Arsenal statement: We acknowledge our current womens first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent. Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us
The lack of diversity in the current crop of Arsenal and England players is down to the same thing that has held women’s football back: access.
The sharp rise in popularity of women’s football has coincided with a huge increase in quality, which came about because more people are given access to play at a younger age.
There are still issues where lack of facilities mean that girls’ teams effectively get disbanded at a certain age, but what is currently available is a significant growth from the FA literally banning women for 50 years, but it is far from universal. You don’t need to be a sociologist to understand that when you’re in the process of improving access to facilities, the richer schools in areas with more space will get there first, and poorer inner city schools will be behind.
The result of this will create a skew where the currently crop of elite footballers are disproportionately white. As access increases in communities that are more mixed, in part because of these commitments from clubs like Arsenal, you’ll see things start to balance out and start to look more like the men’s demographic makeup.
The lack of diversity in the current crop of Arsenal and England players is down to the same thing that has held women’s football back: access.
The sharp rise in popularity of women’s football has coincided with a huge increase in quality, which came about because more people are given access to play at a younger age.
There are still issues where lack of facilities mean that girls’ teams effectively get disbanded at a certain age, but what is currently available is a significant growth from the FA literally banning women for 50 years, but it is far from universal. You don’t need to be a sociologist to understand that when you’re in the process of improving access to facilities, the richer schools in areas with more space will get there first, and poorer inner city schools will be behind.
The result of this will create a skew where the currently crop of elite footballers are disproportionately white. As access increases in communities that are more mixed, in part because of these commitments from clubs like Arsenal, you’ll see things start to balance out and start to look more like the men’s demographic makeup.