Daniel Burdsey

'If I ever play football, dad, can I play for England or India?': British Asians, sport and diasporic national identities.

The overall scope of this article is to examine how young British Asians experience and articulate recent transformations in popular notions of ‘race’, nation and culture. The context for the analysis is sport, which acts as a prominent arena in which these variables are contested and, indeed, embodies the complexities of national affiliations and identities.The article argues that despite continuing ethnically exclusive manifestations of ‘Englishness’ – both in football and in the wider society – increasing numbers of young British Asians are expressing their support for the England football team.This is in direct contrast to cricket, where large numbers choose to follow a team from the Indian subcontinent.The article argues that these trends reflect the multifaceted, fragmented nature of diasporic identities, in that the diverse sporting affiliations of young British Asians enable them to emphasize both their cultural traditions and the permanency of South Asian settlement in Britain.

‘One of the lads’? Dual ethnicity and assimilated ethnicities in the careers of British Asian professional footballers

The broad focus of this article is on the under-representation of British Asians in English professional football. Specifically, it concentrates on the select group of British Asians that have played, or are currently playing, professional football and examines the significance of dual ethnicity, and processes of cultural assimilation and Anglicization in this phenomenon. Emanating from an extensive period of ethnographic fieldwork and using the oral testimonies of British Asian footballers, this article highlights the fact that those who have achieved the most success have either been classified as Anglo-Asians or have under-emphasized their South Asian heritage and, in some cases, actively sought to decrease the degree to which their cultural difference is apparent. Drawing on the ideas of Bourdieu, this study argues that those players who fall into these categories are more likely to possess the necessary cultural capital for breaking into professional football and for gaining acceptance within player subcultures as “one of the lads”.

Role with the punches: the construction and representation of Amir Khan as a role model for multiethnic Britain

This article examines the rapid rise to fame of teenage British Asian boxer Amir Khan following his silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, and provides a critical discourse analysis of the way that he was subsequently constructed and represented by politicians and the media as a role model for multiethnic Britain. The analysis demonstrates that in the periods directly after both the 2004 Olympic Games and the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the majority of discourses about, and representations of, Khan were inextricably related to contemporary debates around multiculturalism, national identity, and religious extremism and/or deviance amongst young British Muslim men. This article argues that despite the ostensibly positive portrayals of Khan as an individual, a broader, more critical reading of these texts uncovers how they actually reproduce the contradictions and problems inherent to New Labours policies on citizenship, community cohesion, the ‘war on terror’ and ‘diversity management’. The article concludes that the almost ubiquitous configuration of Khan as a positive role model is in danger of obscuring the continued existence of discourses and practices of racism and social exclusion in contemporary Britain.

Obstacle race? 'race', racism and the recruitment of British Asian professional footballers

Burdsey examines the ways in which British Asian footballers perceive ‘race’ and racism as factors influencing their under-representation in the professional game. He argues that issues of ‘race’ and racism in football often manifest themselves in forms that are far more complex, nuanced and subtle than are recognized within dominant discourses. Using their oral testimonies, Burdsey demonstrates that the attitudes and opinions of British Asian footballers often contradict the viewpoints proposed by anti-racist football organizations and the media. In particular, for a variety of reasons, the British Asian players in this research, many of whom have first-hand experience of playing at professional clubs, do not attribute the under-representation of British Asian professional footballers to racism in the professional game. These players believe that it is necessary to examine how issues of ethnicity, ‘race’ and racism manifest themselves at the amateur levels of the game, and how this situation inhibits the progression of British Asians into professional football. At amateur levels, racism from opponents, together with the role of football clubs as symbols of ethnic identity, means that British Asian players often play in all-Asian teams and in all-Asian leagues. This restricts their opportunities for being identified and recruited by professional clubs. Finally, Burdsey analyses the use of British Asian coaches as cultural intermediaries in facilitating the inclusion of British Asians in professional football. He argues that not only can this approach be disadvantageous, but also that it is hypocritical, and thus causes offence to many British Asian players.

British Muslim experiences in English first-class cricket:

British Muslims (the majority of whom are of South Asian background) remain largely excluded from professional sport in the UK. A notable exception is cricket, where significant representation has been achieved in a playing capacity. Based on in-depth interviews, this article examines the experiences of British Muslim players in the contemporary English first-class game. In particular, it addresses the role and significance of Islam in their sporting lives; the extent to which their experiences as Muslims and their subsequent public articulations of Muslimness in the sporting environment are affected by the wider socio-political climate that has developed since the 7/7 London transport bombings; and the degree to which dominant subcultural and off-field aspects of professional cricket are perceived to be conducive to observing the obligations of Islam. Following academic work that has detailed the complexities, nuances and multiple constructions of young Muslim lives and identities in other areas of British society, this article extends these analyses by examining the currently under-researched area of professional sport, thereby shedding light on an arena in which British Muslim voices have previously been ignored or marginalized. The article also discusses methodological issues related to a non-Muslim undertaking research in/with Muslim communities.

