After posting their latest team photo online, the Arsenal Women’s football team was criticized for a perceived lack of racial diversity on their team. A spokesperson has since responded on the team’s behalf.
An Eye-Catching Photo
“We’re proud of our players from diverse backgrounds.” – Last week, the Arsenal Women’s Football Club came under fire from online commentators after they shared their latest team photo to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Lack of Diversity
The current team for the 2023-2024 season has no ethnic minorities or Black players, and the photo reflected this.
Soon, criticism flooded in, accusing Arsenal Women of a perceived lack of diversity.
Their Statement
The club has since released an official statement acknowledging the lack of diversity and promising that “greater diversity and inclusion” is “a priority for the club.”
Acknowledging the Issue
“We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent,” the statement reads.
“Proud of Our Players”
“Across all our teams, including our men’s and women’s academies,” it continues.
“We’re proud of our players from diverse backgrounds who have contributed to our history, success, and culture.”
Arsenal Men’s Leading the Way
The team photo stands in stark contrast to the Arsenal Men’s squad, also nicknamed the Gunners, who have a slew of ethnic minority players such as Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
A Paradigm of Diversity
Some might say the Men’s squad has been a paradigm of ethnic diversity and inclusion for decades.
Back in 2002, they announced a starting XI with nine Black players, the first team to do so in the history of the Premier League.
Key Priorities
The Arsenal Women’s squad has also confirmed that they are working toward “increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds” and describe it as “a key priority[…]at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.”
Jen Beattie Jumps In
But it isn’t just official spokespeople for the club who have acknowledged the issue.
Arsenal Women’s player Jen Beattie spoke about the team’s lack of diversity on the sports podcast Three Players and a Podcast.
It’s Not Good Enough
“The club knows it’s not good enough not to have representation at the top level,” she said.
“The men’s team have that, a lot of men’s football has that. But in women’s football, it’s not good enough and it’s not good enough for us at the minute.”
Past Players Show the Way
She also pointed to former minority players who were on the Arsenal team in the past.
“You see the likes of Rach [Yankey] on the side of the Emirates, Anita Asante and other top players, who have been a huge part our history of Arsenal so to not have that at the minute is disappointing.”
Grassroots Level
“But it has to happen at a grassroots level,” she insisted.
“Our academy is making steps towards that, in terms of allowing coaches and buses to come from inner-city London up Hertfordshire to allow girls to train as part of the academy to make it more diverse, make it more inclusive and more accessible for everyone.”
Women’s Football as a Whole
The lack of diversity is not exclusive to the Arsenal Women’s team. In fact, it has been pointed out across UK women’s football and on the international level.
The winners of Euro 2022, the Lionesses squad, had just three black players on their team.
Middle-Class Sport for Middle-Class People?
The manager of Chelsea F.C Women, Emma Hayes, has spoken about the issue just as bluntly, referring to women’s football as a “middle-class sport.”
Focus on the Cities
“In terms of the locations, the pedigree of players, they’re often coming from suburban belts around the training grounds,” she said.
“If you want a diverse group involved with our game at an elite level then perhaps we should be traveling into the cities in a more profound way.
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The post “We’re Proud of Our Players From Diverse Backgrounds” – But Where’s the Diversity? UK Women’s Football Team Faces Diversity Backlash After Latest Team Photo first appeared on Mama Say What?!.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jason Ilagan. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
