Arsenal have launched a scheme aimed at boosting the participation of South Asian communities in football. The ‘Emerging Strong, Young, South Asian Gunners’ event took place at the Gunners' Hale End academy on Saturday.
Children from London and the surrounding areas at pre-academy (between the ages of seven and eight) and foundation phase (nine to eleven-year-olds) ages were invited to come and show their talents at the same academy which has recently produced the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Parents and guardians then had the chance to hear from academy staff such as Lee Herron (Head of Talent ID), Yousuf Sajjad (Head of Emerging Talent for U17 – U23), Nav Singh (Academy Sports Scientist) Steve Brown (Lead Coordinator for U8 – U16 players) and Zubair Haleem (Senior Academy Physiotherapist) about the topics of elite player pathways and future activities.
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“We are proud to have the Arsenal Academy at the forefront of engaging with young South Asian talent within the London area," Herron said. "This event is only a small first step with the PFA, where we ultimately hope to give young players more opportunities while also building long-lasting links with south Asian communities.”
A recent study from Leeds Beckett University revealed that there are just 10 British Asian male footballers out of approximately 4,000 professionals in the UK. British-Asians make up 7% of the population, but just 0.25% of professional footballers are from a British Asian background. Through initiatives like, Arsenal are attempting to change that by demonstrating the pathways into the game for South Asian communities.
“This project is about looking to the future and spurring on change by creating opportunities," Sajjad said. "Arsenal along with the PFA have invested in a long-term model which provides support and hopefully continues to encourage the next generation of South Asian prospects in chasing their dreams of playing football at the highest level.”
The event took place in partnership with the Profesional Footballers' Association (PFA). The PFA's Player Inclusion Executive, Riz Rehman, was in attendance and hailed the work Arsenal had done in putting the event together.
“We have created a nationwide network with all clubs and academies over the last 18 months and there is an overwhelming appetite from them to tap into under-represented communities to find talent," he said. “This event has been in the making since the start of the year, and I’ve been delighted with all the input from Academy, Club and Foundation staff in ensuring we put on a memorable day for all players and families in attendance. This is the first step as part of our longer-term strategy to see meaningful change.”
Arsenal are planning to hold more of these types of events in the future as they try and open their doors to London's South Asian community. It is part of a strategy being put in to place by Per Mertesacker's talent ID team.
