture in young Lives (London: University of London Press 1996).
15. P. Cohen, 'The perversions of inheritance: studies in the making of multi-racist Britain', in P. Cohen and H. Bains (eds), Multi-Racist Britain (London: Macmillan 1988), 83.
16. M. Macan Ghaill, The Making of Men: Masculinities, Sexualities and Schooling (Buckingham: Open University Press 1994); S. Frosh, A. Phoenix and R. Pattman, Young Masculinities: Understanding Boys in Contemporary Society (Basingstoke: Palgrave 2002).
17. M. Mac an Ghaill, The Making of Men: Masculinities, Sexualities and Schooling (Buckingham: Open University Press 1994); S. Frosh, A. Phoenix and R. Pattman, Young Masculinities: Understanding Boys in Contemporary Society (Basingstoke: Palgrave 2002).
18. P. Cohen, Rethinking the Youth Question: Education, Labour and Cultural Studies (Basingstoke: Macmillan 1997).
19. P. Gilroy, "The end of anti-racism', in J. Donald and A. Rattansi (eds), 'Race', Culture and Difference (London: Sage 1992).
20. Players are referred to as 'professional' in this article if, at some stage of their career, they have been awarded a professional contract at a club. In some cases they have not (yet) played for the first team.
21. P. Cohen, '"It's racism what dunnit": hidden narratives in theories of racism', in Donald and Rattansi (eds), 62-3.
22. A report published by the Greater Manchester Police in October 2002 revealed that the claim that white people in Oldham were the main victims of 'race' crime was a fallacy; see K. Guru-Murthy, 'Breaking the Oldham myth', Eastern Eye, 1 November 2002.
23. According to the deprivation index used by Oldham Council, 52 per cent of Pakistanis, 61 per cent of Bangladeshis and 7 per cent of Whites live in the worst 10 per cent of the town's deprived areas. Nevertheless, in recent years much more money has been spent on regeneration in predominantly 'white' districts. See Campaign against Racism and Fascism, 'The summer of rebellion: CARP special report', CARF, no. 63, August/September 2001.
24. C. Webster, 'Local heroes: violent racism, localism and spacism among Asian and white young people', Youth and Policy, vol. 53, 1996, 15-27; P. Watt and K. Stenson, '"It's a bit dodgy around there": safety, danger, ethnicity and young people's use of public space', in T. Skelton and G. Valentine (eds), Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures (London: Routledge 1998).
25. C. Webster, 'Local heroes: violent racism, localism and spacism among Asian and white young people', Youth and Policy, vol. 53, 1996, 15-27; P. Watt and K. Stenson, '"It's a bit dodgy around there": safety, danger, ethnicity and young people's use of public space', in T. Skelton and G. Valentine (eds), Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures (London: Routledge 1998).
26. J. Clarke, 'The skinheads and the magical recovery of community', in S. Hall and T. Jefferson (eds), Resistance through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-war Britain (London: Hutchinson 1976).
27. For example, a report by Oldham Council in 2001 pronounced that, within a decade, the town's white population will have decreased by 9 per cent, while the Bangladeshi and Pakistani populations will have grown by 112 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively. Similarly, in Bradford, it is predicted that by 2011 the city's Pakistani population will have increased by 72 per cent since 1996, and the white population will have decreased by 6 per cent. See P. Harris, 'Fears of racial time bomb in riot-hit towns', Observer, 5 August 2001; M. Macey, 'Interpreting Islam: young Muslim men's involvement in criminal activity in Bradford', in B. Spalek, (ed.), Islam, Crime and Criminal Justice (Cullompton, Devon: Willan Publishing 2002), 24.
28. For example, a report by Oldham Council in 2001 pronounced that, within a decade, the town's white population will have decreased by 9 per cent, while the Bangladeshi and Pakistani populations will have grown by 112 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively. Similarly, in Bradford, it is predicted that by 2011 the city's Pakistani population will have increased by 72 per cent since 1996, and the white population will have decreased by 6 per cent. See P. Harris, 'Fears of racial time bomb in riot-hit towns', Observer, 5 August 2001; M. Macey, 'Interpreting Islam: young Muslim men's involvement in criminal activity in Bradford', in B. Spalek, (ed.), Islam, Crime and Criminal Justice (Cullompton, Devon: Willan Publishing 2002), 24.
