.... Difficult and challenging hurdles are faced by any aspiring young female player regardless of their colour. Check out the back stories of many of the current Lionesses.
Btw, Nikita Parris has made it into a number of football squads. She is a very talented player and has succeeded on her merit and her determination to overcome all the hurdles, just like any other player (regardless of colour).
You are sounding like Lewis Hamilton. Being coloured doesn't stop someone succeeding - Apartheid doesn't exist in the UK.
I am very happy indeed to hear that the momentum is driving forward as your reply #76 describes. But surely you understand that no-one can predict the future and it will be whatever it evolves to be. There is nothing "laissez faire" about that as you suggest.
The French language expression leads me to point out to you how many black/coloured women played in the French squad - Quite a lot (I haven't bothered to count). I assume they got there on merit rather than token-ism or was it a conscious effort to include coloured players for the sake of it?
After England, France was my favourite team and they played with great fluid style IMO.
FFS, can't we all just enjoy a game of football rather than overthinking all the race stuff? As already said, the challenges and hurdles aren't exclusively down to a player's race anyway.
You tell me ... "You are sounding like Lewis Hamilton. Being coloured doesn't stop someone succeeding - Apartheid doesn't exist in the UK"
No. aparthied (an extreme example I have to say) doesn't exist and being from an ethnic background won't, generally, stop those with ability in succeeding but their road to success is much harder because what does exist is
inequality and better opportunities favour whites. ..in all walks of life in the UK. Just off the top of my head I recall an experiment that someone carried out by responding to job applications. He made them using a regular British name and a name that denoted the applicant wasn't white British. So he applied using the name ..eg John Taylor clearly a white British name. Then he used the surnames ..Eg... Yacubu (Nigerian) then Kumar and Patel. You can guess the outcome. Only John Taylor was invited for interview.
Lewis Hamilton. ? I have no interest in motor racing and have no idea what Hamilton has said in this context. I do know that he's the only black (mixed race) F1racing driver.
How does race and ethnicity affect career choice? A 2005 study by Fouad & Byars-Winston stated this:
"Meta-analysis study revealed that in comparison to their White peers, racial/ethnic minorities did not differ in their skills and confidence in career decision making, but they perceived fewer career opportunities and increased barriers.
2017 report by CIPD [Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development]
There is a significant lack of racial diversity at the top of UK organisations. This is unacceptable in 2017. Addressing racial equality is a societal issue, a moral issue, and a business issue. It must be a priority for business.
BAME employees are significantly more likely to say your identity or background can have an effect on the opportunities you’re given than white British employees, particularly those from an Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi background.
Another report. This one by the Open University June 2020.I can only select a couple of comments.
Black athletes’ participation in sport seem to be clustered around just a few sports, such as football, track & field athletics, netball, rugby and basketball. I am yet to see a black British cyclist, rower, jockey or swimmer at elite level. The latter sports are sometimes seen as privileged sports and opportunities are limited to BAME population in covertly and overtly ways. Lack of opportunity for BAME is a real problem.
There is one important aspect here re the England squad in relation to encouraging black/mixed race players
. Young girls who cannot see anyone who looks like they do lack heroines to emulate – and that matters. I mentioned another problem and that lies with the scouts.They should asking teams to ID their top players.In addition there's the issue of 'opportunity' .WSL teams having moved mainly to new suburban or semi-rural training facilities away from cities in places like Surrey, Hertfordshire and Cheshire. I don't believe all young black players are disadvantaged and live in inner cities but there's no doubt they face hurdles that whites don't.
Patrick Vieira..current Crystal Palace manger says he is “disturbed” by the lack of black coaches in the Premier League and other top European leagues. He is currently the only BAME manager in the Premier League, following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo at Spurs.(Nov last year.) "
“It’s a big concern for me and we spend a lot of time thinking about it because it’s something we don’t understand. In almost thirty years of the Premier League, just 10 black managers have been manages of sides in the Premiere League.Black players have always been a part of the success of the Premier League, but there have been few BAME managers.
Here is the last paragraph by the Open University author.
To conclude, we have a long way to go before there is equity across all ethnic groups in sport in the UK. How do we achieve that? The power structures must change by being more inclusive so that they create and implement policies and initiatives that benefit everyone and discriminate against no one. Hopefully, in 10 years, I will revisit this article and write it from a far more positive viewpoint, with the BAME community being present on all levels in the sporting world, and children getting equal access to sports, no matter their background"
I think the above amply demonstrates what I said in my previous post.
You mention the French squad (Women's). Of the 23 players 15 are black/brown.They have a massive ethnic N.African population and in addition their overseas territories and former colonial territories. I've been unable to find out what the policy is for girls football in their schools. I know what it is here. Set out below...last paragraph.
I'll finish with this,Robin.
You say..."But surely you understand that no-one can predict the future and it will be whatever it evolves to be. There is nothing "
laissez faire" about that as you suggest"
My point was that if women's football is allowed to continue to develop at the rate it is now then it won't achivee what many hope for and in that sense, yes..you're right 'what will be will be' but that has to challenged and you could could say ''What would have been..had no challenges to the status quo been made.
Here's the reason.
The Department for Education (DfE) has refused to commit to ensuring that girls have equal access to football in schools, despite the Lionesses’ historic victory in the Euros.
Government guidance published by the DfE fails to guarantee that schoolgirls be offered the same football lessons as boys, but says they should instead be offered “comparable activities”.
England's victorious Euro 2022 players have urged the next Prime Minister to give every girl in the nation the chance to follow in their footsteps.
An open letter signed by all 23 members of Englands victorious Euro 2022 squad calls for Conservative Party leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to make a huge difference
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blackeconomics.co.uk
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