Changing the Game: How British South Asians Are Finding Their Place in Football

The FA has launched a new initiative to address the longstanding underrepresentation of British South Asians in English football. The three-year plan titled Build, Connect, Support marks the first time the FA has created a strategy focused exclusively on improving accessibility and opportunities for the UK’s largest minority ethnic group within the sport.

The plan targets five key areas: grassroots football, the National League and women’s pyramid, coaching and talent ID, refereeing, and education. Each is aimed at removing barriers to entry and promoting sustained engagement. By embedding South Asian inclusion into regional structures and providing more mentoring, leadership programmes, and faith-based community events, the FA hopes to raise awareness and create more accessible pathways into football.

Positive Steps Forward

Over the last few years, British South Asian participation in football has increased. Nowhere is this more evident than in east London, where Sporting Bengal United has emerged as a trailblazer. The Mile End-based club has rapidly progressed from Sunday league level to step four of the non-league pyramid, also making appearances in the FA Cup.

Their success reflects both a shift in attitudes and the power of community-led football, with east London’s significant South Asian population creating a strong foundation for growth. Sporting Bengal United’s progress is indicative of an emerging trend: recent figures show that over 11% of South Asian adult men and 15% of women are now involved in football activities.

Grassroots Football Continues to Thrive

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2024 marked one of the strongest years to date for grassroots engagement. According to FA data, participation has risen across multiple demographics, with a notable increase in female involvement. This has been fuelled by the inspirational impact of national team success, that’s been bolstered by huge media coverage.

For example, Lioness and World Cup finalist Alessia Russo got her own BBC Sounds show in 2024. Fellow players like England captain Leah Williamson and Chloe Kelly have collected millions of followers on their social channels. From lucrative television deals that put more games on TV screens to the celebrity status of both male and female players, and better engagement with fans through social media, the game’s accessibility has grown.

Indeed, the ubiquitous nature of the sport in media and entertainment is further exemplified by the likes of the football-themed special edition of comedy gameshow I Literally Just Told You with Jimmy Carr, and the new Football Roulette live casino online game that offers an alternative to more traditional versions of the gambling favourite. In iGaming, this roulette variation is a continuation of the success of slots like Football LuckyTap, which have together reinvented the sport in new ways.

As football’s reach continues to expand across media, grassroots, and professional levels, the conditions are ripe for long-overdue change in representation. The increasing visibility of the sport - and those who play it - has the power to inspire young British South Asians to believe there is a place for them in the game.

Initiatives like the FA’s Build, Connect, Support plan are vital in turning that belief into opportunity, removing structural barriers and building lasting pathways into football. If the progress seen in east London can be replicated across the country, the sport will not only better reflect the rich diversity of modern Britain, but it will be stronger and more inclusive because of it.