Forgotten fields? Centralizing the experiences of minority ethnic men’s football clubs in England

Abstract

This essay provides a socio‐historical analysis of British Asian and black men’s amateur football clubs in England. It argues that, from their early development to the present day, they have been far more than simply sites of recreation and leisure, for they have taken on vital social functions in terms of fighting racism, forging cultural resistance and integrating the wider community. The essay critiques dominant football histories and contends that, due to their failure to centralize the issues and problems facing minority ethnic players and teams (as well as those of other oppressed groups), the processes through which the game is reported, represented and documented reproduce the racism and white privilege intrinsic to the sport itself. The remainder of the essay examines the experiences of minority ethnic football clubs in post‐war England. First, the analysis traces key phases and occurrences in the development of clubs, leagues and federations, and demonstrates how the rationale for/implications of these changes can only be fully comprehended if contextualized within the racial politics – both parliamentary and popular – of these respective time periods. Second, it examines the rise of identity politics and shifting political approaches to multiculturalism, and discusses how these have impacted on the identities and membership of minority ethnic clubs. It concludes with a discussion on the rapidly transforming demographics of multiethnic Britain and the implications that this will have for amateur football.