Is Enough Being Done to Increase Diversity in Football?
For years, minority groups have fought for representation, equality and respect in sport. However, countless incidents have continued to expose the deep rooted racist and sexist attitudes which pollute British culture and the integrity of our sporting heritage, which leads us to the question: are sporting organisations doing enough to protect our athletes and ensure an inclusive environment?
On the 11th of July 2021, the men’s England football team lost the highly anticipated Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties. In the days following the defeat, three of the unsuccessful penalty takers, Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were subjected to intense scrutiny and racial abuse on social media. England’s first major final since 1966 was overshadowed by this abhorrent treatment of the young players, with the Metropolitan Police receiving over 600 racist comments following the defeat, with 207 declared criminal offences. There was widespread condemnation from The Football Association, political figures and the football community. However this was not the first incident nor the last of this nature. Commemorative murals for the players were defaced and throughout the 2020-21 season, the footballers taking the knee in respect for the Black Lives’ Matter movement were often met with unceremonious booing. The private secretary at the time Priti Patel had declared that taking the knee was ‘gesture politics’ and then prime minister Boris Johnson had failed to condemn the booing. By discrediting and ignoring the smaller, yet overt examples of racism, it allows this hatred and resentment to continue until it spirals to a much larger scale. It should not take a large and public display of racism to action change, and many argue that the investigations are not going far enough to punish the culprits.
By discrediting and ignoring the smaller, yet overt examples of racism, it allows this hatred and resentment to continue until it spirals to a much larger scale.
In the year following the men’s euros, the practice of taking the knee has been reserved for ‘significant events’ and is still met unfavourably at games and in October 2022, Ivan Toney, a Brentford striker received racist abuse after scoring the winning two goals against Brighton. Therefore despite promises of a ‘crack-down’ on match behaviour, there are still recent and prominent examples of misconduct. A central theme is the inaction of social media companies, such as Meta in removing these comments and users from its interfaces. There are consistent investigations following incidents such as Ivan Toney, which while reprimanding the individual, there is a failure to target the wider issue. The importance of the issue is evident, with the men’s England manager Gareth Southgate acknowledging this summer that the response to the 2021 defeat has led to increased consideration of the racism his players could receive when he evaluates his team selection. This is a stark and bleak representation of how racist attitudes infiltrate and influence the sport.
Conversely, the England women historically won the 2022 Euro final, which was the most watched women’s final in UK history. Women were banned from playing football for 50 years in England and historically women’s sport has been severely impacted by sexism, a lack of funding and limited coverage. However, the Euros success has increased its visibility and in the days following the final, there was a 100% increase in ticket sales for the women’s Rugby Union and a pledge to increase sporting opportunities for girls in schools. Former footballer and media personality Alex Scott has opened up about her experiences with racism and sexism in the football community and has spoken of her desire to ‘Get to the stage when I’m not regarded as a female pundit, I’m just a pundit.’ The transition into punditry for women is not easy and Scott has been inundated with abuse concerning her race, gender, accent and qualifications for the role. Another issue is the lack of diversity in women’s football, with the Football Association’s director of women’s football stating ‘It’s not inclusive enough. And it is not diverse enough and we know it.’ In response to these criticisms, the Discover My Talent programme has started to create a pathway for girls from any playing environment to join the England squad. There is also the Coach Inclusion Diversity Scheme which seeks to increase the number of female coaches and coaches from diverse backgrounds into the sport. Furthermore, for the men’s World Cup this autumn, there will be female referees for the first time which is a breakthrough for equality in the sport. All these schemes will be a step in the right direction to reducing the barriers in football, where the term ‘footballer’ can represent everybody regardless of their gender or background.
Football is a traditionally working-class sport, but it has become increasingly difficult for children in deprived areas and minority backgrounds to be scouted. It is hoped that the recent Euro successes will increase the funding and visibility, particularly for women’s football and create a more accessible pathway. Ultimately, sexist and racist attitudes are learnt behaviours and increased educational opportunities in school will help to create a more inclusive environment in the future.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
