27 October 2023 , 09:30
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The Football Association's diversity advisor Paul Elliott fears that English football runs the risk of estranging generations of black women footballers amid the uproar over a lack of representation in Arsenal's squad.
The Gunners were the subject of fierce censure from fans after the club posted a photo of an all-white squad to their social accounts, reigniting a conversation around diversity within English football. On Thursday night at Wembley Stadium, the governing body applauded the influence that black women have had on the national sport with a special theatre production, Still We Roar, celebrating racial diversity in women's football.
The play was devised by the FA's equality, diversity and inclusion officer Leah Forino-Joseph and tells the stories of Kerry Davis, England's first black player, Hope Powell, England's first female and black manager and Mary Phillips, England's first black captain. Still We Roar arrives after Arsenal addressed the club's controversial squad photo.
The club said that "our current women's first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent" and vowed to make addressing the situation a "key priority". And Elliott, who has been a pioneer for diversity in English football, told the Daily Mail : "I have 40 years of experience in football to understand the finer nuances especially when people of colour are spoken about.
"The focus tends to be on black men and when women are talked about the focus needs to capture gender diversity. We have to be mindful and cognisant of the 21st century challenges in the game to get greater diversity across the women's game at all levels to ensure their is a pathway for young women of colour particularly those from low socio-economic and disadvantaged backgrounds.
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"We have lost two generations of male black players who never had the equal opportunity to transition into coaches, managers and administrators so it would be a huge dereliction of football's duty if they allowed the women's game to emerge the same way."
He added: "The social, human and economic imperative of diversity is beyond reasonable doubt to all football clubs. The data is clear. I just want football to consistently do the right thing and be proactive not reactive."
Arsenal have been criticised for the lack of diversity in their women's squad (Getty Images)Elliott's comments echo the sentiments of new England call-up Khiara Keating. The Manchester City goalkeeper is bidding to become the first goalkeeper from an ethnic minority background for the England senior women’s team.
The 19-year-old, who has relished a remarkable start to the Women's Super League season after conceding only once across four matches, said: "Obviously I think it's important for anyone to make their debut but obviously coming from a background of colour, there's not many of us. I think we are starting to see a rise and I'm just happy that I could be an inspiration.
“Anyone out there that's thinking 'maybe I will get judged' or 'maybe it's not for me', but yeah, I feel like I'm just grateful to be in a position where I can be a role model to people."
The FA launched their Emerging Talent Centres initiative earlier this year which sees centres spread out more evenly across the country while attempting to solve some of the historical challenges identified to increasing diversity, such as long distances and related expenses for girls to travel to regional training centres.
On the governing body's new play Still We Roar, Elliott added: "The core concept of the play focuses on three black women who have been role models of the highest order and have made a positive contribution to English football at the highest level.
"Many will remember the Three Degrees Cyrille Regis, Lawrie Cunningham and Brendon Batson and the generations of male black players that emerged on the shoulders of these great players like myself and many others that experienced the most horrific, unacceptable level of abuse.
"But the story of the courage and bravery of these three strong black women must be remembered and amplified too. Their resilience has undoubtedly been their brilliance."