No Ball Games Allowed? A Socio-Historical Examination of the Development and Social Significance of British Asian Football Clubs

This article seeks to dispel the myth that participation in football is anathema to British Asians. It argues that, not only has football become an increasingly popular leisure activity for many young, male British Asians since the subcontinental migrations of the 1960s, but also that British Asian football clubs possess a wider social significance. Firstly, the article provides a socio-historical examination of the construction of British Asians as the non-footballing ‘Other’ in ‘common sense’ racial ideologies. I then demonstrate the wider social roles undertaken by British Asian football clubs, reflecting generational differences and the diversity of post-migratory experiences and conditions. These include the role of clubs as: symbols of community and cultural resistance; as facilitating contingent cultural integration; resisting racism and circumventing the normalisation of ‘whiteness’ in mainstream amateur football structures; and expansion, partnerships and ‘glocal’ concerns. Finally, I suggest that, in the twenty-first century, football is likely to become an even more important leisure activity for young, male British Asians because—perhaps unlike other leisure forms—participation in the game enables them to resist and challenge wider social stereotypes about ‘Asianness’, particularly in relation to notions of tradition, socio-cultural integration and agency.

Sport for development and peace as contested terrain: place, community, ownership

Under the Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) umbrella, an increasing number of sport projects are staged all over the world to improve the social, cultural, educational or psychological circumstances of marginalized and/or fractured communities. In research on such initiatives, only limited empirical examinations exist that focus specifically on garnering the perspectives of key players from local communities regarding value and impact of SDP. In addressing this issue, our study investigates the local lessons learnt from 13 Football for Peace (F4P) partnership projects that featured a mixture of Jewish, Arab, Bedouin and Circassian communities in Israel. Following an interpretive mode of enquiry, 30 interviews and two focus groups with key stakeholders were conducted, with an emphasis on exploring local experiences. Our findings highlight the diversity of community perspectives in relation to the following themes: values and delivery; engagement and commitment; and scope, regularity and sustainability. Specifically, our analysis illuminates the diverse interpretations and responses that exist in relation to the ethos, meanings and achievements of F4P, and calls for an appreciation of the intricacies, complexities and nuances in the way that the programme (and SDP work more generally) is received. Finally, the article demonstrates how the multiple theorizations and interpretations of community found within academic literature are reproduced and literally played out – but also contested, challenged, rejected and reformulated – in the practice of SDP.

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

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.

Strangers on the Shore? Racialized Representation, Identity and In/visibilities of Whiteness at the English Seaside

This article presents an alternative reading of the English seaside – one that centralizes race, specifically the effects of whiteness and racialized notions of belonging and exclusion. It addresses three main issues. First, it provides a theoretical discussion of the racialized production of social space and place, and outlines the implications for minority ethnic groups at the seaside. Second, it offers an examination of the manner in which discourses of whiteness and (neo-)colonial fantasy are reproduced through amusements and other elements of seaside popular culture. Third, it demonstrates the centrality of the seaside to analysing dominant, racialized interpretations of English national identity and demotic responses to contemporary immigration. The article argues that the seaside is an enlightening site for understanding contemporary constructions, manifestations and repercussions of whiteness, and thus provides an important insight into the cultural and spatial politics of race in 21st-century Britain.

Contested conceptions of identity, community and multiculturalism in the staging of alternative sport events: a case study of the Amsterdam World Cup football tournament

This article provides a case study of the Amsterdam World Cup (WK Amsterdam), an annual amateur football competition and multicultural festival. Placing the event within the context of Dutch integration policy, it examines the differing and contested conceptions of identity, community and multiculturalism articulated by participants and organisers and, more broadly, the role that ‘alternative’ events play in resisting or reinforcing dominant political ideologies. Based on observational fieldwork, the analysis primarily addresses three main issues. First, it considers the extent to which the tournament provides a public space for community mobilisation and, as is the case with mainstream sporting events, the articulation of ethnic, national and gender identities. Second, it discusses associations between whiteness and national identity, and the role of alternative sporting events in facilitating the articulation of oppositional post‐colonial identities. Third, it evaluates the tournaments capacity to promote multiculturalism, cultural interaction and integration into a municipal Amsterdam identity. The article demonstrates that, whilst the tournament has the potential to play a significant role in challenging racism and destabilising white privilege in dominant local football cultures, aspects of the event – analogous to many other supposedly ‘alternative’ sport events – actually reproduce the inequalities and exclusionary practices of mainstream sport.