British Asian communities ‘becoming more engaged’ with grassroots football

The number of people from Asian communities participating within grassroots football in England is growing.

According to the latest figures from the Football Association (FA), 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 data comes from a Year 3 update on the FA’s Asian inclusion strategy, Bringing Opportunities to Communities, which aims to increase the representation of Asian communities across English football, both on and off the pitch.

In its update, the FA also states that more than 8,000 clubs across the country have now adopted the Football Leadership Diversity Code, as part of the process to become England Football-accredited.

The update forms part of the FA’s 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.

Dal Darroch, the FA’s 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.”