29. M. Howard, 'Running battles as fans clash', Stoke Sentinel, 30 April 2001.
30. A. Kundnani, 'Nine months for white racist thugs who sparked the Oldham riots', 19 June 2003, available on the Independent Race and Refugee News Network website, www.irr.org.uk/2003/june/ak000009.html (viewed 10 May 2004).
31. M. Wainwright, 'Church initiative after Oldham stand-off', Guardian, 7 May 2001.
32. Campaign against Racism and Fascism.
33. T. Judd, 'Detectives say football fans, not racists, were to blame for violence in Preston', Independent, 23 April 2002.
34. B. Holland, 'Kicking racism out of football: an assessment of racial harassment in and around football grounds', New Community, vol. 21, no. 4, 1995, 567-86; T. Pinto, D. Drew and N. Minhas, Sheffield Divided or United? A Study of 'Race' and Football (Sheffield: Survey and Statistical Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University 1997).
35. B. Holland, 'Kicking racism out of football: an assessment of racial harassment in and around football grounds', New Community, vol. 21, no. 4, 1995, 567-86; T. Pinto, D. Drew and N. Minhas, Sheffield Divided or United? A Study of 'Race' and Football (Sheffield: Survey and Statistical Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University 1997).
36. Bains and Patel, 30.
37. Ibid., 28.
38. McGuire, Monks and Halsall, 75.
39. See, for example, 'Will the Asian David Beckham stand up? Part 1', broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, 26 July 2001.
40. Bains and Patel.
41. See, for example, 'Kick Racism out of Football Night', broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, 18 November 2002.
42. To maintain anonymity, interviewees were asked to provide a term by which they wished to be referred to in any published material.
43. Burdsey.
44. L. Back, T. Crabbe and J. Solomos, The Changing Face of Football: Racism, Identity and Multiculture in the English Game (Oxford: Berg 2001); J. Garland and M. Rowe, Racism and Anti-Racism in Football (Basingstoke: Palgrave 2001).
45. L. Back, T. Crabbe and J. Solomos, The Changing Face of Football: Racism, Identity and Multiculture in the English Game (Oxford: Berg 2001); J. Garland and M. Rowe, Racism and Anti-Racism in Football (Basingstoke: Palgrave 2001).
46. Gilroy, 'The end of anti-racism'.
47. Colin King, 'Race and cultural identity: playing the race game inside football', Leisure Studies, vol. 23, no. 1, 2004, 19-30 (25).
48. Back, Crabbe and Solomos; King.
49. W. Macpherson, The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry made by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, Cm 4262-I (London: Home Office 1999).
50. J. Long, K. Hylton, M. Welch and J. Dart, Part of the Game? An Examination of Racism in Grassroots Football (London: Kick It Out 2000).
51. Community Cohesion Unit, Home Office, Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team (London: Home Office 2001).
52. A. Shaw, Kinship and Continuity: Pakistani Families in Britain (Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers 2000).
53. J. Bains and S. Johal, Corner Flags and Corner Shops: The Asian Football Experience (London: Gollancz 1998).
54. P. Rees and D. Phillips, 'Geographical spread: the national picture', in P. Ratcliffe (ed.), Ethnicity in the 1991 Census Volume 3 - Social Geography and Ethnicity in Britain: Geographical Spread, Spatial Concentration and Internal Migration (London: Office for National Statistics 1996).
55. J. Rayner, 'The hidden truth behind race crimes in Britain', Observer, 18 February 2001.
56. Kick It Out, Newsletter, autumn/winter 1999; E. Lindsey, 'The hateful game in Essex', Observer, 23 February 1997; 'Skinheads "attacked Asian footballers"', The Times, 12 April 2002.
57. Kick It Out, Newsletter, autumn/winter 1999; E. Lindsey, 'The hateful game in Essex', Observer, 23 February 1997; 'Skinheads "attacked Asian footballers"', The Times, 12 April 2002.
58. Kick It Out, Newsletter, autumn/winter 1999; E. Lindsey, 'The hateful game in Essex', Observer, 23 February 1997; 'Skinheads "attacked Asian footballers"', The Times, 12 April 2002.
59. In terms of further research, it would be interesting to compare the experiences of young British Asian players that compete in all-Asian leagues with those that play in ethnically mixed leagues. Certainly, simply playing in a mixed league does not mean that British Asian players will not face other impediments to their progress.
60. S. Bradbury, The New Football Communities: A Survey of Professional Football Clubs on Issues of Community, Ethnicity and Social Inclusion (Leicester: Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research, University of Leicester 2001).
61. Football Association, Asians and Football.
62. Asians in football Newsletter; Football Unites Racism Divides, Annual Report 2000-2001 (Sheffield: Football Unites Racism Divides 2001); S. Hamil, J. Michie, C. Oughton and S. Warby, The Changing Face of the Football Business: Supporters Direct (London: Frank Cass 2000).
63. Asians in football Newsletter; Football Unites Racism Divides, Annual Report 2000-2001 (Sheffield: Football Unites Racism Divides 2001); S. Hamil, J. Michie, C. Oughton and S. Warby, The Changing Face of the Football Business: Supporters Direct (London: Frank Cass 2000).
64. Asians in football Newsletter; Football Unites Racism Divides, Annual Report 2000-2001 (Sheffield: Football Unites Racism Divides 2001); S. Hamil, J. Michie, C. Oughton and S. Warby, The Changing Face of the Football Business: Supporters Direct (London: Frank Cass 2000).
65. P. Gilroy, There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack: The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation (London, Routledge 1987), 13; Gilroy, 'The end of anti-racism', 50.
66. P. Gilroy, There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack: The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation (London, Routledge 1987), 13; Gilroy, 'The end of anti-racism', 50.
67. It is also possible that British Asian coaches will inhibit players' desires to become involved in coaching projects, for their presence may limit the extent to which playing football is free from the constraints of school or home. Speaking to white youth workers based at exclusively Bengali male youth clubs in North London, a similar situation was often discussed. The youth workers described how the local borough council had attempted to increase the number of Bengali youth workers in these youth clubs. However, this policy was widely resisted by the young club members. They believed that local Bengali youth workers would probably know their parents and so they would be unable to swear in Bengali or talk about any criminal, sexual or drug-related issues.
68. Burnley Task Force, Burnley Speaks, Who Listens...? Burnley Task Force Report on the Disturbances in June 2001 (Burnley: Burnley Task Force 2001); Oldham Independent Review, One Oldham, One Future: Panel Report (Oldham: Oldham Independent Review 2001); H. Ouseley, Community Pride Not Prejudice: Making Diversity Work in Bradford, report presented to Bradford Vision (Bradford: Bradford Vision 2001).
69. Burnley Task Force, Burnley Speaks, Who Listens...? Burnley Task Force Report on the Disturbances in June 2001 (Burnley: Burnley Task Force 2001); Oldham Independent Review, One Oldham, One Future: Panel Report (Oldham: Oldham Independent Review 2001); H. Ouseley, Community Pride Not Prejudice: Making Diversity Work in Bradford, report presented to Bradford Vision (Bradford: Bradford Vision 2001).
70. Burnley Task Force, Burnley Speaks, Who Listens...? Burnley Task Force Report on the Disturbances in June 2001 (Burnley: Burnley Task Force 2001); Oldham Independent Review, One Oldham, One Future: Panel Report (Oldham: Oldham Independent Review 2001); H. Ouseley, Community Pride Not Prejudice: Making Diversity Work in Bradford, report presented to Bradford Vision (Bradford: Bradford Vision 2001).
71. A. Kundnani, 'England's "ghetto" schools', 12 October 2003, available on the Independent Race and Refugee News Network website, www.irr.org.uk/2003/october/ak000003.html (viewed 10 May 2004).
72. A. Kundnani, 'Asians do mix, say researchers', 17 December 2002, available on the Independent Race and Refugee News Network website, www.irr.org.uk/2002/december/ak000008.html (viewed 10 May 2004).
73. For example, in February 2001 plans to turn the Al Hijrah school in Bordesley Green, Birmingham into Britain's first state-funded Islamic secondary school were described as 'a question of apartheid in education' by Conservative Councillor James Hutchings; see R. Smithers, 'Apartheid claim over Islam school', Guardian, 10 February 2001.
74. S. Hall, 'Cultural identity and diaspora', in J. Rutherford (ed.), Identity: Community, Culture, Difference (London: Lawrence and Wishart 1990).
75. R. Robertson, 'Glocalization: time-space and homogeneity-heterogeneity', in M. Featherstone, S. Lash and R. Robertson (eds), Global Modernities (London: Sage 1995).
76. Burdsey.
77. T. Modood, 'British Asian Muslims and the Rushdie affair', in Donald and Rattansi (eds), 272.